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Shortening a URL

What is URL shortening?

A URL is a Unique resource locator. On the internet, that is the web URL that goes in the internet bar.

A URL could be quite long, such as the URL for this blog which is 40 characters...
www.socialmediaiseasy.blogger.com

When shortened on www.tinyurl.com, it looks like this...
http://tinyurl.com/962rvbv

Why shorten a URL?

There are several reasons for shortening a URL. It could be easy to share if it is shorter. Also, changing the URL to something shorter could help it not to be identifiable, for example in affiliate marketing. One of the most important reasons for shortening a URL is to be able to track the statistics.

How do I shorten a URL?

The easiest way to shorten a URL is to use www.tinyurl.com. However, if you want to track the statistics of your click through rate, I recommend www.bitly.com. 

The Bitly Pufferfish!


If you use Hootsuite for social media, Hootsuite automatically shortens web addresses or URLs when posting on Twitter. They become owly links, and Hootsuite can then generate a report based on the clicks from your tweets.


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