Tag: sms marketing

All you need to know about SMS link previews

Most marketers prioritize email, social, and ads when designing their digital marketing campaigns. They highly underestimate SMS marketing probably due to the advent of apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, Kik, BOTIM, and others.

However, the reality is that SMS marketing hasn’t become irrelevant at all. In fact, a study shows that 65% of global mobile subscribers communicate via text messages.

A core reason why SMS marketing, especially for text invitations, can turn things around for any brand or individual is the effective use of SMS link previews.

Find out what an SMS link preview is before your competitors take the edge over you.

Understanding SMS link previews

An SMS link preview is a preview snippet that pops up in the text message and showcases the featured image and topic of the article or web page right in the SMS, making it more appealing and clickable.

Simply put, it’s the enhanced version of a link sent in a text message that displays the link’s title, image, and (sometimes) the image.

It’s called SMS link preview because it provides a preview to the receiver before this person opens the link. Not only does it provide a sneak peek into the content, but it also adds curiosity to the receiver’s mind.

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What are the benefits of using SMS Link Previews?

SMS links are widely used in SMS marketing campaigns, but most marketers still take them for granted.

So, here are some benefits of using SMS link previews as a reminder to make the most of your SMS marketing campaigns:

1. Helps drive website traffic through text messages

One reason brands and marketers send out links in text messages is to drive website traffic to their sales pages, blog posts, or other URLs. SMS link previews can entice SMS receivers to click through and visit the website.

Also Read: What are app deep links? Here’s why marketers love them!

2. Makes SMS links more clickable

SMS marketing has become an integral part of digital marketing. Therefore, SMS links are crucial for the success of any SMS marketing campaign. SMS link previews make links more noticeable and clickable, enabling SMS marketing campaigns to achieve better results.

3. Gives a sneak peek into the content

A little peek into the content makes it easier for the receiver to check it out. Optimizing the website pages and blog posts to showcase SMS link previews makes a huge difference.

Also Read: Content Engagement: 9 Key Steps for Writing Engaging Content

4. Provides a clean, un-spammy look

Let’s be honest: a hyperlink with text in an SMS looks quite shady, even if a family member or friend sends it. One of the benefits of having SMS link previews is that the SMS links appear cleaner and less-spammy. Above all, the receivers can open them with some confidence.

5. Adds credibility to the message

Indeed, sometimes short URLs don’t look trustworthy, especially if an unknown person sends them. Most marketers use short links in SMS and email marketing to track clickability, open rate, and reach. However, when an SMS link preview pops up, it adds credibility to the message.

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Can you curate the SMS link preview image and text?

When sharing links via SMS, having an eye-catching preview image and compelling text can significantly enhance engagement.

To make it happen, one needs to utilize a link preview tool such as Replug. This link toolbox makes it easy to customize these previews, ensuring your messages stand out.

Here’s how you can create an effective SMS link preview using Replug.

Start by signing up for a Replug account or logging into your existing one.

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Step no 01

Go to Replug Home and locate the “Quickly shorten your link” bar. Paste the URL you want to share and press Enter.

Step no 02

You’ll be redirected to a page where you can customize your SMS link preview. Here, you can password-protect your links, add expiry dates to them, add traffic routing rules to them, and much more.

Step no 03

Once you input the link, Replug will automatically fetch the meta details, such as title, description, and thumbnail image. But if you want to customize the details even more, you can:

Title: You can customize the title of your SMS link preview by simply typing in your preferred text in the “Title” field.
Description: Adjust the description by writing a more engaging or relevant summary of your link in the “Description” field.
Image: Upload a custom image to change the thumbnail. Make sure it’s eye-catching and relevant to your content.

Step no 04

Replug automatically generates a shortened URL, making it SMS-friendly. Short links are easier to share and fit better in text messages.

Step no 05

Use the preview feature to see how your link will appear when shared via SMS. Ensure the image and text are displaying correctly.

It’s a good idea to send yourself a test SMS to see how the link appears on different devices.

Step no 06

Once you are satisfied with the preview, click “Save.” Then, share the link through your preferred SMS platform. The enhanced preview will engage your audience and drive more clicks.

Best practices when creating SMS link previews

Before you hop on your favorite URL shortener for generating short URLs or optimizing your website URLs for SMS link previews, read the following best practices for using SMS link previews:

1. Keep it concise

SMS messages have character limits, so keep your link previews brief and to the point. Use clear, compelling language to entice users to click without overwhelming them with information.

