Memorable Links – 4 Reasons Your Brand Absolutely Needs Them
If someone asks you “hey, what’s the link for that video again?“, try saying “Oh it was shor.tly/de4hsT2” out loud. They’ll probably ask, are you’re feeling ok? Or what if you came across a link that looked like https://blog.apples.com/ Hj761k9ubHfyab61 and wanted to visit that page later to show a friend, could you remember it? My guess is that the answer to both of those questions is no, definitely no.
When you share a long link, you can at most likely remember the brand that the link was shared by, but trying to recall the chaotic mix of numbers that follow it is nearly impossible. On the other hand, if you share a generic short URL you get the benefit of it being one thing, shorter, but lose your brand name altogether. We rely on links every day to get connect us online, but we’re not aware of the potential they could have in halting or growing our brands.
When you’re looking to make a lasting impression on your audience, there are a number of factors to consider – how much attention is being paid, the novelty of the information, and the emotions that are evoked. Whether you’re an aspiring digital influencer or a multinational corporation, one thing is absolutely essential when it comes to building your brand – memorability.
Memorable branding consists of catchy slogans, logos, solid advertising strategies – and links. To make a link memorable in the first place, use branded links. They’re a shortened version of the URL you’re sharing, featuring your brand name and a custom keyword in the slash, so you can tell users what you do and where the link leads in just a few words.
Let’s take a look at 4 reasons why memorable links are essential:
1) They’re much easier to remember
It might seem obvious, but it’s easy to forget – a brief, concise message will always be more memorable than a long one. Think of all the company slogans you can remember off the top of your head; “I’m lovin’ it“, “Just Do It“, “They’re Grrrreat” – some of the biggest that come to mind straight away. If this tactic is so useful when creating slogans, why not use it for creating memorable links too?
Short phrases are perfect for branded links. In the example above, we see mobile network provider Three promoting a partnership with musician Jafaris. They’re using the link “3.ie/Jafaris” – easy to remember for marketers, as well as prospects trying to remember the link later. In the same vein, companies can use the likes of “YourBrand.News/Updates” for sharing up-to-date info, or “YourBrand.is/Hiring” for recruitment.
Having your links be memorable can also be an asset when it comes to offline marketing. Whether it be a TV interview or presentation – being able to quickly recall a link to show others can be very useful. Podcasters and radio hosts prefer short links that are easy to recall so that their listeners don’t have to try and remember a long, complicated URL.
Memorable links are also perfectly suited for offline marketing with flyers, as we discovered recently when hosting our first Marketing meetup in Dublin. Some leaflets and posters featuring a memorable branded link were handed out to drive traffic to the event page.
These covered the what, where and when of the event, which drove people online to find out more. The memorability of these links was key to their success. People needed to be able to type them out, and remember them for later.
There’s also the possibility of integrating a brand’s slogan into the link for added efficiency – how about Nike using ‘JustDo.it/Now‘ vs ‘JustDo.it/Later’ for a new campaign, or ‘ImLovin.it/50‘ for McDonald’s 50th anniversary? (If those do pop up on your timeline in the near future – we’re taking the credit.😉)
2) You can show what makes your brand unique
In the professional world, standing out from the crowd isn’t optional – it’s essential. Using a branded link will help separate you from competitors who use generic short URLs. By making this link a memorable message such as “YourBrand.is/Better“, you can better position your business as one worth remembering.
If every other company wants their logo or slogan to be what the consumer remembers, be unique by focusing on the link instead. Studies have shown that people need to see a brand’s message 7 times before it sticks in their memory. Memorable links lead to a memorable brand.
3) Memorable links make it easier to for people engage with your content
‘Cognitive fluency‘ describes the way we feel about how difficult or easy it is to take in new information – essentially, it means we prefer simple content. Studies have shown that people generally lose concentration after 7-8 seconds – so you need to be sure your brand messaging is ‘cognitively fluent’ enough to make an impact almost immediately! What this means is that marketers have to get creative.
In advertising, businesses focus on having an infectious jingle, a snappy slogan or an eye-catching design and hoping at least one of these will stick in consumer’s heads – making them think of the brand. The is can sometimes be a problem – what if a consumer remembers the tune or the imagery, but not the brand it’s attached to?
With memorable branded links, your brand comes to mind straight away. If all a consumer can recall about your business is this, then they immediately have a) your brand name, and b) a link to visit to learn more. This is far easier than trying to google “that catchy advert” you saw in the cinema, or “that red billboard” you passed on the way home.
If your link is memorable enough, customers can remember it hours or even days after seeing it at an event, on a billboard, or tv. Your brand popping into their head could be the little lightbulb moment they need to address their needs! 💡
4) Lets you deliver your messaging using just the link
Another useful aspect of memorable links is that they are often descriptive. If the link you share can be used to clearly describe what content lies beyond it, there’s a greater chance your audience will engage with it. Move from the likes of “Check out our online store for an exclusive today-only sale: butt.ly/sdr234” to simply “YourBrand.Store/Sale-Today-Only“. Not only does this save space and stick in people’s heads; it also has a far greater chance of being clicked on – with a potential increase of click-throughs up to 39%!
Brands are already taking advantage of this approach to create short memorable links that also serve as a call to action. Instead of sharing a generic short URL, Three Ireland uses their super easy-to-remember branded link to promote their ‘Click&Go’ campaign:
When it comes to brand memorability, it’s easy for the links to be forgotten – and this needs to change. Enhance your brand’s link management strategy to be more memorable! This will lead to increased brand awareness, greater consistency in your messaging, and a better overall customer experience.
Rebrandly gives businesses the ability to put their brand on their links with a custom domain, so they can craft unique, memorable links that will stay with your customers for longer.
This article is about:
- Memorable Links
- Branded Links
- Link Memorability
- Branding
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