Create a Custom Url Shortener

There are several reasons why you'd want custom or personal URL shortener, but the number one reason you'd probably want one is for tracking purposes. In today's post, I'll walk you step-by-step in how to create a custom URL shortener. If you're reading this today, you've probably come across the blog through a search for how to do this. The good news is that this video will walk you through that process. However, I'd also like to share a couple more tips here on this post. Custom URL Shortener Benefits Branding - You can have your own branded URL - like mattlaw.co Tracking - If you have your content in lots of places you can see which form of content delivers more visits. Social Integration - If you integrate with Bitly, you can post right to Twitter and Facebook from Bitly for fast posting. Other Integration - You can also integrate with Google Analytics and Social Oomph Affiliate Integration - Yes, you can hide your affiliate links and even see how many clicks you've received. Why have a Custom branded URL Shortener? For me, it was really about the coolness! I think that it is pretty neat to post something with our brand right on it. It also marks you as a professional. The good news is that, it doesn't cost anything to create a custom URL shortener, but most folks don't know that. Yes, you'll need a domain name, but really this is a very low cost for the customization. The Basic Steps to set-up the Custom URL Shortener with Bitly The Domain Name - Pick a short domain name that has your branding. The easiest place to register would probably be GoDaddy, but you can choose whatever registrar you're familiar with. For example, my domain is http://www.mattlaw.co, you'll see that this redirects to Bitly.com unless it has a shortening code attached. Bitly.com Account - You'll need to create an account at bitly if you don't have one. It is pretty easy to do, it is free, and only takes a few minutes. You'll then need to go over to Ahoy drop down with your username and click on settings. Under the advanced tab, you can easily add your own custom URL shortener by following the directions in the video. You can then post a link where it says, "Paste a link here..." to generate a custom code. It should look something like this, http://mattlaw.co/WbqMnP. That is a link which directs to our marketing agency home page for example. The last step is to integrate your custom URL shortener into the places you want to track. Here are a few ideas and concepts for measuring your clicks with your custom URL. Email Tracking - Place your custom URL shortener into email blasts. If you're split testing you'll be able to see how many emails were clicked on. Video Marketing - Place your custom URL shortener into your video discriptions. This will allow you to see how many clicks came to your site from the video. Helpful in measuring video marketing. Social Media - Obviously, you can also track clicks by using your custom URL shortener as well. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below and I'm happy to try to help.