Turn your email campaigns from "meh" to magnificent with these tried-and-true short link strategies that actually increase opens, clicks, and conversions
Email marketing is not dead - but boring, generic email is. If you're still sending out those horrid, mile-long URLs that wrap across three lines and resemble a keyboard having just been sneezed on, then you're probably asking why your click-through rates are in the basement.
Here's the thing: short links aren't simply about making your emails prettier (although they certainly do that). When used properly, they're game-changing tools that can radically enhance your email performance, provide you with amazing insights into subscriber behavior, and even prevent the spam folder of doom from getting in your way.
But - and this is key - there is a right and wrong way to implement short links in emails. Do it incorrectly, and you could actually negatively impact your deliverability. Do it correctly, and you'll be wondering why you didn't do this five years ago.
Why Short Links Are Game-Changers for Email Marketing
Let's begin with the obvious advantages: Long URLs are unattractive and disrupt the visual flow of your email. They shout "click this random link" rather than inviting individuals to interact with your material. Short links provide a cleaner, more professional look that promotes clicks.
But the true magic occurs under the hood. With short links, you can see exactly which emails are causing clicks, when individuals are clicking, and even which individual links within an email are most in demand. This information is gold for optimizing your campaigns.
The Not-So-Obvious Benefits:
- Improved Mobile Experience: Long links tend to break bizarrely on mobile
- Simplified Testing: You can quickly switch out destinations without having to alter your email
- Fewer Spam Flags: Clean, branded short links appear more professional to spam filters
- Link Management: Update or redirect links even after emails have been sent
The Foundation: Selecting the Proper Short Link Service
All URL shorteners are not alike, particularly when it comes to email marketing. Your selection here can make or break your entire strategy.
What to Look For:
- Options for Custom Domain: "yourcompany.ly/newsletter" is a whole lot more professional than "bit.ly/x7k2m9"
- Rich Analytics: You must view clicks, locations, devices, and timing data
- Reliability: Your shortener must have 99.9% uptime - broken links kill campaigns
- Friendly to Spam Filters: Some shorteners trigger email providers' filters
Red Flags to Avoid:
- Free services with bad reputations
- Shorteners widely used by spammers
- Services with no proper analytics
- Sites that could vanish overnight
Best Practice #1: Design Logical Link Hierarchies
Don't shrink all of the links in your email randomly. Make a sensible system that works for you and your subscribers to clearly know what they're clicking on.
Good Link Structure Examples:
- Primary CTA: "yourcompany.ly/spring-sale"
- Blog link: "yourcompany.ly/blog-seo-tips"
- Social media: "yourcompany.ly/follow-instagram"
- Unsubscribe: Leave this as a standard link for transparency
Why This Matters:
Descriptive short links generate trust. If somebody views "yourcompany.ly/free-guide" they're a pretty good guess about where they're headed. Take a look at "yourcompany.ly/x9k2m7" - which one do you think you'd click?
Best Practice #2: The "One Primary CTA" Rule
This is where everybody gets it wrong: they make every single link in their email a short link. Don't do that! It confuses subscribers and waters down your key message.
The Right Approach:
- Pick ONE main call-to-action for your email
- Use this as your principal short link with good, enticing copy
- Leave secondary links (such as social media or unsubscribe) as normal URLs
- Have descriptive anchor text that lets people know precisely what they're getting
Example of Good Primary CTA:
"Want to double your email open rates? Get the full guide here: yourcompany.ly/email-guide"
This is good, enticing, and lets people know precisely what they're getting.
Best Practice #3: Mobile-First Link Design
More than 60% of emails are opened on a mobile phone, yet the majority of you still design your emails first for desktop. That's an enormous error that's losing you clicks.
Mobile Optimization Tips:
- Make links finger-friendly (at least 44px tall)
- Use button-style CTAs rather than plain text links
- Test how your short links appear on various email clients
- Make sure your destination pages are mobile-responsive
The Thumb Test:
Can they quickly tap your link with their thumb, using one hand to hold the phone? If not, increase its size.
Best Practice #4: Strategic Link Placement
Where you place your links is as important as how you create them. The world's greatest short link won't be clicked if it's hidden at the bottom of a 500-word email.
The Optimal Placement Strategy:
- Above the fold: Your primary CTA should be scroll-free
- After value: Give first and ask later
- Multiple touchpoints: Repeat your primary CTA 2-3 times in longer emails
- Logical flow: Links should occur naturally within the content
Pro Tip:
Apply the "squint test" - squint at your email and look for what jumps out. Your primary CTA should be one of the first things you spot.
Best Practice #5: A/B Testing Your Link Strategy
This is where the magic comes in. Most email marketers A/B test subject lines and perhaps images, but they totally overlook testing their link strategy. Huge error!
What to Test:
- Short URLs vs. long ones (yes, occasionally long URLs actually work better!)
