Bitly Review: Check It Out for Social Media Solutions

Bitly Review: In-Depth

The idea behind this service is to offer a good shortener for URLs for every client who needs it. Then, they can share those links via social media, a web page, or any medium that they desire. The idea behind this product is very useful for Twitter, that has a limit on the number of letters to use.

Key Features

Bitly is known for its link shortening features. This protects addresses and makes them easy to share while monetizing them:

Bitly Review: Background Information

This company has been active since 2008. They started out in New York, and they are still there. They came up with this idea because they wanted to shorten a link and couldn’t do it. So, today they provide the services for social media, email marketing, and for every public that needs it. Some examples are nonprofits, freelancers, and even big companies. They process a great number of clicks per month. These add up to 8 billion. And it is still growing today. It is one of the most profitable companies in the field.

It’s true that this agency has a free plan. Every user can enjoy this shortener without paying for them. Yet, they charge for any detail that people will want to add to the links. This is useful for brands and companies that do not want random numbers or letters added to their short URLs. This is where this software earns the most. The team that managed it was the same until 2017. That year, another agency bought it for $64 million.

Service Features & Technical Details

Today, this brand has thousands of users who access the board to integrate its apps and social media networks. It is also possible for them to manage their marketing campaigns. And there is even a section dedicated to customer care. The main aim is to shorten links in an efficient way. These are sometimes too long, and people might not want to click on them.

So, each user can target those URLs To their own business and even collaborate as a team using this agency. People who decide to buy the most expensive plan will have safety guaranteed. They will not have to worry a lot about the security of their accounts and each short URL. Below, readers can find detailed info about each of the features that these products entail.

Shorten Links

There are many benefits to this practice. For example, branded links are very good for any business that needs more sales. This happens because each user is likely to trust a site more if they saw a review that they already know. That is why this shortener gives each person the option of editing these items. Let’s take a look at some other reviews below.

• Have more visitors. When persons decide how the links are going to move, they are increasing the chance of audiences clicking on them.
• If they hire a premium plan, these people can replace bit.ly with the name of their own business.
• It’s easy to access the reports. Users will not have to guess anymore about how good her body they are doing with the pages.
• The analytics will give some numbers on location, conflicts, and gender.
• Every task is safe. Those links are always safe to click on.The service takes great pride in encrypting them.

Use Your Smartphone

SMS is still alive today. Even if there are a lot who don’t use it anymore, some others consider that it is a powerful way to market messages. Some utilities are below.

• Send updates to previous clients about orders, for example.
• Let them know about delays or policy change.
• It’s great to raise funds for a certain cause.
• Send short links to visit a certain page.

Access Deep Links

This sounds like a curious term. What does it mean for it to be deep? Well, to truly grasp if the audience is accessing an app through a link, for example, or if they are not. With this type of item, then, it is easy to send the clients to download something on the Play Store.

• It works wonders with Google Play
• Those who want to can still enter their favorite tools like HootSuite, Sprout Social, and more.
• There are a lot of extensions that people can install on their browsers to process it faster.

Get the Best Out of Your Reports

The dashboard is very interactive. It means that it displays a lot of info and that clients can do a lot of things when accessing it. For example, they can add more than one device. So, buyers may enter the board with their laptop or mobile phone.

• Then, it is also possible to add a Facebook account. Or another profile from a social media app. In this manner, persons can get the best reports and see if the links are working or not.
• When it comes to doing business, what matters the most is clients’ funnels. That is, the journey they do when they visit a certain page until they reach the product. Taking those reports into account is nice to know why shoppers acquire the service or not.
• The numbers that the provider gives are accurate and varied. So, clients will get more than 20 reports from just one link. This will allow these persons to start posting what the audience loves the most.

Bitly Features for Improving Performance

These features are aimed at creating branding awareness. Also, to make the marketing campaigns better and see how many clicks the page get every week or month. The details of each feature follow.

Link Management Tools Features

Even though it may not seem like it, links today have crucial importance. For that, it is crucial to have some info about them. This company can greatly help with this.

• Control over the brand. People can rename URLs, so they reflect the name of the company.
• Reports on how links are doing.
• Give the channel the credit it should have.

Bitly Solutions

Those looking for a helping hand have found it in this platform. It has a lot of features, and most of them are here below.

