As popular as it is to earn income online as an affiliate marketer, it’s not as simple as placing a link and watching the money roll in. If it isn’t a lack of strategy for marketing, it’s making one (or all) of the most common affiliate marketing mistakes. One of which involves using branded short links. Those newest to affiliate marketing often struggle with creating custom URLs to boost conversion via brand identity – particularly those managing multiple campaigns. But the experts here at ClickWhale know the importance of this and have drafted this blog to help you avoid the pitfalls.
More than just a way to make your links look cleaner—custom URLs curated with ClickWhale are a powerful tool for boosting your affiliate marketing success. They can help you better track your links, make your marketing efforts more effective, and ultimately, earn more from your affiliate partnerships.
But what if you don’t know how to create custom URLs or why they’re so important? Do not worry; we are going to clarify and explain it all to you. But first, let’s break down the benefits of this strategy.
Benefits of Branded Short Links as an Affiliate Marketer 🎯
Before diving into the “how-to” of creating custom URLs, it’s essential to understand why they are so important. There are several benefits of branded short links (custom URLs) a few of which we will discuss in a moment. But what’s pressing is that you understand that when done correctly, custom URLs can make your affiliate marketing efforts more efficient and effective.
That is to say, you will be working smarter, not harder! Here’s the list of benefits we referenced earlier:
- By creating custom URLs, you can ensure that your branded short links look clean and trustworthy, which builds brand identity. Instead of a long string of random characters, the URL is simplified to include your brand name and a keyword related to the product or service you’re promoting.
- ClickWhale’s customizing features allow affiliates to maintain consistent branding across all active campaigns reinforcing your brand image every time someone sees your link. This consistency helps build brand recognition and strengthens your overall marketing strategy.
- One of the biggest advantages of custom URLs from ClickWhale is the ability to include tracking codes or UTM parameters. These small bits of data attached to the URL provide valuable insights into how the affiliate links perform. Track everything from the number of clicks to the conversion rate to optimize your campaigns and improve your results.
- Create custom URLs that are optimized for search engines and user experience. This can lead to better visibility in search results, higher click-through rates, and more conversions. Tailoring URLs to a specific audience and/or marketing goals makes your affiliate marketing efforts more effective and profitable.
Now that you understand the importance of custom URLs and how they can solve some of the common pain points in affiliate marketing, it’s time to learn how to create them. The process is simpler than you might think, and you don’t need to be a technical expert to get started.
How to Create Custom URLs with ClickWhale 🔗
The good news is that learning how to create custom URLs isn’t as complicated as it might seem. Once you understand the basics, you’ll be able to use these links to enhance your campaigns, improve your tracking, and increase your earnings.
In this section, we’ll walk you through the process of creating custom URLs and explain why they are crucial for affiliate marketing success. This is how you can create a custom URL with ClickWhale:
Step 1: Customize Your URL
Once you’ve downloaded and activated ClickWhale in your WordPress backend, the next step is to begin customizing your URLs. To do this:
- Select LINKS on the left navigation toolbar and then select ADD NEW
- Once on the blank screen, make sure you are on the tab titled GENERAL
- Enter the details there paying extra attention to the SLUG.
It is in this line that you can customize your URL. See the screenshot with an example slug highlighted below:
Don’t forget to click SAVE at the bottom of the page when done.
To customize your URL, start by choosing a keyword or phrase that relates to the product or service you’re promoting. This keyword should be something that your audience will recognize and that reflects the content of the link. If possible, include your brand name in the URL to reinforce your branding.
For this example, we will use janedoe.com, plus the chosen keywords for this brand, active sportswear. To customize this URL, add the dash symbol (/) and those keywords as the SLUG.
Example slug: janedoe.com/active-sportswear
Users can add multiple slugs by separating them with the dash symbol (/), for example, active-sportswear/women.
Pretty nifty, right?
Step 2: Add Tracking Parameters
If you want to track the performance of your links in detail, you can add UTM parameters to your custom URL. To do this, select LINKS on the left navigation toolbar and toggle to the second tab on the main screen titled UTM PARAMTERS. Your screen will look like this:
Fill in each relevant line of data and click on the blue SAVE LINK action button before closing the screen. Now, you can see where the traffic for this link will come from, and how your audience is interacting with the content.
