Savvy companies know the importance of a strong, recognizable brand. Positive recognition helps buyers make their decisions faster and more comfortably than with an obscure brand they’ve never seen before.
This is why organizations need to use every tool available to increase and maintain brand identity. Nailing down ways to increase a brand’s reach and make it more memorable is essential.
That’s why branded links rock.
What is a branded link?
A branded link is a shortened URL that uses a brand name, or a word or phrase closely tied to the brand, to associate the company with shared information.
Understanding what makes up a link is where you need to begin. Every link—branded or not—has a protocol, domain name, and path.
For example, a generic Bitly link might look something like: bit.ly/2KEOXNx.
Here, bit.ly is the domain, and the numbers and letters that follow are considered the path. Branded links follow the same structure but instead of the bit.ly, they have a unique domain name.
A business that uses branded links can include its name in the link or another word that best represents what they’re all about.
Key benefits of branded links
Even if you haven’t heard the terms “custom links” or “branded links,” you’ve likely seen them out in the wild. Businesses use these links:
- on social media
- in SMS messages
- at live events
- on printed materials
There are several good reasons why businesses and influencers make the effort to use branded links.
Branded links help build brand awareness and recognition
Can your targeted buyers see your brand name too many times? No!
Including short links with your company name in your content is just one more way to get it in front of your audience. A branded short link, used within a robust digital marketing campaign, amplifies your company’s visibility and grows your brand.
Bitly offers branded URLs with our Growth, Premium, and Enterprise pricing plans. But our Enterprise Class plan takes things a step further, allowing you to leverage the power of auto-branding. Auto-branding keeps your unique domain name in the link, even when another user shortens it using Bitly. This ensures that no matter who shares your link, your brand remains front and center.
Branded links are a powerful way to promote specific pieces of content
Companies that use a content marketing strategy for lead generation, thought leadership, retargeting campaigns, or to add value to current clients can benefit from branded links.
As you’re developing content, use a shortened link with a trackable tag. As you distribute the content, you can track:
- how many opens it receives
- what times and dates are the most popular
- click-through rates (CTRs)
- landing page conversions
These analytics are priceless in understanding your buyers’ preferences and maintaining a high-performing content strategy. This step helps reach and engage your target audience more effectively.
Users are more likely to share a custom-branded link
Since branded links replace the bit.ly with the name of your choosing, your customers recognize the source. This builds brand recognition and helps build trust between your audience and your business.
Consumers want to trust the brands they do business with. The 2019 Edelman Trust Special Report finds that 81% of those surveyed said “trusting the brand to do what is right” is a deciding factor in their buying decision.
And when your audience knows they can trust your links, they’re more likely to share them with their connections and followers. More shares mean more eyes on your link, which means greater exposure to your content and brand.
Branded links offer flexibility, allowing businesses to swap promotions
Using a link shortener to create a branded link isn’t just for evergreen content and web pages; you can use them for promotional events, too.
New products, upcoming webinars, price reductions, and other promotional initiatives benefit from branded links. They can help with search engine optimization (SEO) rankings and make your message stand out over other, similar messages. This gives your company a competitive advantage.
A note on generic unbranded links
Don’t get us wrong, unbranded links aren’t bad to have in your digital marketing strategy, too. Generic bit.ly links are powerful—and just as safe and secure as branded links. Thousands of our users use generic links every day to connect with customers and analyze their cross-channel performance.
However, with so many generic links on the internet, branded links stand out. That’s why incorporating them into your link management strategy is a smart move that can net big results.
Step-by-step guide to create a branded link with Bitly
Branding your links with Bitly is simple. Start increasing your organization’s brand recognition and forging trust with your audience in just a few clicks:
- Create a Bitly account. Choose from one of the available packages that best meet your needs and budget. Note: Branded links are available from the Growth plan and above.
- From the Bitly Dashboard, select Settings on the left-hand navigation bar, then Custom domains, and finally Add a domain.
- Depending on your Bitly account plan, you’ll be presented with two choices: getting a domain from Bitly or using your own domain. Select the option best suited to your needs.
- If you are connecting your own domain, follow the instructions to update your domain’s DNS settings. The steps can vary depending on your domain provider.
- After your domain has been added, you will be able to view your domain verification status under Custom domains in your Settings.
- Start using your branded links in your copy as anchor text, in your social media posts, and throughout your other branding efforts.
Examples of branded links
We hate to say “everybody’s doing it” when it comes to branded URLs…
But they are.
Many highly recognizable, credible brands are using branded links to deliver their messages and establish relationships with their audiences. Note: These examples were found during our online research for this article.
Here are some examples:
New York Times: nyti.ms
This respected news source uses branded links to maximize its branding efforts and make its content easily searchable on Google or other search engines.
Huffington Post: huffpo.com
Huffington Post leverages its branded link management strategy to segment its multiple brands. This approach creates clarity for their audiences.
LinkedIn: lnkd.in
LinkedIn uses short URLs with their brand prominently displayed in each link. This allows the professional social media platform to set itself apart as a unique brand, maintain its place at the top, and keep competitors at bay.
Create branded links with Bitly
Companies serious about building a great brand and increasing credibility with their audiences must come at the challenge from numerous angles. Branded links are one of the significant elements of such a plan. They add visibility and make users comfortable clicking the link from a company they know and trust.
Marketing pros should use Bitly to create branded links that make sense. Making your links recognizable across multiple channels amplifies your reach and strengthens your brand.
Our platform provides tracking links for advanced analytic review, tons of seamless integrations, and an API. And since we play so well with others, you can use your current tools along with Bitly and accomplish more with less work! Try us out for free today.
