13 Best URL Shorteners for Brand Marketing

With the rise of social media and digital marketing, brands need to have a strong link strategy. The days of spamming audiences with lengthy, ugly URLs are over.

Modern customers demand short, clean, trackable links that reinforce branding. This is where URL shorteners come into play for savvy marketers.

But not all URL shorteners are created equal. The key is finding one tailored to your brand‘s specific goals and needs.

In this in-depth guide, we‘ll explore the value of URL shorteners for brand marketing and how to choose the best one for supercharging your strategy. Let‘s get started!

Why URL Shorteners Are Essential for Brand Marketing

Long, unwieldy links simply won‘t cut it for today‘s marketing.

According to research by HubSpot, URLs with over 60 characters can decrease click-through rates by over 50%. Yikes!

Shortened links are much easier for customers to engage with. And the right URL shortener offers so much more than just character reduction.

Here are some of the core benefits of using a URL shortener for branding and marketing:

Brand Reinforcement

Strategic vanity URLs with your brand name remind customers who you are every time they click or share.

Link Customization

Design links that match your brand with customization options. Add CTAs, keywords, campaign tags and more.

Link Management

With a central dashboard, you can easily organize, edit, and share links enterprise-wide. No more link clutter.

Audience Insights

Robust analytics provide intel on who is clicking your links and how they are performing. Link clicks are a data goldmine!

Omnichannel Integration

Leading shorteners play nice with marketing tools you already use like social media managers, CRMs, and analytics software.

Key Stats on URL Shorteners

Bitly sees over 1 billion clicks per month across their shortened links
79% of marketers say branded links are highly effective for marketing [HubSpot]
Links shortened with Bitly get 15-30% more clicks on average versus non-shortened links [Forbes]

Clearly URL shorteners are more than just a "nice to have" for digital marketers. They are fast becoming an essential tool for boosting branding and analytics in the omnichannel marketplace.

But with so many options out there, how do you choose the right service for your brand? Let‘s explore the top solutions.

13 of the Best URL Shorteners for Brand Marketing

Based on years of hands-on experience as a digital marketer, here are my top recommended URL shorteners for elevating your marketing game.

1. Rebrandly

Rebrandly is my #1 choice for companies laser-focused on branded link experiences.

This powerful URL shortener lets you completely customize shortened links with your brand name, domain, keywords, CTAs and more.

For example, you could shorten a link to:

acmelampco.com/buy-led-lamps

With Rebrandly, you can transform it into:

acme.com/led-lamps-for-sale

Such prominent branding helps drive clicks while increasing brand recall.

Rebrandly also provides useful individual and real-time analytics on your links. And with Zapier integration, you can connect it into your existing marketing workflows.

Pricing starts at $29/month, which is well worth it for the branding and customization capabilities.

2. Bitly

With over 300 million monthly users, Bitly is likely the most widely used and recognized URL shortener globally.

Major brands like Spotify, Netflix, and The New York Times rely on Bitly to shorten, track, and optimize their links.

Handy features include:

Real-time click analytics dashboard
Link customization with Bitly‘s domain or your own
Integration with hundreds of apps including Slack, Twitter, and Hootsuite
Account collaboration for managing company-wide links
Bots for automating link shortening

Robust yet easy to use, Bitly is a smart choice for enterprises. Pricing starts at $29/month.

3. Ow.ly

Ow.ly is Hootsuite‘s built-in URL shortener, seamlessly integrating into their social media management platform.

So if your company already uses Hootsuite, Ow.ly is a no brainer:

Easily shorten and share links from inside Hootsuite
Create custom branded URLs
Syncs with your Hootsuite analytics

The biggest perk is that Ow.ly comes bundled with Hootsuite‘s Pro ($49/month) and Business plans ($199/month) – so no added fees.

4. TinyURL

Recognized as one of the first URL shorteners, TinyURL holds strong as a simple yet effective option.

Some notable features:

Totally free with no limits
No account required to shorten links
Optional registration to save link history
Simple link click metrics

I recommend TinyURL for solopreneurs and small teams that just need a basic URL shortener with minimal bells and whistles.

5. Shorby

If you want premium features at an affordable price, Shorby is a great contender.

Useful capabilities include:

Custom branded domains
Click and demographic analytics
Geotargeting of links
Integrations with tools like Slack, Buffer and Hootsuite

Starting at just $7/month, Shorby packs a big punch for budget-conscious marketers.

6. Kutt

Kutt is an interesting option because it is fully open source and always free.

It allows you to:

Shorten as many links as you want
Add custom domains
Password protect links
Access developer API and webhooks

For developers or businesses wanting an open source URL shortener, Kutt is hard to beat in terms of customizations and zero cost.

7. Bl.ink

Bl.ink is a premium link management platform built for major brands. Companies like McDonald‘s, Apple, and Coca-Cola rely on Bl.ink for link shortening, tracking, and analytics.

Powerful capabilities include:

Pixel-level link analytics for gleaning deep insights
A/B testing tools to improve link performance
Full API access and webhooks for custom integration
Dashboard customization and white labeling

The premium features don‘t come cheap – pricing starts around $299/month. But for enterprise-class link management, Bl.ink delivers.

8. Chilp.it

If privacy is a major concern, I recommend Chilp.it. This stripped down URL shortener prioritizes anonymity.

You can shorten URLs with no account required. And there are no external trackers or ads on links.

Chilp.it is ideal for those times you only need a simple shortened link and don‘t necessarily care about metrics.

9. TrimURL

TrimURL equips power users with advanced tools like:

Multi-step link redirect chains
Automation rules for intelligent routing
Full white label and customization
In-depth analytics and insights

Pricing starts at $15/month after a free trial. The premium capabilities make TrimURL a top contender for heavy link sharers.

10. Short.io

Short.io strikes a nice balance of powerful features with an affordable price point.

Standout capabilities:

Team collaboration tools
Custom link themes and domains
Click heatmaps for analytics
Slack integration and Zapier automation

Starting at $20/month, Short.io brings excellent bang-for-buck that could work for many business sizes.

11. Tiny.cc

If low cost is the main priority, Tiny.cc packs admirable features into just a $7/month starter plan.

Benefits include:

Link grouping with tags and folders
Basic click analytics
Custom link editing
Country and device tracking

The affordable pricing makes Tiny.cc a viable option for bootstrapped startups and solopreneurs.

12. buffers.com

Like Hootsuite, Buffer comes with its own built-in buffers.com URL shortener.

Integrating directly with Buffer‘s suite of social media tools, you can easily shorten and schedule links for all your posts.

If you are a Buffer user, take advantage of buffers.com to simplify your social link management at no extra cost.

13. Linkiffy

If you just need a simple, completely free URL shortener, Linkiffy gets the job done admirably.

You can shorten links with no signup required. And they claim to never expire or delete links.

The barebones interface and generous free plan make Linkiffy ideal for personal use or small teams.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps

URL shorteners are indispensable tools for marketers to improve branding, sharing, and analytics.

However, there are many options in the space, each with unique strengths and limitations.

Focus on your specific business needs, budgets, and use cases as you evaluate URL shorteners. Dig into free trials to test drive the user experience.

And don‘t stop at just shortening URLs. Look for advanced capabilities like customization, A/B testing, automation, and integration to take your branding to the next level.

So give your long unwieldy links the boot, and say hello to a more engaging, trackable, and brand-focused link strategy. Your audience will thank you!

Have you had success with a particular URL shortener for your business? Share your experiences in the comments!