Boost Click-Through Rates with Owly Link Shortener

Introduction to Ow.ly for Social Media Marketing

In the competitive world of social media marketing, link visibility and performance are crucial. Ow.ly, Hootsuite’s built-in link shortener, helps marketers boost click-through rates (CTR), track engagement, and streamline their campaigns. Seamlessly integrated within Hootsuite, it provides cleaner links that save space, increase trust, and deliver actionable analytics — making it a top choice for social media managers, influencers, and brands looking to optimize their online presence.

Whether sharing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, shortened links enhance post aesthetics, comply with character limits, and improve the likelihood of attracting clicks.

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Setting Up Your Free Hootsuite Account to Use Ow.ly

Ow.ly is part of the Hootsuite ecosystem, so you’ll need a Hootsuite account to access it:

1. Go to Hootsuite.com and click Sign Up.
2. Select the free plan to test features with no cost involved.
3. Enter your name, business email, and a strong password.
4. Confirm your email address via the verification link.
5. Log in and access your dashboard.

Once inside Hootsuite, you can shorten links directly from the Composer or review analytics tied to your Ow.ly links.

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Creating a Shortened Link With Ow.ly: Step-by-Step

Hootsuite makes link shortening quick and simple:

1. Open the Composer in Hootsuite.
2. Paste your long URL into the message body.
3. Click Shorten with Ow.ly.
4. Your link will transform into a compact `ow.ly/xxxxxx` format.
5. Add the shortened link to your post and schedule or send.

This process works equally well for scheduled content or direct replies sent through Hootsuite.

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Customizing Ow.ly Links for Branding and Trust

Custom links look cleaner and inspire more confidence. By adding URL parameters and using branded domains, you can make each click more meaningful.

Adding Campaign Parameters

Append UTM codes to track traffic sources effectively:

https://yourwebsite.com/product?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_sale

Once shortened with Ow.ly, tracking remains intact while keeping the post visually appealing.

Benefits of Customization

• Strengthens brand recognition
• Builds user trust
• Enhances analytics segmentation

If your Hootsuite plan supports custom domains, you can replace the default `ow.ly` with a personally branded link domain.

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Tracking Link Performance via Ow.ly Analytics Dashboard

Ow.ly’s analytics go far beyond shortening links. The dashboard allows you to monitor:

• Total clicks per link
• Geographic origin of clicks
• Referral sources
• Device and browser usage
• Click trends over time

Leveraging this data enables marketers to adjust strategies that drive measurable CTR improvements.

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How to Integrate Ow.ly Links Into Campaigns

Shortened links should be seamlessly incorporated across all campaign types:

• Product launches – Direct audiences to specific landing pages
• Event promotions – Simplify registration link sharing
• Content marketing – Increase traffic to blogs, articles, or videos

When used via Hootsuite scheduling, Ow.ly links maintain consistency and reduce the risk of manual error.

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Best Practices for Link Placement to Maximize CTR

For best results with Ow.ly:

• Place links early in posts to avoid being cut off in previews.
• Include clear CTA prompts such as “Learn more” or “Shop now.”
• Keep surrounding content compelling to encourage clicks.
• Limit competing links in a single post.
• Experiment with placement and compare CTR outcomes.

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Ow.ly vs. Other Link Shorteners

Below is a quick feature comparison against major competitors:

For users already managing social media campaigns through Hootsuite, Ow.ly offers the most seamless workflow.

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Troubleshooting Ow.ly Link Issues

Common challenges and fixes:

• Expired links – Refresh with updated URLs.
• Destination errors – Verify that the original page is live.
• Blocked domains – Ensure the destination is reputable.

Pro tips:

• Audit hyperlinks regularly.
• Replace broken or outdated links immediately.
• Use HTTPS to avoid browser warnings.

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Maintaining Link Hygiene for Reliable Performance

Practicing “link hygiene” keeps your campaigns running smoothly:

• Maintain an organized list of current links.
• Remove outdated or irrelevant URLs.
• Verify destinations regularly.
• Monitor analytics for sudden traffic drops.

This habit prevents broken experiences and sustains conversion potential.

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Security Tips When Using Link Shorteners

Given the risk of malicious shortened links, it’s vital to safeguard your audience:

• Use trusted services like Ow.ly.
• Keep destination sites secured with HTTPS.
• Be clear in CTAs about link destinations.
• Avoid shortening suspicious URLs.

Ow.ly’s authentication via Hootsuite adds an extra security layer.

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Case Study: Achieving Higher CTR With Ow.ly

Scenario:

A mid-sized e-commerce retailer launched a seasonal catalog campaign using long URLs.

Implementation:

They switched to Ow.ly links, added UTM tags, and positioned links at the top of captions along with persuasive CTAs.

Results:

• CTR increased from 1.8% to 3.5% in three weeks
• Analytics revealed new geographic markets
• Retargeting ads doubled conversions based on segmented data

This demonstrates how careful placement and data tracking via Ow.ly can drive measurable success.

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Summary and Next Steps

Ow.ly is more than a convenient way to shorten URLs — it’s a full-featured asset within Hootsuite’s social media suite. When deployed effectively, it:

• Produces clean, appealing links
• Delivers deep audience insights
• Enables branded customization
• Fits effortlessly into scheduled content workflows

Get started today:

1. Sign up for a free Hootsuite account.
2. Learn the Composer and Ow.ly shortening steps.
3. Apply UTM tracking for enhanced analytics.
4. Conduct monthly link audits.
5. Optimize placement and content to elevate CTR.

By incorporating these techniques into your social campaigns, you can strengthen engagement, improve ROI, and make every click count.