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Category: Insights

  • The Startup Founder’s Link Strategy: How to Use Smart URLs from Day One

    The Startup Founder’s Link Strategy: How to Use Smart URLs from Day One

    Startup Analytics Dashboard

    In our last post, we talked about how short links can give startup founders more control, better data, and a more professional edge when sending out decks, demos, and more.

    Now let’s get tactical.

    This guide shows you exactly how to set up and use short links—from your very first pitch to your early hiring funnel—without adding overhead or complexity.

    🔗 Step 1: Set Up a Branded Short Domain

    Before you start sending out links, grab a short domain that matches your brand. Examples:

    • go.yourstartup.com
    • pitch.getloop.io
    • demo.withnimbus.co

    You can usually get a short domain for ~$10/year. Once connected to your link service, all your short links will use it—so your links always look clean and trustworthy, even in cold emails.

    📤 Step 2: Use Unique Links for Each Investor or Outreach List

    You’re probably sending the same pitch deck or demo page to multiple people. Don’t use the same link for everyone.

    Instead:

    • Create a separate short link for each investor or firm (e.g., go.yourstartup.com/a16z).
    • Create grouped links for outbound rounds (e.g., go.yourstartup.com/seed-round).
    • Use short links for different platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter DMs, or cold emails.

    Now when someone clicks, you’ll know where the interest is coming from—and when it’s time to follow up.

    🧪 Step 3: Run A/B Tests Without Extra Tools

    Short links can help you A/B test:

    • Two different versions of your pitch deck
    • Two different demo pages (one “feature first,” one “value first”)
    • Different CTAs or subject lines in your cold email

    Just generate separate short links and track the click rates. No code needed. You’ll start learning what resonates—and fast.

    🧹 Step 4: Keep Control Over Your Links

    One of the most powerful features of short links is the ability to change the destination later.

    You can:

    • Fix typos or broken demo links
    • Switch out your deck for a newer version
    • Redirect to your launch announcement after fundraising is complete

    This is essential if you’re moving fast and want to avoid legacy decks floating around with outdated info.

    👩‍💻 Step 5: Use Short Links in Early Hiring and Growth Experiments

    Short links aren’t just for investors. You can also use them to:

    • Track which job boards actually get clicks (go.yourstartup.com/jobs-hackernews vs. /jobs-linkedin)
    • Compare early signup interest by channel (/waitlist-tiktok vs. /waitlist-email)
    • See which referral partners or ambassadors are actually driving traffic

    And because short links work in SMS, DMs, and printed QR codes, they’re great for scrappy growth hacks.

    🧠 Step 6: Review the Data (But Don’t Overcomplicate It)

    Most short link tools show you:

    • Click counts
    • Device types
    • Time of day
    • Referring source or location

    That’s all you need early on. You don’t need Mixpanel on day one—just enough visibility to make smarter decisions and spot warm leads before they go cold.

    TL;DR: You Don’t Need to Be Big to Act Like It

    A solid link strategy helps you:

    • Look more professional
    • Learn faster from every round of outreach
    • Stay in control of your materials
    • Get better results from the same effort

    The best part? It’s easy to set up, and it scales with you. Whether you’re pre-seed or post-Series A, smart links let you track and tweak everything you’re sending out into the world.

    Ready to build your link strategy? Try blrb.ai free and start tracking your startup’s outreach from day one.

  • What Is a Link Shortener? And Why You Might Need One

    What Is a Link Shortener? And Why You Might Need One

    Link Shortener Concept

    Have you ever tried to share a long website link — only to watch it get cut off, turn into a jumble of characters, or scare off whoever you sent it to?

    That’s where link shorteners come in.

    A link shortener is a tool that takes a long URL and turns it into something cleaner, shorter, and easier to manage. You’ve probably seen one before, even if you didn’t realize it:

    • bit.ly/abc123
    • tinyurl.com/xyz
    • yourbrand.co/sale

    But link shortening isn’t just about saving space. It’s about making links more useful, more trackable, and more professional.

    Why Use a Short Link?

    Let’s look at some of the most common reasons people use link shorteners in their day-to-day work (or side hustles).

    1. Keep Your Posts Clean on Social Media

    Some websites have URLs that are dozens — even hundreds — of characters long. If you paste that into a tweet, an Instagram bio, or a LinkedIn post, it eats up your message and looks messy.

    Short links keep your post clean and clickable:

    “Check out our latest blog post: your.link/blog”
    instead of
    “Check out our latest blog post: https://yourwebsite.com/blog/2025/07/15/article-title-with-lots-of-keywords”

    Plus, they’re easier for followers to remember or type later.

    2. Make Your Links Clickable in Text Messages

    SMS has a hard character limit (160 characters), and long links often get cut off or wrapped across lines — especially on older phones.

    A short link fits easily, looks better, and helps your message come through clearly:

    “Your appointment is confirmed! Directions: go.brand.com/maps”

    3. Track How Many People Clicked

    Most short link tools come with basic analytics built in. That means when you send out a link, you can see:

    • How many people clicked it
    • When they clicked
    • What device they used

    You don’t need a website or an ad account — just share the link and track the clicks. Perfect for small campaigns, events, resumes, or personal projects.

    4. Make Your Links Look More Trustworthy

    Have you ever seen a link like this and hesitated to click?

    https://example.com/landingpage/index.php?ref=39012&utm_campaign=spring2025&utm_medium=email&utm_source=campaignmonitor

    It might be safe… but it doesn’t look safe.

    A short link replaces all that with something that’s clean and branded — especially if you use your own domain:

    brand.link/spring25

    Branded links help build trust. They also reinforce your business name every time someone sees or shares them.

    5. Fix Mistakes Without Breaking the Link

    Let’s say you send out a link to your newsletter or post a promo link on Instagram — and then realize it points to the wrong page. If it’s a short link, you can update the destination without changing the original link.

    That means:

    • You don’t need to resend anything
    • Old posts and bios still work
    • You stay in control of what people see when they click

    Who Uses Short Links?

    Short links are used by all kinds of people:

    • Social media managers who want to track post performance
    • Small business owners running text or email promos
    • Teachers or organizers sharing resources or Zoom links
    • Job seekers putting portfolio links in resumes
    • Anyone who wants a simple, trackable way to share URLs

    TL;DR: Link Shorteners = Simpler, Smarter Sharing

    You don’t have to be a marketer or developer to use short links. If you’re sharing links with anyone — in a post, a message, or a document — a short link makes it easier to track, fix, and polish your content.

    Ready to try it out? Get started with blrb.ai free and create your first short link in seconds.