Step 3: Test Your URL
Before you start sharing your custom URL, it’s important to test it. Make sure the link works correctly and leads to the intended destination. You should also check that your tracking parameters are functioning as expected. Testing your URL ensures that you won’t run into any issues once you start using it in your campaigns.
Step 4: Use Your Custom URL in Your Campaigns
Once your custom URL is ready, you can start using it in your affiliate marketing campaigns. Whether you’re sharing the link on social media, in an email, or on your website, a custom URL will make your marketing efforts more effective and professional.
Now that you know how to customize a URL with ClickWhale, here are a few tips to make them stand out.
Tips for Creating Eye-Catching Custom URLs 👁️🗨️
Custom URLs can make your links look professional and inviting. With ClickWhale, you can turn long, messy URLs into short, branded ones that stand out. Here are five tips to help you create eye-catching custom URLs:
- Keep It Short and Sweet
Try to keep your custom URLs under 10 characters if possible. The shorter, the better! - Use Your Brand Name
For example, instead of using a random link like bit.ly/123abc, you could use yourbrand.com/sale. - Make It Descriptive
For example, if you’re sharing branded short links to a blog post about summer fashion tips, you could use something like yourbrand.com/summer-style. - Avoid Unnecessary Characters
Stick to letters and numbers. Avoid using special characters like @ or % since they can make your URL harder to read and remember. - Capitalize Each Word
To make your custom URL easier to read, capitalize the first letter of each word. For example, yourbrand.com/SummerSale is much easier to read than yourbrand.com/summersale.
With these simple tips, you can create custom URLs with ClickWhale that not only look great but also help your brand shine. Keep reading for some best practices to implement along the way. Use these as a checklist for each customized URL you curate.
Best Practices for Using Branded Short Links From ClickWhale 💯
With ClickWhale, you can easily shorten your links, customize them with your brand name, and track how well your links are performing. It’s a simple way to take control of several important nuances of successful affiliate marketing.
But to get the most out of your customized URLs, there are some best practices you should follow. Let’s go over these now to help you maximize the benefits of using branded short links in your marketing.
- Keep Your Links Simple and Relevant
When creating branded short links, simplicity is key. Your links should be easy to read and understand. Recommended action step: Choose keywords that are directly related to the product or service you’re promoting.
- Always Include Your Brand Name
This not only helps with branding but also builds trust with your audience. When people see your brand name in the link, they know it’s coming from a reliable source – increasing the likelihood that they’ll click on it.
- Test Your Links Before Sharing
Make sure they work correctly by testing them regularly and across smart devices. Be sure they lead to the right page before you start sharing them. Broken or incorrect links can frustrate your audience and hurt your reputation.
- Track and Optimize Your Links
You need to know how many people are clicking your active links and whether they’re converting into sales. With ClickWhale, you can track all your links in one place. By tracking and optimizing your links, you can make your marketing efforts more effective and profitable.
- Update Your Links as Needed
Sometimes, the content you’re linking to might change, or you might want to update your link to reflect a new promotion. With branded short links from ClickWhale, it’s simple to edit your links as needed.
ClickWhale is the leading link shortener and link tracker for WordPress. It’s perfect for creating and managing your branded short links – the game-changer for affiliate marketers looking to maximize marketing efforts.
Leveraging Custom URLs for Affiliate Marketing Success 🤑
Custom URLs are a simple yet powerful tool that can significantly improve your affiliate marketing success. They help build trust with your audience, maintain consistent branding, improve tracking and analytics, and optimize your campaigns for better performance. By taking the time to create custom URLs, you can overcome many of the common pain points that affiliate marketers face and set yourself up for greater success in your marketing efforts.
Using branded short links is a best practice in affiliate marketing, and having the right tool makes all the difference. Now, we’re a bit biased, but we feel that ClickWhale is the best plugin for affiliate marketers. The sophisticated plugin is designed to help affiliates curate, manage, and track branded short links (customized URLs) with ease.
Whether you’re new to affiliate marketing or a seasoned pro, ClickWhale gives you the tools you need to succeed. With its user-friendly interface and powerful tracking features, ClickWhale ensures that your affiliate links are working for you and not against you. Ready to get started using ClickWhale today?