1. Social Media Opportunities

The company wants to integrate with people’s daily lives. For that, it has a lot of functions to use social media from the same dashboard. It’s very simple to use. After setting up an account, users will have to define which are the options they want to add up. And that’s it. Buyers will see how good or not the URL is doing. Why is this crucial? It’s useful to shorten the items, for example, when using Twitter.

As many people know, the app has a limit on the number of characters it allows. The businesses who use the network to promote their services may want to insert a link. It is not fair for them to spend all those precious letters on endless URLs. These may not even be related to the companies. Such a company, then, offers the perfect solution to this problem.

2. Strategies for Marketing

Marketing is one of the fields in which businesses should not save. That’s what will sell their product, after all. So Bitly focuses mainly on that. The tool is very easy to use and has an intuitive board. Yet, if people have any doubts, the company has a great team that will help them achieve the best results possible using the platform. Each plan has a lot of functionalities that most persons don’t know about. That is why the employees are there to guide each client to achieve the best results for each feature.

Collaboration is another perk that it allows. As a result, the admin has to give everyone permission for using the same dashboard. In this way, teams are more productive. Finally, it integrates with other famous tools in the field. Those who want to can keep on using the ones that they have always used.

3. Taking Care of Customers

This feature refers to two things. First and the platform provides excellent customer support for the clients then decide to hire them. They have a great service for people who ask questions before buying. For example, persons might have doubts about which plan is better for them. So, these employees guide them into acquiring the best option available. Also, they will take care of issues such as technical ones that may occur while using these plans.

On the other hand, it also has some functions related to taking care of clients of one’s own. Using the analytics, it is possible for buyers to have insight into how their website is doing. For instance, an owner might detect that certain links are not working as they should. This can kickstart some changes in the service that the business is offering. Of course, this will have some impact on the customer care team.

4. Bitly Analytics

Knowing what happens with links is key to optimize campaigns. Some tools only allow measuring how many clicks one has received. But this is not enough for serious marketers. Bitly knows this and offers much more in-depth data. By just clicking on “view stats”, one can get all the info they need.

5. Custom Reports

Most owners should understand that it is not only their URLs that they can see analytics of. If they desire, people can copy and paste those items and see how they perform. The reports will be detailed. In that way, persons can analyze their competition.

6. Links to Your Taste

Research proves that users feel suspicious when they do not know where their clicks will take them. Nobody wants to end up having a virus or malware in their laptops. That is why each brand should try to be transparent when asking viewers to go somewhere. Bitly offers that kind of trust. It is a company that has been working for a decade. Businesses just have to be wise and not to post dubious calls to action. For example, words about making money easily and then directing the public to a page sound fishy.

7. Networking

The shorter versions of your page will be useful when it comes to creating networks with others. This is especially useful with social media. Twitter, for example, only allows for a small number of characters.

8. Real Time Media Map

This is a very new resource that the company is trying to implement. For now, it is only available for clients in the USA. Of course, they want to extend it to many other countries in the near future. What is it about? Well, it is a very informative tool. The idea is that users are able to see info about many social media apps at the same time.

For that to happen, admins need to decide which networks they want to be able to see. Then, the map will display in real time what type of content users are sharing at that exact moment. The trending topics will appear fast. Also, the names of influencers are going to show. In this way, it is easier to identify who these people are. This is especially useful to track down Instagram stories, that do not last very long online.

9. Docs for APIs

Today, more and more people a lot about development. This is very useful when it comes to integrating the platform with others. For that to happen, they need to have some APIs. Of course, to have access to these, customers will have to pay for a plan. After that, they will be able to enter the library with all the tools. Some of those have to do with changing from Google to this company. They are aware that many clients make use of the search engine to shorten the links. That is why they have some articles to help them transition.

In this section, there are other methods mentioned. In those parts, experts explain how to change some settings. For example, it’s not so easy to change the username and password to migrate from one platform to another. The directions are very clear and simple to follow.

10. Webinars Today

Webinars are a great way of connecting with clients. It is not easy to learn about this niche today. That is why the company has decided to set up this option for their clients. So, some webinars that are available on the site are related to many fields. Let’s list them down below.

• Some videos are related to the functioning of the site. For example, there is a guide on how to choose the best plan for a person.
• Others are tips to be most successful in social media using this vendor.
• There are also general videos that contain info on marketing topics. For example, they discuss the best ways to start a marketing campaign.
• Finally, there are case studies as well. These are very catchy so that users will feel inclined to comment. And to do the same thing by themselves.

