How do you shorten a URL on LinkedIn Post?

Shortening lengthy URLs on LinkedIn posts makes them cleaner and optimizes the available character count. LinkedIn automatically shortens URLs when you paste them into a post, but you can also manually shorten URLs using built-in and third-party tools before copying them into your post.

Why Shorten URLs on LinkedIn?

Here are some key reasons why you may want to shorten URLs in your LinkedIn posts:

• Maximize character count – LinkedIn posts have a limited character count, so shortening lengthy URLs frees up more characters for your main content.
• Cleaner appearance – Long URLs with extraneous parameters can look messy. Shorter, cleaner URLs improve the overall aesthetics.
• Track clicks – Some URL shorteners let you track how many people click your links. This helps gauge engagement.
• Mask affiliate links – Affiliate links often contain encoded parameters that identify you as the referrer. URL shorteners can mask this.

LinkedIn’s Built-In URL Shortener

Whenever you paste a long URL into the LinkedIn post editor, LinkedIn automatically shortens it to a cleaner lnkd.in URL. For example:

Original URL: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-create-rock-solid-linkedin-strategy-jonathan-javier/

Shortened: https://www.lnkd.in/dYXWHVbJ

LinkedIn’s built-in shortener provides a fast and easy way to shorten URLs without needing any other tools. The lnkd.in URLs redirect to the original URL when clicked.

Benefits

• No need for a separate tool – Built right into LinkedIn.
• Short and clean – Often less than 25 characters.
• Recognizable – lnkd.in URLs are known to be from LinkedIn.
• Click analytics – LinkedIn provides stats on clicks.

Limitations

• Can only shorten one URL at a time.
• No advanced customization options.
• Other shorteners may offer more robust analytics.

Bitly

Bitly is one of the most popular and widely used URL shorteners. It offers advanced features beyond just shortening links.

Benefits

• Customize shortened URLs – Choose your own branded links.
• Link management – Group links into collections for easy organization.
• Click analytics – Track clicks and see popular links.
• Link retargeting – Show different destinations by audience.

Limitations

• Requires signing up for an account.
• Upgrading for full features costs money.
• Shortened URLs don’t reveal destination.

TinyURL

TinyURL is one of the original URL shorteners, known for generating super short URLs.

Benefits

• Very short URLs – Typically only around 10 characters.
• Custom URLs – Option to pick your final URL.
• Simple and easy to use – No sign up required.

Limitations

• Limited analytics – Only basic click counts available.
• No link management or grouping.
• Anonymity – The shortened URLs don’t reveal destination.

Bit.ly Vs TinyURL Comparison

In summary, Bitly has more advanced features for link management and analytics but requires an account. TinyURL is simpler to use but lacks robust options beyond shortening.

Other Popular URL Shorteners

Here are a few other popular URL shorteners to consider:

Ow.ly

• Owned by Hootsuite
• Integrates with Hootsuite dashboard
• Link click tracking

Google URL Shortener

• Straightforward shortening by Google
• Free with Google account login
• Being phased out in favor of Firebase Dynamic Links

Rebrandly

• Customizable branded links
• Team collaboration options
• Integrates with Slack, HubSpot and others

ShortSwitch

• Simple drag-and-drop shortening
• Real-time analytics
• Free and paid tiers available

Choosing the Best LinkedIn URL Shortener

Here are some tips for choosing the right URL shortening tool for your LinkedIn posts:

• Use LinkedIn’s built-in shortener for quick, one-off shortening.
• Choose Bitly or Ow.ly if you want to track link clicks and performance.
• Try Rebrandly if you want to create branded, custom shortened URLs.
• Select TinyURL or ShortSwitch for super short URLs.
• Evaluate whether advanced analytics or capabilities are worth upgrading to paid plans.
• Test different shorteners and see which ones provide the most value to your needs.

How to Manually Shorten URLs Before Posting

If you want to shorten your URLs before copying them into your LinkedIn posts, here are the steps:

1. Copy the long URL you want to shorten.
2. Go to your preferred URL shortener site or tool.
3. Paste the long URL into the appropriate field.
4. Click the shorten button. This will generate a shorter URL.
5. Copy the shortened URL that’s produced.
6. Paste the shortened URL into your LinkedIn post editor.
7. Preview the post to test the link, then publish.

Doing a quick test beforehand ensures your shortened link works properly before the post goes live.

Should You Always Shorten URLs?

While short URLs have benefits, there are some cases where you may want to keep URLs long and not shorten them for LinkedIn posts:

• When attribution is important – If you want to visibly credit a source, keep its full URL.
• For brand awareness – URLs containing your domain name help reinforce your brand.
• To demonstrate credibility – Full URLs from authority sites like .edu or .gov can build trust.
• If using redirects – Shorteners add an extra redirect that may impact analytics.

Best Practices for Using Shortened URLs

To maximize the effectiveness of using shortened URLs on LinkedIn, keep these best practices in mind:

• Test links before publishing – Double check shortened links go to the right destination.
• Use them selectively – Don’t shorten links unnecessarily or just to fit more keywords.
• Place them strategically – Put them at natural break points in your content vs. crammed in.
• Label them descriptively – Help readers understand where links will take them.
• Track performance – Use URL click tracking to optimize over time.

Conclusion

Shortening long, cumbersome URLs can greatly improve the readability of your LinkedIn posts and optimize character usage. LinkedIn provides automatic shortening, but third-party tools like Bitly and TinyURL give you more customization and analytics capabilities. Track link performance over time and continue refining your use of shortened URLs to maximize their impact.