URL shortening has evolved from a simple convenience tool into a sophisticated marketing instrument. In 2025, shortened links are essential for social media marketing, email campaigns, print materials, and more.

But are you using link shorteners to their full potential? This guide reveals 10 best practices that separate amateur marketers from professionals.

1. Use Custom Branded Domains

Generic short links like bit.ly/abc123 lack credibility and trust. Custom branded domains like yourbrand.ca/summer-sale perform significantly better.

Benefits:

Brand recognition: Reinforces your brand with every link
Trust signals: Users are more likely to click branded links
Professional appearance: Shows attention to detail
Better click-through rates: Studies show 34% higher CTR with branded links

Canadian advantage: Using a .ca domain signals that you're a Canadian business, building trust with Canadian consumers who prefer supporting local companies.

Action step: If you're using Mobily, your links automatically use the mobily.ca domain. For maximum branding, upgrade to use your own custom domain.

2. Create Descriptive Custom Aliases

Random strings like /a3x9k2p tell users nothing about where they're going. Descriptive aliases like /pricing-guide-2025 increase trust and click-through rates.

Best practices for custom aliases:

Keep them short but meaningful (4-20 characters ideal)
Use hyphens for readability: /spring-sale not /springsale
Avoid special characters that might cause technical issues
Include keywords when relevant for SEO benefits
Make them memorable for word-of-mouth sharing

Examples:

❌ Bad: /x7k2p
✅ Good: /webinar-signup
✅ Better: /ai-marketing-webinar-nov

3. Implement Link Organization Systems

As your marketing efforts scale, you'll create hundreds or thousands of links. Without organization, chaos follows.

Create a naming convention:

[channel]-[campaign]-[month/year]

Examples:

fb-holiday-sale-dec24 (Facebook holiday campaign)
email-newsletter-oct24 (Email newsletter)
ig-story-product-launch (Instagram story)

This system makes it easy to:

Find specific links in your dashboard
Compare performance across channels
Audit campaigns months later
Train new team members on your system

4. Use Link Shorteners with Built-in Analytics

A link shortener without analytics is like driving blindfolded. You need data to optimize your strategy.

Essential analytics features:

Real-time click tracking: See performance as it happens
Geographic data: Understand where your audience is located
Device breakdown: Optimize for desktop vs. mobile
Referrer tracking: Know which channels drive traffic
Time-series data: Identify patterns and trends
Export capabilities: Integrate with other analytics tools

Mobily provides all of these features by default, with data stored in Canada for privacy compliance.

5. Set Link Expiration Dates for Time-Sensitive Campaigns

Not all links should live forever. Time-sensitive campaigns benefit from automatic expiration.

When to use link expiration:

Flash sales and limited-time offers
Event registrations (conferences, webinars)
Seasonal promotions
Early-bird pricing deadlines
Product launches with specific end dates

Benefits:

Creates urgency ("This link expires in 24 hours!")
Prevents confusion when campaigns end
Keeps your link portfolio clean
Enables post-campaign redirects to evergreen content

Pro tip: When a link expires, redirect users to a related evergreen offer instead of showing a 404 error.

6. Protect Sensitive Links with Passwords

Some links should only be accessible to specific audiences:

Exclusive partner offers
Beta product launches
Employee-only resources
VIP customer deals
Pre-launch content for influencers/media

Password-protected links provide security while maintaining easy sharing.

Implementation: Share the password through a separate channel (email, direct message) from the link itself. This two-factor approach ensures only intended recipients can access the content.

7. Generate QR Codes for Offline-to-Online Campaigns

In 2025, QR codes have become ubiquitous. Every shortened link should have an accompanying QR code option for:

Print advertisements
Business cards
Product packaging
Event signage
Restaurant menus
Retail displays

QR code best practices:

Ensure sufficient size (minimum 2cm x 2cm)
Test scannability at different distances
Use high contrast (dark code on light background)
Add a call-to-action ("Scan for 20% off!")
Track QR code scans separately from regular clicks

8. Test Links Before Deployment

A broken link can cost you thousands in lost revenue and damage your reputation.

Pre-launch testing checklist:

✅ Click the shortened link from multiple devices
✅ Verify the destination URL is correct
✅ Check that the landing page loads properly
✅ Test on both mobile and desktop
✅ Verify analytics are tracking properly
✅ Ensure password protection works (if enabled)
✅ Confirm expiration dates are set correctly

Post-deployment monitoring:

Check analytics within the first hour
Monitor for error reports from users
Verify click-through rates match expectations

9. Implement UTM Parameters for Advanced Tracking

UTM parameters transform basic link tracking into sophisticated campaign attribution.

The five UTM parameters:

utm_source: Traffic source (facebook, newsletter, google)
utm_medium: Marketing medium (social, email, cpc, display)
utm_campaign: Campaign name (spring_sale_2025)
utm_content: Differentiates similar content (blue_button vs red_button)
utm_term: Paid search keywords (only for PPC campaigns)

Example:
mobily.ca/sale?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_2025

This data flows into Google Analytics, allowing you to attribute conversions to specific campaigns and channels.

Naming conventions matter:

Use lowercase consistently
Use underscores or hyphens, not spaces
Be descriptive but concise
Document your naming scheme for team consistency

10. Regularly Audit and Clean Your Link Portfolio

Link rot is real. Over time, your collection of shortened links becomes cluttered with outdated campaigns, broken destinations, and irrelevant content.

Monthly audit checklist:

Review links with zero clicks in the past 90 days
Check for broken destination URLs (404 errors)
Update or expire time-sensitive campaigns
Archive historical links you want to preserve but not actively use
Delete spam or test links
Update outdated landing pages

Benefits of regular audits:

Improved dashboard usability
Better performance insights (no noise from dead links)
Reduced security risks from outdated destinations
Professional link portfolio management

Bonus Best Practices

11. Consider Privacy and Compliance

For Canadian businesses, privacy compliance isn't optional. Ensure your link shortener:

Stores data in Canada (PIPEDA requirement)
Provides transparent privacy policies
Offers data export and deletion options
Respects user consent preferences

12. Integrate with Your Marketing Stack

The best link shorteners integrate with:

Google Analytics
CRM platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce)
Social media management tools
Email marketing platforms

13. Document Your Link Strategy

Create a team playbook that includes:

Naming conventions
When to use passwords or expiration
UTM parameter standards
Approval workflows for public campaigns
Analytics review schedules

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using too many different shorteners: Stick to one platform for consistency and easier analytics.

❌ Ignoring mobile optimization: Over 60% of clicks come from mobile devices. Ensure landing pages are mobile-friendly.

❌ Forgetting to track conversions: Clicks matter, but conversions pay the bills. Connect link data to revenue.

❌ Making aliases too cryptic: /promo1 means nothing six months later. Be descriptive.

❌ Not backing up important links: Keep a spreadsheet of critical campaign links as a backup.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Link Strategy in 2025

URL shortening is far more than making links smaller. When done correctly, it becomes a powerful marketing tool that provides valuable data, builds brand recognition, and drives measurable results.

Implement these 10 best practices to:

Increase click-through rates by 20-40%
Gain deeper insights into campaign performance
Build trust with branded, professional links
Streamline your marketing operations
Scale your campaigns with confidence

Ready to implement these best practices? Start using Mobily today and experience professional link shortening with Canadian data hosting, powerful analytics, and all the features you need to succeed.

10 URL Shortening Best Practices Every Marketer Should Know in 2025