Bitly Plans & Pricing

When it comes to the options for hiring them, the mentioned vendor offers several plans and packages. These will adapt to the budget of the client, and to their requirements.

Basic Plan

It is aimed at individuals and at companies who work on their own. They give them a lot of info on numbers and analytic reports that will help them improve their social media tactics. Also, it has a lot of tools to improve branding and presence. When it comes to URL, this plan enjoys 1,500 branded links per month. On the grey side, it only allows one person to use it at the same time.

Pro Plan

This one moves more to the expensive side. But it has a reason: its main audience is medium businesses who have a number of employees. Influencers can also find in this plan a great option that will suit their needs. The analytics are even deeper than with the basic plans. What improves, even more, is the number of links that it allows. This amount grows up to 3,000 URLs. The number of persons who can access it also grows to 3.

Company Plan

When compared to the other prices, this one climbs up a lot. It costs $500 dollars. This is quite an investment when it comes to social media tools. Still, the idea is that brands who decide to buy these packages are big. This way, they can take advantage of all the perks they will take. For example, the 5,000 branded links will let these people take care of large marketing campaigns. In terms of collaboration, it allows for 10 people to work together using it.

Terms & Conditions

Those who decide to hire this service have to read and sign this section. Those who do not like them are invited to retire from the page. When it comes to changes, this brand states that they have the right to modify the terms of use when and how they want to. The only thing they promise is to let the clients know about this in advance. Buyers will get those alerts via email in due time.

When it comes to the ones who bought an enterprise plan, they will have a say about the terms and conditions. Finally, there is a text about customer care and training courses. How to access their promotion and prices is also stated in that section.

Privacy Policy

Their privacy policy is very tight. They will protect every piece of info clients supply when they access the plans and pay for them. Also, they will not disclose any data that customers give when entering a URL that this software provides.

The idea behind the service is to provide a way of shortening long URLs. This way, they will be more accessible to clients. These people will be able to get there without setting up a profile there. But, if they do, then the platform will store data about the original page and the shorter version. This is very useful for brands to keep track of what they do with the tool, and the reviews they get.

Refund Policy

A perk that makes them unique is their money-back guarantee. It is possible for clients to decide to end a contract if there any tech or privacy issues with the account, for example. The unused days, then, will get back to the clients’ credit card. The team will completely refund the fees.

Customer Support

Customer support is one of the best ways to truly measure the success of a company. It is a great manner to keep clients happy. Bitly takes this matter very seriously. For that, they offer several channels for buyers to keep in contact with them.

Email

To email them directly is not an option here. Even though it might be useful to be able just to send a message, customers will not be able to do so. The address is not listed on the site. If buyers would like to ask a question, they need to use the contact form. It has great reviews from previous users.

Online Chart

This is another way of getting in contact with the platform. Persons who want to send a question or report an issue should complete the form with their personal data. Then, there is a little text box where people can type out what they want to say. After a few hours or days, they will get their answer.

Telephone

Those who are based on the US are very lucky. If they have any type of issue, they will be able to call the company by phone. They have three numbers available. One is for New York City; here is another one for Denver and the last one for San Francisco.

Support Center

A FAQ with many sections. The first one has to do with getting started with the platform. Creating a new account and adding new social media are big parts of this guide. Also, there are other parts with info about each benefit that the page gives to its clients. Some of them have to do with managing the board, getting new links.

Finally, the info about safety and spam is valuable for new buyers. Everybody is worried today about their private data. So, the text aims at people getting rid of any doubt they may have about this issue. They also include some ideas on how to solve tech problems. These may affect anyone, so having a solution at hand is very useful.

Quality of Service

Most users report being happy with the product from this page. Be it the free or the paid option, Bitly delivers. The majority of buyers truly value the way in which they present the analytics. Reviews are many times hard to read. So, the data ends up being useless to admins. That is not the case when using this service since it provides nice graphs and easy numbers. Shoppers are also pleased with their refund policy, which is not common in this industry, and it got a nice review of this.

Customer Types

There are many who might desire to buy a plan from this company. It goes from people in general too big businesses. Of course, there are packages for each one of them.

Who Is Bitly Best For

That will depend on their needs and budget. It is good that Bitly has options for each one of them. Let’s break the details for each public and see what’s the best fit for them.