2. Test across devices

Link previews can look different on various devices and messaging apps. Test how your previews appear on other platforms to ensure they maintain visual appeal and functionality, and adjust your metadata if necessary for optimal display.

3. Use high-quality, beautiful images in the content

Using colorful, high-resolution images in SMS link previews is essential for quickly capturing readers’ attention and creating a visually appealing experience. Choose images that convey the essence of your message, enticing recipients to click on the link.

An attractive, eye-catching image can significantly enhance engagement, making the preview more inviting and transforming the URL snippet in the SMS into an irresistible opportunity for the recipient.

A complete link management solution
for marketing professionals & agencies. Try Replug for free

Also read: How to Increase Click-Through Rate (CTR) using Branded Links?

4. Keep the optimal image sizes in mind when creating images

It’s essential to create images that are readable by the devices. The optimal image sizes should be considered when creating images for blog posts or landing pages.

Not only does it allow images to display correctly across various devices and platforms, but it also impacts the SMS marketing campaign. Properly sized images help maintain the visual integrity of the link preview.

Difference Between Link Previews and OG Tags

When sharing links across social media, messaging apps, or websites, you may notice that certain details like images, titles, and descriptions automatically appear. These elements come together in what we call link previews.

However, what many may not realize is that the content displayed in these previews is controlled behind the scenes by something called OG tags (Open Graph tags).

Understanding the difference between link previews and OG tags can help website owners and marketers optimize how their content is shared online. Let’s break down these two concepts.

Feature	Link Previews	OG Tags (Open Graph Tags)
Definition	A visual snippet displayed when a URL is shared on social platforms or messaging apps.	HTML meta tags that control what content appears in the link preview.
Purpose	To give users a quick overview of the content and entice them to click the link.	To control and customize how content appears when shared on social media.
Visibility	Visible to users on social media and messaging platforms.	Hidden in the website’s HTML code; only visible to social platforms.
Customiz-ation	Generated automatically based on webpage content. Limited customization without OG tags.	Provides full control over title, image, description, and URL in the preview.
Control	Platforms decide what content appears in the preview based on available metadata.	Website owners can define exactly what content appears in the preview.
Common elements	Title, description, image (if available), URL.	Title, description, image, URL — all customizable via OG tags.
Role in SEO	Indirect impact, as well-crafted previews can increase click-through rates (CTR).	Can indirectly boost SEO by making links more appealing and clickable.
Impleme-ntation	Automatic; platforms extract information from the webpage.	Requires adding specific OG meta tags to the HTML of the webpage.
Use case	When sharing URLs on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.	Best for ensuring consistent branding and accurate display of content across platforms.

Leveraging open graph (OG) tags

OG tags are essential tools for controlling how the content is displayed when sent in a text message or shared on social media platforms.

The idea is to strategically implement these tags to ensure that the links turn out to be visually appealing and attractive to the recipient. Moreover, these effects can significantly improve click-through rates and engagement.

Let’s decode open graph tags and learn more about them:

The basic OG tags:

og:title	It specifies the title of the content.
og:url	It showcases the canonical URL of the page
og:image	It defines the image that will appear with the shared link
og:type	It clarifies the type of object being shared, such as website, article, etc.
og:description	It provides a brief description of the page

How to leverage OG tags?

Digital marketers and conversion optimization experts strive to discover new ways to increase engagement, drive website traffic, improve click-through rates, and make more money.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new trick to get new eyeballs around your content on social media or make your SMS preview links look more attractive.

Here are three ways to leverage OG tags:

1. Enhancing social media optimization

Social media content is vital to modern-day digital marketing. To maximize the impact of your OG tags on social media content performance, tailor them specifically for the social media platforms where your audience is most active.

Facebook, Twitter (X) and LinkedIn are the major social media platforms that rely on OG tags for link previews. Influencers and experts pay attention to OG tags to ensure that their article links generate previews when shared across social media.

By optimizing the OG tags for these platforms, social media users make sure that the content is presented in the best manner possible, which increases the chance of attracting more shares, comments, and likes.

Also read: Comprehensive Social Media Engagement Guide

2. Reaping the SEO benefits

Have you ever heard of Google Discover? It’s a content discovery platform from Google that displays top news across multiple categories and is available to Android users. It’s accessed through the Chrome browser on the Android phones. Google Discovers picks up the content from the websites that are schema-optimized and publishes high-quality content.

