How to create and send a short link in an SMS

TLDR – If you are in a hurry, then create a new account in Blanq first. I highly recommend you connect your domain/subdomain with our platform which allows you to create branded short links. It builds trust and has a higher click-through rate than regular short links. Wait for the verification to complete and then use it to create your short links. Copy and use it in your SMS marketing campaign.

… and if you have time, I suggest you read the longer version below.

What is a short URL?

SMS is limited to 160 characters and if you have a long link, it will eat up a lot of that space. This is where Short URLs come into the picture. A short URL is a condensed version of a long destination URL, which can save you valuable characters in your text messages.

For example,

Long link:

yourcompany.com?utm_source=google&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=sale&utm_term=cpc&utm_content=version1

Short branded link

yourcompany.co/hurry-sale

How to create a short URL for SMS?

Blanq is a perfect URL shortener for SMS. Visit our website Blanq and create a new account. You can then click on the Domains link on the left as seen below. This opens up the Domains page.

Click on the Add Domain button and connect your spare domain or subdomain with our IP address.

Follow the instructions in the popup and create a new A record for your domain or subdomain. Wait for an hour or so and we will auto-verify your domain settings. If the A record is correct, we will mark this domain as Verified and send you a confirmation email. You can then proceed to use this domain for link shortening.

Click on the Shorten link button at the top right to create your first branded short link.

The full details are written in this blog post – How to add a custom domain in Blanq .

Sending a Short URL in SMS

Once you have created your short URL, you can send it to others via text message. This is a great way to share links with your customers, family, and colleagues. To send a short URL in SMS, simply open your messaging app, enter the recipient’s phone number, and paste the short URL into the message. Once you send the message, the recipient will be able to click on the link and be directed to the original webpage.

Track Short URLs

All your short links can be tracked in your dashboard. Every time someone clicks your link in the SMS, it is registered and updated almost instantly. You can see a variety of metrics like Browser used, Location, Phone OS etc…

Below is the analytics page of a short link in action.

If you have created more than a couple of short links, then the insights page displays the aggregated performance.

Integration with SMS gateway providers

If you want to integrate your short links in Blanq with third-party providers, you can use our API or the official Zapier integration. The API documentation can be found here – Blanq API. For Zapier, head to the Blanq-Zapier integration page and try out a few zaps.

Benefits of SMS Marketing

One of the biggest advantages of SMS marketing is its high open rate. Text messages have a 98% open rate, compared to the 20% open rate of emails. Additionally, SMS marketing is incredibly cost-effective.

Another benefit of SMS marketing is its immediacy. Text messages are typically read within minutes of being received, which means that your message will be seen by your customers in real-time. This can be especially valuable for time-sensitive promotions or emergency alerts.

Finally, SMS marketing allows for personalization and targeting. You can segment your customer base and send targeted messages to specific groups of people based on demographics, behaviour, or other characteristics.

Things to consider

Avoid using generic short links to avoid getting blocked. Use custom domains instead.
Do not send too many messages, as this can be seen as spamming and may lead to customers opting out of your text messages.
Make sure that you have the consent of your customers to receive text messages from your business.
Send your messages at a time when your customers are likely to be checking their phones.
Finally, make sure to include a call-to-action in your text messages, such as a link to your website or a promotion code. This will help to drive engagement and sales.

I hope this article was useful to you and if you have further questions, please free to reach out to Blanq support here https://blanq.io/contact.html and we will help you out.