Small Businesses

Small businesses will be happy with Bitly. Their free option is quite useful, especially for those who do not have a large number of URLs to shorten. Also, this version without payment does not allow for branding. Still, that may not be so necessary if the agency is small.

Medium Businesses

The medium business will have the pro plan to choose from. The price is quite affordable for teams which do not have a lot of employees. The number of URLs that the service can shorten is good per month.

Large Enterprises

Large enterprises have the most expensive plan. It is true that the pricing and the features do not show on the page. Yet, the customer care team is very kind and nice. They will inform any potential customer about what they need to know to hire the most suitable product for them.

Freelancers

Self-employed people may or may not have a large budget. If they do, then the basic plan might bring about great results for them, especially if they work as marketers for many clients. If they don’t, then the free version will surely adapt to their requirements.

Top 5 Bitly Alternatives

This type of software always has quality competitors. Some of them only focus on basic service. The rest, in change, will have more perks for a higher price. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

Is.gd

This is not very well-known, but it is quite an efficient service. The idea is that users download the software for free and use it to make their URLs shorter. It has nice analytics without having to pay for them.

Rebrandly

Rebrandly is a big company in the field of shorteners. Apart from doing that, it allows people to track down the analytics of such items. The domain name can also be custom. There is no free version, though the trial can be convincing.

Tinyurl

Tinyurl is quite a well-known tool, free of charge. The board is not very friendly. The only functions they offer is to make the links shorter. In addition, they assure that those items will never expire, no matter how much time passes.

Yourls

This is not an online platform but an app to download. It also shortens URLs with PHP coding. They guarantee that the data is safe and that they do not rely on any third-party website. Branding is allowed for business.

Polr

This is software to download in a fast way. The interface is modern and nice. This way, people will manage their links offline. The functions are quite limited, meaning that there are no reports or other perks offered by Bitly.

Bitly Alternatives Comparison Table

After comparing the basic plans, the following table came up. It compares the crucial functions of each one of them, like price, custom domains, and so on.

FAQ Section

What Is Bitly?

In sum, this company takes care of shortening URLs for those who need to. Also, they add powerful reports on how those items are doing in terms of clicks. Admins can track down the performance of their pages and see where the public comes from, for instance. It has been working for more than a decade. In those years, they have been able to build up a great reputation. They make a lot of money out of branding and helping companies increase their presence.

Is Using Bitly Free?

There is a free plan, indeed. This is very nice for those companies that do not have a lot to spend but truly need the service. On the gray side, there are many benefits that people cannot access if they do not pay for them. The plan with the most perks the enterprise one. Yet, it can be very pricey, especially for those companies that are not big. So, the free version is a great option. In particular for people who only need to shorten the links and nothing else.

How Much Does Bitly Enterprise Cost?

The admins of the page do not list those details on their site. This might be quite annoying for those who really want to know the pricing before buying the products. Yet, this has a reason. The team wants to talk to the owner of the enterprise to know the needs and requirements before giving them a quote. So people who really want to buy this service just needs to send them a message, and they will receive the price.

What Is Bitly Good For?

The agency is good for many things. The first one of them is to shorten links. That is great for those URLs that are too long and full of numbers and letters. Another of the experts is the possibility of branding that links. Those who pay for premium plans and custom those items as they see fit. Finally, they have powerful analytics for social media accounts. They are very useful when making informed decisions about the future of these profiles.

How Long Does a Bitly Link Last?

It lasts forever. That is what the company assures its clients. That the link will never die, and as such they will not lose any money over and done business. They have many methods to secure that this does not happen. But the agency only gives safety over the links custom by the premium plans. That is why people have to pay if they want to make sure that the link truly lasts.

Is Bitly Safe?

Of course. Safety is one of their premises. The idea of downloading viruses and malware is always present in the minds of clients. When they see a URL that looks fishy, they might choose not to click there just in case. Bitly, on the other hand, guarantees that this will not happen. First, because it is a reputable company that everybody knows. But also because it allows companies to brand these items. Then, owners can put their names there to keep up with trust.

The Final Word

Even if it all comes down to a business’ needs, this platform is one of the most well-known in the market. They have been working for years, keeping their clients happy. Apart from their basic service, Bitly has a lot of perks for those who decide to buy their premium plans. Of course, there are a lot of other options on the market. But this one has a comprehensive list of potential clients. Take it into account when considering social media and online solutions for a business.