URL shorteners are web-based services that allow you to input a long url and have a shortened version generated that you can use to direct people to the original address. You can use the shortened url anywhere where you don’t want to show a hideously long url.
With the explosion of Twitter, which has a 140 character limit to each post, the use of URL shorteners has also exploded, since every character in a 140 character post is precious.
Here are your options of using url shorteners, in conjunction with Twitter:
Plan A. Twitter has url shortening built in. Up until May ‘09, Twitter was using the TinyURL service, and since May, they have been using bit.ly. If you enter a url that is longer than 30 characters, Twitter will shorten it for you. However, if you paste in a url that pushing you over your 140 character limit, you need to go to Plan B.
Plan B. This plan involves using one of the myriad of url shortening services that will shorten your url for you. I use bit.ly. It works well and has a range of “features” that I like. You’d be amazed at how many features a url shortener can have, like automated posting to Twitter, a Firefox widget for easy integration, customizable short urls, and historical tracking.
Search Engine Land has a nice feature grid, which I won’t repeat here. I am linking to it, using a shorten-url, of course! http://bit.ly/XyOej
Here are the steps for using bit.ly.
1. Go to bit.ly and add an account with your Twitter info.
2. Drag the Bookmarklet to your browser.
3. Go to a web page you want to reference in your Twitter post.
4. Click the “Shorten with bit.ly” bookmarklet.
You will be directed to the bit.ly site with your shorten url displayed as well as a text entry area for you to post directly to Twitter.
5. Either copy the short url and go back to Twitter to do your posting or create your post directly at bit.ly’s site and click the Post button. Your post will show up in your Twitter account.
It is really that easy.
URL shorteners are a way of life if you are a die-hard twitterer. Some people are wary of them because if the service breaks or goes out of business you could have a trail of broken urls in all your posts. We might cover that topic on another day.
For now, we are shortening to our heart’s content. Because 140 characters does not give you a lot to work with.
