So you have a high-level understanding of vanity URLs — short customized links that redirect to a longer URL. But why use them? Are they truly beneficial? Short answer: Definitely! They’re a handy marketing tool that can help you engage more people. Experts have found vanity URLs can increase a marketing campaign’s success rate by up to 35%. Here’s more about how these short and sweet URLs play to your advantage.
1. They Help You Grow Your Brand
Thanks to their customizability and how easy they are to read, vanity URLs are a great way to promote your brand, products or services. Vanity URLs can be incredibly helpful if you’re promoting a product page or a landing page because you can customize a URL that’s simple to remember. If someone spots it on a billboard or advertisement, they’ll be more likely to type it in later when they aren’t on the go.
This helps improve engagement and allows people to bookmark a page for future reference. The latest research backs up this simple marketing tactic’s effectiveness, finding that descriptive URLs for services or products offer 42% higher click-through rates.
2. They Make it Easy for People to Share
It’s not just painless for you to promote your vanity URL; it’s also easier for your customers to share it with their friends and family to help spread the word. Want more eyeballs on your website? An short URL is critical. If you want to direct your potential customers to a specific part of your website without listing a long, complicated URL structure (that they’ll be less likely to remember themselves let alone share with their friends), vanity URLs make it possible. If it’s convenient for you to share, it’s convenient for everyone to share.
3. They Boost Offline Marketing
Is offline marketing a big part of your marketing campaigns? Just because we’re living in a digital world doesn’t mean that traditional marketing tactics have gone out the window. From product launches in retail stores to direct mail campaigns, vanity URLs are a great asset to feature. You can use them on product labels themselves to direct customers to important information or use them on any promotional marketing materials outside the digital realm.
4. They Improve Data Collection and Analysis for Campaigns
Vanity URLs are also a great way to dive deeper into your marketing data and more easily track engagement. Beyond being a memorable branding feature of merchandise or marketing materials, vanity URLs can help you track lead generation and revenue growth offline from a specific touchpoint — again, making them an essential component of any offline-marketing initiatives.
To track your leads, use your offline marketing materials to direct people to a landing page or microsite. There, you can track your conversions and grow your online audience – seamlessly merging your offline and online marketing initiatives.
The Many Benefits of a Vanity URL
Vanity URLs are one simple, easy tool for your toolbox. From improving data collection and analysis for offline campaigns to help growing your brand, vanity URLs offer several noticeable benefits for companies looking to grow their business and revenue.
Want help creating vanity URLs for your next successful marketing campaign? Get set up with urllo today. Our user-friendly dashboard makes it easy for even the least tech-savvy.
By Christian Keon
As EasyRedir's VP of Marketing, Christian Keon knows the power of branded URL redirects within strategic marketing campaigns... as well as too many pop culture references.
