Shortened URLs are great, but shouldn’t your links promote your brand?
Branded links may be the solution you are looking for.
They take your shortened links to the next level and quickly build your brand.
Some of the biggest brands in the world are using branded links, such as YouTube (youtu.be), the New York Times (nyti.ms), Virgin (virg.in) and Pepsi (pep.si).
These brands understand that branded links maximise brand awareness and take marketing to the next level.
Shortening a link takes up less characters for your post, which is especially helpful when it comes to Twitter posts.
A branded short link also shortens the original url, but includes the brand name in the link.
By branding a link, the audience associates the company with the links, information and content shared online.
Branding has become incredibly important with some great benefits.
72% of marketers are saying that branded content is more effective than advertising in a magazine.
69% of those marketers also believe that branded content is superior to direct mail and PR.
Among most consumers, “authenticity of content” is their greatest influencer for whether or not to become loyal to a brand.
With branded links, you can incorporate your company’s name and associate them with the quality content being shared, thus better increasing consumer loyalty.
Branded links also increase brand recognition, which for millennials, is the second most important driver for brand loyalty.
Generic shortened links like bit.ly or goo.gl don’t reinforce brand awareness or leave a branded impression on the audience like branded links can do.
In addition to this, branded links increase the click through rate (CTR) by 35% or more.
They convey a strong quality signal about the content being shared.
If the content is authentic and valuable, it will signal to the audience that the brand is also authentic and of value.
In this way, you can kill two birds with one stone: gain brand recognition by including a branded link, as well as grow customer loyalty when the audience associates your brand with content that matters.
An increased CTR is a clear sign that audiences prefer branded links.
This means that they will also share more content when it includes branded links.
Matt Cutts, Google’s Head of Search, has said, “Since shortened links get shared more often, there is an added SEO benefit from this greater exposure.”
Greater SEO? More brand awareness?
Higher CTR? It’s probably time to start using branded links.
Make the change and begin using branded links today.
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