Similarly, OG tags not only improve the visual appeal of your shared links but also contribute to better SEO performance. Search engines keep an eye out on the websites that are wildly popular on social media, and often end up rewarding them through SEO rankings.

It’s safe to assume that attractive and well-optimized previews are more likely to be clicked and shared, leading to increased traffic and visibility for your website.

3. Fine-tuning the SMS link previews

Last but not least, it’s the effect on the SMS link previews. One of the best ways to leverage OG tags is to carve out a strategy for fine-tuning your SMS link preview.

Open Graph Protocol massively impacts the SMS link previews of the websites and blog URLs if implemented correctly. SMS is still a powerful communication medium despite the popularity of various chat apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber, Kik, and others.

Optimizing your SMS link previews can trigger new opportunities no matter what industry you belong to. So, don’t shy away from putting together a solid strategy for optimizing your websites or blogs for SMS link previews.

So, these are three ways to leverage OG tags. The purpose of this strategy is to ensure that website titles, headlines, descriptions, and URLs pop up when shared across multiple devices and platforms.

Final thoughts

SMS link previews may not be the talk of the digital marketing world, but they’re still relevant to online marketing.

Since it directly impacts click-through rate, conversion, and engagement of text messages, the concept is gaining popularity day by day.

We tried to keep it simple yet meaningful for social media influencers, brands, bloggers, entrepreneurs, and publishers who haven’t had a chance to find out about the SMS link previews before.

The next time you send or receive a URL in the SMS, you’ll notice whether or not it generated the link preview – if you do, then all the effort that went into writing, editing, and publishing this piece of content is worth it.

FAQs about SMS link previews

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about SMS link previews:

What is an SMS short link?

An SMS short link refers to the shortened URL that is used in text messages to avoid cluttering and spammy looks. Moreover, users can track clickability on the short, branded URLs. Check out this URL shortener for more information.

Can SMS have links?

SMS messages can include links within their body. However, it is important to ensure that URLs contain “http://” or “https://” along with a valid domain extension, such as .com or .net, to function properly. Additionally, in some cases, placing the links at the beginning or end of the text message can enhance clickability.

What is a text link?

A text link is a hyperlinked text that is used to drive website visitors from one section/page to another. The text links are also used as the replacement for the image call-to-actions. However, in the SEO world, a text link can either be a backlink (pointing to another website) or an internal link (pointing to another page of the same website).

What are link previews in text messages?

The link previews are the link snippets that appear on social media platforms and messaging apps when a blog post link or a website URL is shared with the public or a friend in private. It mostly contains the image, title, description, and URL of the page.

How to create a link preview in your SMS message?

To create a link in your SMS message, one be sharing the website that has already been optimized for link previews. On the other hand, the receiver of the text message must be using any of the recently released phones. To make it work on older Android phones, the user must have a Google Message app installed that can create link previews. Moreover, iOS users must have iOS 10 or later versions to be able to enjoy the link previews.

September 24, 2024

SMS Marketing: How to Use Short Links for SMS?
Looking for a way to reach your customers and increase engagement in a way that doesn’t get lost in their inboxes? Enter SMS marketing! With an incredible average open rate of 98%, SMS marketing offers a direct, effective, and engaging way to reach your target audience.

But why stop there? You can take your SMS marketing to the next level with the use of short links. By integrating shortened URLs into your SMS messages, you can not only save valuable character space but also gain valuable insights into your audience’s behavior.

So, whether you’re a small business owner looking to reach more customers or a marketer looking to take your campaigns to the next level, SMS marketing with short links can help you achieve your goals.

Get ready to discover how short links can help you revolutionize your SMS marketing campaigns and reach your target audience with an even greater impact. So, let’s jump in and explore the possibilities!

Also Read: 17 Successful Black Friday Marketing Strategies

What is SMS marketing?

SMS marketing is a digital marketing strategy that involves sending promotional text messages to customers and potential customers. SMS stands for Short Message Service, which is the technical term for text messaging. SMS marketing allows businesses to communicate with their customers in a direct and immediate way, without the need for email, social media, or other forms of digital marketing.

What are short links for SMS marketing?

