Using bitly for affiliate marketing

12 replies
Are there any known issues with using the shortener bitly and the sales conversions tracking correctly?
#affiliate #bitly #marketing
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    Depends on how risk-averse and security-minded you are.

    Say you create dozens of affiliate links using a third party link-shortening service and that company decides to stop trading somewhere down the line. How are you going to access all those links to change or redirect them? Even if you knew where they all were, chances are many would be on emails or pdf files and outside your control. That's the risk.

    On the security side, you'd have to be able to live with anyone and everyone being able to view your stats (at least with any bit.ly link).

    A much better option, IMO, is to cloak your links using your own domain or if you use WordPress, a specialist plugin. This has the added advantage of making your links (for example: www. yoursite/refers/someproduct) look more professional as well as helping with branding, if that's important to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author DIABL0
    You want to be able to control your traffic. If you use your own domain and there is ever an issue with an offer or the affiliate link you can easily change it.

    Pretty sure you can't change your link after you create it with bitly.
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  • Profile picture of the author ELLE963
    I am only using the bitly link for this one campaign and wanted to know if I should be concerned about getting credit for conversions. Thanks for the suggestion and next time I will definitely do the cloaking myself (or just use the affiliate link).
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    • Profile picture of the author Willie Crawford
      Originally Posted by ELLE963 View Post

      I am only using the bitly link for this one campaign and wanted to know if I should be concerned about getting credit for conversions. Thanks for the suggestion and next time I will definitely do the cloaking myself (or just use the affiliate link).
      I wouldn't use the raw affiliate link most of the time. If there lots of complaints/the product owner's domain develops a bad reputation, that will really hurt your deliverability. You get that a lot during major launches where a lot of affiliates promote too aggressively, causing a lot of spam complaints, and tarnishing the reputation of the affiliate links.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jamell
    I haven't had any issues with it but you might want to try adding a unique keyword on the end of the link .
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  • Profile picture of the author hokido
    I think that if you use shorten bitly, it good if it go back in ahrefs, but you might be wait for a long time. And you can use it by create it, after that you can bring it for comment, signature, etc...
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  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    for wordpress look at pretty links.

    al
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  • Profile picture of the author George Flm
    Yes conversions are tracked fine with bit.ly - if conversions are not tracked, check with your affiliate program. You'll have problems if the redirection happens within a frame. Leery to whack it out of the zoo (don't play football on someone else turf for too long).
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  • Profile picture of the author IM Mozie
    I use ThirstyAffiliate WP plugin, I cloak all my affiliate links with it.

    If the links are too long and I need to post socially, I use bitly.

    Bitly is good, I've never had an issue with it.
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  • Profile picture of the author nickstrech
    Personally don't much like using bitly links combined with similar web its too easy for your competitors to see your stats and you make your information easily available
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  • Profile picture of the author renukoot
    I use rebrandly with custom domain which is free for 500 links & 5000 Clicks can be tracked per month
    Its give better results and also proper monitoring
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  • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
    Originally Posted by ELLE963 View Post

    Are there any known issues with using the shortener bitly and the sales conversions tracking correctly?

    The only issue l have found is, you can only assign one link per page, or if you use one, then you cannot create another for the same page, or l believe entire site.

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