This guide features insights from Tess Barclay, a digital marketer, YouTube creator, and founder of @tessbarclay. Tess manages content across multiple platforms and uses Bitly to understand what’s performing—and why.
If you’re a marketer or creator, you’re probably posting content everywhere: dropping a new YouTube video, teasing it on Instagram Stories, linking it in your TikTok bio, and adding it to your weekly newsletter. But Tess Barclay challenges creators to pause and ask a simple question:
Do you actually know which of those channels is working—or are you just hoping something lands?
Tess used to juggle platforms at the same rapid pace many creators do, guessing which efforts were driving results. That all changed when she started using Bitly to see what was really happening behind the scenes.
When data reveals what your content is really doing
Tess shares a moment every creator can relate to: she was reviewing her Bitly analytics when she spotted something surprising. An older YouTube video—one she hadn’t talked about in months—was suddenly getting a spike in clicks from her TikTok bio.
She hadn’t promoted it. She hadn’t resurfaced it. She didn’t even realize people were still finding it. But Bitly’s data told a different story.
After seeing that spike, she made a quick TikTok highlighting the older video. Almost instantly, clicks from her TikTok bio to that YouTube video doubled. The results of a timely decision made possible by real analytics.
That is a business decision I can only make in real time because of the data Bitly gave me.”
Bitly became a simple, powerful way for her to understand what her audience was responding to—and where that momentum was coming from.
A few capabilities make the biggest impact in her day-to-day work:
- Real-time analytics reveal which platform is driving clicks the moment they happen.
- Branded short links with custom domains look professional and build trust.
- Cross-platform visibility lets her compare performance across every channel she uses.
Instead of spreading effort evenly across every platform, Tess can focus on what’s actually working right now.
Seeing the full picture of your content performance
In another example, Tess breaks down the question she gets most often: “But how do you actually know what’s working?”
For creators who are everywhere at once—filming, posting, emailing, promoting—this is the hardest part. Long URLs clutter bios, undermine professionalism, and give creators zero insight into where clicks are coming from. Without clarity, most people default to guesswork.
Bitly changed that for her.
Making links look smarter and perform better
Tess swapped out long, messy URLs for branded Bitly links because she wanted her content to feel more polished and trustworthy across every platform. Long links take up valuable space, especially in bios and descriptions, and they often look out of place in creator content.
Branded short links fix that instantly—they’re clean, consistent, and clearly tied to her brand. That’s a small detail, but for creators building credibility with their audience, it matters.
Beyond aesthetics, branded links help set expectations. When viewers see a recognizable domain, they know exactly who the link is coming from, which increases the likelihood they’ll click. Tess noticed the difference right away. But the biggest shift didn’t come from how her links looked—it came from the data behind each one.
Turning every link and QR Code into insights
Once Tess had her links organized and branded, Bitly’s analytics opened up an entirely new layer of visibility. Instead of guessing where people were finding her content, she could finally see patterns in how her audience discovered and interacted with her work. With the Bitly Analytics dashboard, Tess could finally see the complete picture:
- Which platform drove each click, whether it came from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or email.
- Where her audience was located, giving her geographic insights she could use to tailor content.
- Which campaigns or promotions were working best, allowing her to compare performance at a glance.
- How her QR Codes were performing, including the branded QR Codes she generates in bulk for events, packaging, and business cards.
This clarity changed the way she approached her content as a whole.
People always ask me, how do you know where your audience is actually coming from? I track clicks by platform, campaign, or location, all in one beautiful dashboard.”
With that level of visibility, she could move quickly—shifting attention, budget, or creative energy toward what was truly driving results.
Why measurable marketing drives better results
When Tess started using real-time data to guide her decisions, her workflow transformed. Instead of spending equal energy across every platform, she began focusing on the channels that were actually building traction. That made her content more intentional, her promotion more strategic, and her growth much more predictable.
With measurable insights guiding her work, she can:
- Make informed decisions based on what’s happening right now, not last week.
- Spot channels worth doubling down on, because she can see where engagement spikes.
- Cut back on platforms that aren’t converting, reducing wasted effort.
- Use branded, trustworthy links that lift click-through rates.
- Track links and QR Codes together, giving her a full picture of audience behavior.
For Tess—and for most creators—the difference is night and day. When you finally know what’s working, you can plan content more effectively, promote videos with confidence, and adjust your strategy without second-guessing.
Bitly brings all of that together. With branded short links, dynamic QR Codes, custom domains, and a real-time analytics dashboard, creators and marketers get the clarity they need to make smarter, more strategic decisions.
Ready to stop creating in the dark? Get started with Bitly for free and start tracking your content like Tess to unlock the data that powers real growth.