Short links for SMS are shortened URLs that are used in SMS marketing messages to save valuable character space and improve tracking and analytics. Short links work by redirecting the user to the intended landing page or website while tracking data such as clicks, time spent on the page, and conversion rates.

When sending SMS messages, businesses often have a limited number of characters to work with. By using short links, they can include more information in their messages while still maintaining a clear and concise message. Short links also allow businesses to track click-through rates and other valuable data that can be used to optimize their SMS marketing campaigns.

To create a short link, businesses can use a URL shortening tool, which takes a long URL and converts it into a faster, more manageable link. Many of these tools also offer analytics and tracking capabilities to help businesses gain insights into their SMS marketing campaigns. Short links are an essential component of SMS marketing, helping businesses to engage customers, drive traffic, and ultimately increase sales.

How to get started with short links for SMS marketing?

Getting started with short links for SMS marketing has never been easier! All you need to do is sign up for a link shortener tool and you’re good to go. But, with so many options out there, how do you know which one to choose?
- Choose a link-shortening tool:
  Replug is the best choice! As an industry leader, Replug offers a range of powerful features for link shortening, tracking, and analysis, making it an ideal tool for SMS marketing. Don’t settle for less when it comes to your SMS marketing – sign up for Replug today and start seeing results!
- Create your shortened link:
  Let’s say you choose Replug as your link-shortening tool. You can create a shortened link for your SMS campaign by simply pasting your original URL into Replug’s dashboard and generating a new, shortened link.
If you are promoting a sale on your website, for example, your shortened link could look like this: Replug.link/spring-sale. This link is short, memorable, and clearly communicates the purpose of the campaign.

Here’s how to create a shortened link with Replug!
- Use custom domain:
  You can further personalize your shortened links by using custom domains or branded links. This involves creating a custom domain that reflects your brand name and using that domain to create shortened links.
For example, if your brand name is “ABC Pizza,” you could create a custom domain like “abcpizza.link” and use it to create shortened links for your SMS campaigns, like “abcpizza.link/newflavor.”

This adds an extra layer of personalization to your SMS marketing efforts and can help increase brand recognition and trust.

Here’s how to create a custom domain with Replug!
- Track your links:
  Once you have sent out your SMS campaign, you can use Replug’s analytics features to track the performance of your link. For example, you can see how many clicks your link received and where those clicks came from.
- Include a call to action:
  To encourage customers to click on your shortened link, include a clear call-to-action in your SMS message. For example, you could say “Click here to try our new pizza flavor!” with the shortened link included in the message.
- Test your links:
  Before sending out your SMS campaign, test your shortened link by clicking on it and making sure it takes you to the correct destination. You can also use Replug’s link testing tool to check if your link is working properly.
Also Read: Benefits Of A Link Rotator: Why & When To Use Rotating Links?

Why use short links for SMS marketing?

Short links are a must-have tool for businesses looking to up their SMS marketing game. By using shortened links in SMS marketing, businesses can save space in messages, track engagement, provide a better user experience, increase brand recognition, and optimize campaigns for better results. Here are some compelling reasons why use short links for SMS marketing!
- Save space in SMS messages:
  SMS messages have a 160-character limit, so every character counts. Shortened links take up less space, giving businesses more room to communicate their message effectively. For example, a retailer can send a message with a shortened link to a product page, allowing them to provide a brief description and the link in one message.
- Track engagement:
  Shortened links can be used to track clicks and engagement, giving businesses valuable data on the effectiveness of their campaigns. For instance, a charity can send an SMS message with a shortened link to a donation page. By tracking clicks on the link, they can determine the success of the campaign and adjust future campaigns accordingly.
- Provide a better mobile user experience:
  Most people access SMS messages on their mobile devices, and shortened links can lead to a better user experience on these devices. For example, an airline can send an SMS message with a shortened link to a mobile boarding pass, making it easy for passengers to access and use the pass on their mobile devices.
- Increase brand recognition:
  Shortened links can be customized with branded domains, helping to increase brand recognition and trust. A fashion brand can send an SMS message with a shortened link to a new collection, using a branded domain like “www.fashionbrandname.com/newcollection“.
- A/B testing:
  Shortened links can be used for A/B testing and optimization of SMS campaigns. For example, an online retailer can send two different SMS messages with different shortened links to a product page and track which link receives more clicks. They can then optimize future campaigns for increased engagement.
Also Read: Brand Consistency: Build Brand Consistency Using Branded Links

Short link success stories: Brands that have aced SMS marketing with short links

Here are some examples of how brands are using short links for SMS marketing:

Dunkin’ Donuts:

Dunkin’ Donuts uses SMS marketing to send exclusive deals and promotions to its customers. To track the success of their campaigns, they use shortened links that lead customers to a landing page with the offer. This allows Dunkin’ Donuts to measure the engagement and optimize their campaigns for better results.

