Introduction to Custom Links
Custom Link is the new international link management platform for creating and managing branded short links. Our platform provides a URL shortener which allows brands to transform long links into unique branded short links (e.g. a.did.as/action). These links can be used in communications across all marketing channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, direct mailings and printed media.
In addition to a URL shortener, we offer an organized analytic dashboard which enables each user to measure and monitor link performances. Our statistics page gives you real-time and detailed insight into all link traffic. Understand who clicked on your link and engaged with your site. Segment your statistics by time period, location, referrer, device, campaign and more!
We also provide a browser extension that allows users to shorten, brand, save and copy long URLs with one simple click in their browser. Organizations with a marketing, PR and/or webcare department are able to use a team login so everyone can simultaneously create, manage, control and measure links. The combination of functionalities makes our platform the easiest and most efficient way to create and manage branded short links.
The benefits of branded short links:
- URL customization: Take total control of your content by completely customizing your short URLs. Every part of the link can be modified to fully meet the requirements of the brand.
- Shorter URLs: Branded short link are very short and therefore highly useful in communications across all marketing channels.
- Short URLs are very useful in printed media. The following applies for all media channels: the shorter the URL, the easier it is to remember and copy it.
- Trustworthy URLs: Boost confidence in your distributed URLs by replacing meaningless URLs, such as Bit.ly/3re3y or Goo.gl/8re3f, with branded URLs (e.g. A.did.as/goal).
- Branding: Increase brand awareness with a branded short link. Personalize and elevate your brand presence on social media. Moreover, branded short links give your brand a professional look and make your links visible and recognizable to your audience. The more frequently people see your brand on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or your blog, the higher the chance they will remember your brand in the future.
- Brand advocates: Generate your own brand representatives when people share or retweet your link. When someone shares or retweets your branded link on social media or forums they automatically promote and reinforce your brand.
- Boost traffic: Increase the conversion of shared links. Branded short links drive up the click-through rate of your link because they reinforce your brand and boost confidence in the link.
- Statistics: Track everything from the number of clicks on each link per day, to the social channels shared through, to the geographies of users engaging with your links. Our analytics dashboard gives you a real-time, clear and complete understanding of link traffic. This valuable data can help inform your content strategy and optimize your website. For example, find out what messages on Facebook lead to the highest conversion to your website by comparing the amount of clicks per link.
Branded short links are also very useful in case you add Google Analytics campaign tags to the long target URL. The URL shorter also shorten these campaign tags so they will not be visible for your audience. Branded short links will make your links look nice and clean.
Custom Links is founded by two brothers from the Netherlands with a background in marketing and computer science. The idea for Custom Links was born out of amazement over the current use of links in the communication of many brands across different marketing channels. Many organizations still use long links, which are not only unclear but also occupy a lot of space (e.g. www. BrandX.com/on/this/page/you/will/find/information). Also, there are many organizations that choose to use vague short links from other brands with which you contribute directly to the promotion of a different brand instead of your own brand (e.g. Goo.gl/e4rt4y or bit.ly/4e2i4u4).
We are convinced that this can be improved. Custom links provides brands with the tools to enhance the delivery and measurements of their efforts across all marketing channels. We believe in the power of the branded short link and the value of information derived from link traffic data. Custom Links distinguishes itself from the competition by fully focusing on branded short links for brands. This enables us to better meet the individual needs of brands and marketing agencies.
Custom Link also provides an API for the integration of the URL shortener in, for example, a social media tool or CMS on request. Furthermore, it’s important to notice that the link analytics can only be accessed by the account managers and that we will never sell your data to a third party.
Are you curious about what custom links can do for your brand? Try us out for free. Companies like KLM (klmf.ly), Adidas (A.did.as) and Aegon (Aegon.me) are already leveraging an own, short domain name. Check out our inspiration list for more examples of brands with a branded short link. If necessary, we will gladly help you to come up with an own, short domain name.
For questions and / or remarks, please contact Custom Links.