SmartLink domains will cease operation after December 31, 2020. To read more about the end of life for SmartLinks, please click here.
First off, what are Smart Links?
Smart Links are short links made up of real, easy-to-read words. You simply add your long, ugly link to BL.INK, and it spits out a Smart Link based on the content of the page. For example, this long string:
..gets ‘automagically’ transformed to: times.company/apple6
Smart Links are versatile and they’re free: once you create an account at BL.INK, you can generate and use Smart Links.
So, how could you use this feature for your own online presence? Let’s count the ways:
Smart Links are easy to read. When you’re sharing something on social media, you’d rather the link was short and memorable, right? Let BL.INK scan your page and come up with a short, contextual link that’s all kinds of clickable.
Example: Link in bio ☝ dress.boutique/pretty
Smart Links are instant. If you need to quickly create links to a lot of pages, say an existing library of blog posts, you would have to sit down to write and search for dozens of possible short links for them. Or, you could just plug all your existing long links into BL.INK to instantly get new names!
Example: myblog.com/blogs/this-is-my-first-blog becomes my.blog/1
Smart Links are descriptive. Maybe you’re having a tough time summarizing your content; it’s difficult to boil down an entire webpage into a short phrase. Well, just run that page’s URL through BL.INK and get some relevant, concise options.
Example: wewrite.software/fast
Smart Links tell a story. Whatever content you have, BL.INK can pull out the most pertinent bits, making a link that can convey important messages. The short link below says it all, even before your audience clicks through to donate.
Example: womenshealth.care/donate
Smart Links get to the point. BL.INK smart links can promote your business and your products. This is especially useful in online advertising and promotions, where your space is limited and you want to convey a lot with very few pixels.
Example: vacuumbrand.com/ultra-10-vacuusuck-horsepower becomes vacuum.supply/high-power
Smart Links are directive. A call to action (CTA) is a short sentence that tells an audience what they should do. “Buy now,” “Contact us today,” “Make a free account.” BL.INK can make the link itself a CTA, which is more compelling and efficient for your audience!
Example: get.report/now
Smart Links are automatic. It’s tough enough naming a bunch of links to your blog posts, but what about landing pages for marketing campaigns? Coming up with unique, meaningful short links can be daunting. BL.INK automatically transforms URLs of landing pages into short links that humans can read.
Example: big.store/summer-sale-email
Smart Links are trackable. You can add UTM parameters to Smart Links in order to collect additional data about what your audience is clicking on. In addition to knowing your click count, you can see click sources and geographic data in the BL.INK dashboard.
These are just ten ideas to get you started, but BL.INK has plenty of uses, even ones we haven’t come up with yet. It’s easy to get started with a free trial account, so you can start linking smarter today!