For a 160-character text message, surely there isn’t enough space for a long and messy hyperlink.
This is where using a URL shortener comes in handy. It is simple and easy to use; just paste your long URL on the website and you’ll be good to go.
If you’re looking for ways to use link shortener tools in your SMS marketing campaigns, here are some tips to do it.
Simplify long and complicated URLs
There is plenty of options to choose from and most of which doesn’t cost a dollar (the basic ones at least). A few examples of the best url shorteners include Google Url Shortener, ExpressText, TinyURL, and Bitly.
What makes them different from each other are the features that can help your business most. But as with anything premium, they do come with a price tag. So if you don’t want to pay for this kind of service, you can check with your text message marketing company to see if they do offer one for free.
One of the good things about an integrated URL shortener is that you can easily streamline the process, from link creation, customization, to tracking and reporting.
Use shortened links to avoid spam triggers
Although there are no spam filters in SMS, long URLs can still scare people. They initially think of it as a spam link because it doesn’t look professional and inviting.
Your click-through rates may go down or worse, a few might end up unsubscribing from your text marketing campaign. A well-composed text alert can do wonders to businesses who really make an effort in customizing their messages.
Track click-through rates to measure performance
A good URL shortener should be trackable so that you can see the results of your efforts immediately. This will help you determine if you’re getting close to achieving some of your main objectives or not.
With its tracking and reporting feature, a link shortening tool can help you track data and use it at your disposal. Want to see how much web traffic is coming from your SMS campaigns? Inserting a shortened link to your website in a text promo will give you that number.