Subway:

Subway uses SMS marketing to send coupons and special offers to its customers. To provide a better user experience, they use shortened links that lead customers to a mobile-friendly coupon page. This allows customers to easily redeem the offer on their mobile devices.

Coca-Cola:

Coca-Cola uses SMS marketing to promote new products and events to its customers. To increase brand recognition, they use custom domains for their shortened links. For example, they might use a link like “www.coke.com/newproduct” to promote a new product launch.

Nordstrom:

Nordstrom uses SMS marketing to send personalized recommendations to its customers. To track engagement and improve their recommendations, they use shortened links that lead customers to a product page with more information about the recommended item.

Zara:

Zara uses SMS marketing to promote new collections and limited-time offers to its customers. To increase engagement and drive sales, they use shortened links that lead customers to a product page with the featured collection or offer.

These are just a few examples of how brands are using short links for SMS marketing to enhance their campaigns and achieve their marketing goals.

Also Read: Top 22 Personal Branding Tools To Upscale Your Marketing

FAQs

What is a short link?

A short link is a condensed URL that redirects to a longer destination URL. It is typically used to save space in messages and track link clicks.

Also Read: How to Disguise a Link Using a URL Shortener?

How do I create a short link for SMS marketing?

To create a short link for SMS marketing, you can use link shortener tools such as Replug, or TinyURL. Simply paste your long URL into the tool and it will generate a shortened link for you to use in your SMS messages.

How do I track engagement with short links in SMS marketing?

Most link shortener tools provide analytics and tracking features that allow you to track clicks and engagement on your shortened links. This can give you valuable data on the effectiveness of your campaigns and help you optimize future campaigns for better results.

Can I customize my short links with a branded domain?

Yes, many link shortener tools allow you to customize your short links with a branded domain, which can help increase brand recognition and trust.

How can I optimize my SMS marketing campaigns using short links?

You can optimize your SMS marketing campaigns using short links by conducting A/B testing, analyzing engagement data, and adjusting your campaigns based on the insights you gain. This can help you improve the effectiveness of your campaigns and achieve better results.

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Tag: sms marketing

All you need to know about SMS link previews

Understanding SMS link previews

What are the benefits of using SMS Link Previews?

1. Helps drive website traffic through text messages

2. Makes SMS links more clickable

3. Gives a sneak peek into the content

4. Provides a clean, un-spammy look

5. Adds credibility to the message

Can you curate the SMS link preview image and text?

Step no 01

Step no 02

Step no 03

Step no 04

Step no 05

Step no 06

Best practices when creating SMS link previews

1. Keep it concise

2. Test across devices

3. Use high-quality, beautiful images in the content

4. Keep the optimal image sizes in mind when creating images

Difference Between Link Previews and OG Tags

Leveraging open graph (OG) tags

How to leverage OG tags?

1. Enhancing social media optimization

2. Reaping the SEO benefits

3. Fine-tuning the SMS link previews

Final thoughts

FAQs about SMS link previews

What is an SMS short link?

Can SMS have links?

What is a text link?

What are link previews in text messages?

How to create a link preview in your SMS message?

SMS Marketing: How to Use Short Links for SMS?

What is SMS marketing?

What are short links for SMS marketing?

How to get started with short links for SMS marketing?

Choose a link-shortening tool:

Create your shortened link:

Use custom domain:

Track your links:

Include a call to action:

Test your links:

Why use short links for SMS marketing?

Save space in SMS messages:

Track engagement:

Provide a better mobile user experience:

Increase brand recognition:

A/B testing:

Short link success stories: Brands that have aced SMS marketing with short links

Dunkin’ Donuts:

Subway:

Coca-Cola:

Nordstrom:

Zara:

FAQs

What is a short link?

How do I create a short link for SMS marketing?

How do I track engagement with short links in SMS marketing?

Can I customize my short links with a branded domain?

How can I optimize my SMS marketing campaigns using short links?