Pros and Cons of Using a Link Shortener for Social Media

Introduction

Social media marketers, creators, and founders use links in various ways on social media - to share a blog post, promote a product, or direct followers to their latest content. Whatever the case may be, they play a crucial role in engagement. But long URLs clutter captions. This reduces trust and makes posts look messy. This is where link shorteners for social media come in.

Link shortener tools make a big difference in any social content strategy. This is why it’s important to know more about them and how to use them to your advantage. In this guide, we take a deep dive into what URL shorteners are, the pros and cons of link shorteners, and link shortener tools to help you win in today’s digital landscape.

What is a Link Shortener?

Link shorteners are digital tools that convert long, complex URLs into shorter, cleaner, manageable links. When a user clicks on this shortened link, they are redirected to the original destination URL.

For example:

• Long URL with UTM parameters:
• https://website.com/blog/guide?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=q1_content_push
• Shortened URL:
• https://short.co/xyz123

These tools create a unique identifier for your original URL and store it in their database. When someone accesses the shortened link, the service then looks up the full URL it corresponds to and redirects them seamlessly.

Link shorteners are widely used on social media platforms where visual presentation and character limit matter. Most especially in sharing blog posts, event registration links, product pages, or newsletter or lead magnet URLs.

Why use Link Shorteners?

Now, why use a link shortener for social media? Shorter links aren’t just pretty, they’re functional. Let’s get to the details.

Cleaner, More professional posts

Long URLs can look unprofessional and break awkwardly across lines and take valuable character space on platforms. Short links look intentional and create a visually consistent style for a brand.

Improved Click Performance

According to a study done by experts at an internet marketing firm, using shortened URLs led to an increase of up to 50% in click-through rates. In an era where phishing attacks and spam are rampant, anything that can increate CTR while maintaining security is a win.

Functional, Track Engagement

Most link shorteners offer tracking capabilities. Here you can see the following:

• Click count
• Device types
• Referrers
• Geographic data

Editable Destination URLS

Some link shorteners for social media would allow you to change where the link points without changing the public-facing URL. This is particularly useful for last-minute updates on social posts.

UTM Parameters + Link Shorteners

One of the most powerful applications of link shorteners is how they are used with UTM (Urchin Tracking Module). UTM parameters are tags that are added to URLs to help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns in analytics platforms. They tell you where your traffic comes from and what content pieces actually convert.

The downside with UTM tracking links like this is that they are extremely long and messy. Here’s what it can look like.

Example UTM URL:

<https://website.com?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=social_carousels_2025>


But when you combine UTMs and link shorteners, you get a clean, clickable URL, full analytics not just from Google Analytics but also your shortener, and accurate attribution for social media campaigns.

Pros of Using a Link Shortener

Cleaner, Branded, Easy-to-Share Links

Short links enhance aesthetic quality and improve readability, especially important for social posts and carousels.

Better Engagement Rates

People are more likely to click a simple, short link.

Advanced Tracking & Analytics

Most link shorteners give you access to valuable data beyond what social platforms show.

Ability to Update Link Destination

You can change the final URL without needing to edit the post - extremely useful for live campaigns.

Better Fit for Social Media Aesthetics

Short links don’t interrupt your caption flow, especially for posts emphasizing storytelling or marketing frameworks.

Perfect for A/B Testing

Shorteners make it easy to test different URLs to see which performs better.

Cons of Using a Link Shortener

Potential Trust Issues

Some users may feel cautious about shortened links, especially if the domain looks unfamiliar. Using branded shorteners can help solve this.

Dependency on a Third-Party Service

If the shortener experiences downtime, your links may break temporarily.

Lack of Transparency

Because the destination isn’t visible, some users may hesitate to click.

Can Look Spammy if Overused

Multiple shortened links in one post can raise red flags on certain platforms.

Redirect Chains May Affect Load Time

Although minimal, redirects add an extra step before loading the final URL.

Best Link Shortener Tools

So, what are the best social media link shortener tools? There are a lot of link shortening solutions out there, each with unique pricing. Whether you're looking for a standalone social media link shortener tool or comprehensive social media management software with built-in shortening capabilities, here are some of the most popular and reliable options:

Ordinal

Built for modern marketing teams, Ordinal goes beyond basic link shortening by integrating it directly into a comprehensive social media management platform. Unlike standalone shorteners that require you to switch between tools, Ordinal combines link shortening with content scheduling, team collaboration, and analytics in one unified workspace.

You can shorten links as you draft posts, automatically apply custom branded domains, and track performance alongside your other social metrics. The platform is particularly strong for teams managing multiple accounts across LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, offering features like approval workflows, auto-engagement tools, and Slack integrations.

For businesses that want link shortening as part of a complete social media solution rather than an isolated tool, Ordinal eliminates the friction of juggling multiple platforms.

Bitly

BItly has been an industry standard for link shortening. It offers comprehensive features that include detailed analytics, QR code generation, custom branded domains, and integrations with major marketing platforms. It’s user-friendly and reliable with free and premium tiers available.

TinyURL

One of the oldest URL shorteners. It offers simplicity and reliability. You can use the service even without creating an account. Also, links do not expire. It lacks advanced features but you get quick, no-fuss link shortening.

Rebrandly

This is focused on branded link management and excels at creating custom short links with your own domain. This is why small to medium-sized businesses use it - to maintain brand consistency across their links.

Short.io

A more comprehensive link management tool that offers link management, branded domains, detailed analytics and team collaboration features. It comes with API access for developers and integrates well with marketing automation tools.

BL.INK

This is designed for enterprise use or larger organizations with complex link management needs. It comes with advanced security features, detailed analytics, and custom domain support.

Ordinal’s Native Link Shortener Built Into the Product

What if you could do away with external social media link shortener tools?

Ordinal includes a built-in link shortener directly inside the workflow. That way, content planning and publishing become seamless! No need to switch to different platforms.

With Ordinal’s integrated shortener, you get:

• Auto-generated short links for every post: No copy-pasting between tools.
• Built-in analytics: Track how posts perform directly inside Ordinal.
• UTM + Shortener Integration: Perfect for multi-platform campaigns and reporting.
• Cleaner social posts, automatically: Especially useful for creators scheduling dozens of posts per week.
• Consistency across all team members: Standardized links ensure the entire team uses the same format.

Conclusion

Link shortener tools make social media content cleaner, more trackable, and more professional. When combined with UTMs, you get access to deeper analytics and campaign insights. While there are pros and cons of using a link shortener for social media, the pros outweigh the drawbacks.

But with Ordinal’s native shortener, you get all the advantages while keeping everything streamlined in one place.

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