- Multiple anchor text for the same link
- Button CTAs versus text links
- Where to place links in the email
- Branded custom domains versus generic shorteners
Testing Framework:
- Choose ONE thing to test per test
- Divide your list between versions equally
- Monitor clicks, not merely opens
- Test for a minimum of 100 clicks for statistical significance
- Use the winner and try something different
Best Practice #6: Segmentation and Personalization
Here is a sophisticated strategy that few people do: you can segment your short links for subscriber segments. That degree of personalization can make a huge difference in your performance.
Segmentation Ideas:
- New subscribers: "yourcompany.ly/welcome-newbie"
- VIP customers: "yourcompany.ly/vip-exclusive"
- Geographic targeting: "yourcompany.ly/nyc-event"
- Behavior-based: "yourcompany.ly/frequent-buyer"
This strategy has a double effect: it cleans up your analytics (you can tell how well each segment is doing), and it can give subscribers the impression that the email was tailored just to them.
Best Practice #7: Timing and Frequency Considerations
How frequently and when you send out short links can have an effect on both your deliverability and subscriber engagement. You must be tactical in this.
The Goldilocks Principle:
- Too few short links: You forego tracking and optimization potential
- Too many short links: You appear spammy and overwhelm subscribers
- Just right: One primary short link per email, and clear secondary links if necessary
Timing Considerations:
- Don't send short links on your initial email to new subscribers (establish trust first)
- Don't use only short links in promotional emails (it shouts sales pitch)
- Mix short and regular links to maintain a natural feel
Best Practice #8: Analytics That Actually Matter
Creating short links is easy. Using the data they provide to improve your campaigns? That's where most people fall down on the job.
Key Metrics to Track:
- Click-through rate by link: Which CTAs are most compelling?
- Time to click: Are people clicking immediately or thinking about it?
- Device breakdown: Mobile vs. desktop performance
- Geographic data: Where are your most active subscribers?
- Click timing: At what time of the day do you receive most clicks?
Actionable Insights:
If you see that mobile users are way lower on the click rate, your emails likely aren't mobile-optimized. If clicks fall off a cliff after the initial hours, your subject line may be good but your content isn't interesting enough to get people to take action.
Best Practice #9: Spam Folder Avoidance
Short links can actually enhance your deliverability if you do them properly, but they can also get you into the spam filter if you're not careful.
Deliverability Best Practices:
- Use a custom domain that matches your sending domain
- Avoid using URL shorteners that are notorious for spam (avoid generic ones)
- Have a healthy ratio of short to normal links
- Always have an unsubscribe link (and make it a standard, readable URL)
- Properly authenticate your sending domain
Red Flags for Spam Filters:
- Multiple unique shortening services in a single email
- Short links with no description or context
- All links being shortened (does look fishy)
- Employing URL shorteners that are not set up correctly
Best Practice #10: Emergency Link Management
Here's the one thing everyone never considers until too late: what do you do when you need to modify where a link points to after an email is out?
Perhaps you typed something incorrectly in your landing page URL. Perhaps your server went down. Perhaps you want to send visitors a different offer depending on how the campaign is going.
Smart Link Management:
- Utilize a reputable shortening service that supports link editing
- Develop backup landing pages for critical campaigns
- Track your links for the initial few hours following send
- Provide a method of rapidly updating links should it be necessary
This type of flexibility can literally rescue a campaign which would otherwise be sunk by a technical error.
Common Errors That Kill Email Performance
Error #1: Employing general shorteners such as bit.ly for business email
These appear amateurish and tend to be marked by spam filters.
Mistake #2: Making obfuscatory short links
"yourcompany.ly/x8k2m" doesn't tell anyone anything about where they're off to.
Mistake #3: Failing to test links before mailing
Faulty links are a quick method of losing subscriber trust.
Mistake #4: Failing to optimize mobile
If your links are difficult to tap on mobile, you're missing out on 60%+ of possible clicks.
Mistake #5: Making too many short links in the same email
This makes you appear spammy and leaves subscribers unsure of what to do.
Advanced Strategy for Power Users
- Dynamic Link Creation: Generate links that shift based on the behavior or preference of subscribers. A subscriber who consistently opens the blog content receives varied links compared to one who clicks on sale alerts alone.
- Cross-Campaign Tracking: Utilize consistent naming throughout all your marketing outlets so that you can observe how email subscribers act elsewhere.
- Retargeting Integration: Drive your email link clicks to retargeting campaigns on social networks.
- Progressive Profiling: Utilize link clicks to build on subscriber interests and personalize future emails.
Your Email Link Optimization Checklist
Before you go out with your next campaign, go through this checklist:
The Bottom Line
Short links are more than a nice-to-have feature for your email programs - they're indispensable tools for getting to know your audience, maximizing your performance, and sending professional-looking emails that people actually want to click on.
But as with any tactic, they're only as effective as your use of them. Practice these best practices, test regularly, and listen to what your data is telling you. Your bottom line (and your click-through rates) will reward you.
Don't forget: the end goal isn't merely to get individuals to click your links. It's to make such an awesome experience that they can't wait to open your next email as well.
Ready to revolutionize your email marketing with clever link strategies? Begin applying these tips to your next campaign and see engagement skyrocket!
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