Very long links with several numeric values and characters can be quite confusing and so hard to remember at times. Here’s an easy way for you to share your links with your readers and followers making it easier for them to remember.
We accomplish this using a pretty cool plugin called Pretty Link.
Have fun watching!
Transcript of Today’s Episode
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Hello and welcome to this how-to video by learningwithleslie.com. My name is Leslie Samuel, and in this video, I want to show you how to shorten your links with Pretty Link. Now, why would you want to do this?
If you’re a blogger or a podcaster, most likely, you’re going to be directing your audience to specific links. But, the problem is that, many of these links can be very complicated. And, shortening your link is a very good way of being able to give your audience an easy link to remember that can take them to the resources that they need. Let’s look at an example where you might want to shorten a link. For example, an affiliate link.
Here you can see I have a link that’s pretty complicated — “anrdoezrs.net/click,” and then, a bunch of numbers. This is an affiliate link that I have for hosting with Blue Host. Now, if I wanted to give someone that link, it would be very complicated to tell them to go to this link. It would be much easier if I have something like learningwithleslie.com/bluehost because I can remember that. I can tell it to them, and they can remember it, and get to that page easily.
Now, there’s a simple plug-in for doing this, and it’s called “Pretty Link,” and you can find it the same way you go about finding any other WordPress plug-in in your WordPress admin area. Once you’ve installed that plug-in, it’s very simple to use.
I’m in my admin area right now at learningwithleslie.com, and you can see I have this area that says, “Pretty Link Quick Add.” What I can do is I can enter my target URL here, and the Pretty Link that I would like to add, and then, simply press “Create.”
So, I’m going to go ahead and copy that affiliate link… And then, I’m going to come here, and paste it in to the target URL, and then, I’m going to give it a name that’s easy to remember, and then, I’m simply going to click on “Create.”
That then sets up my Pretty Link, so that, if I were to go to learningwithleslie.com/bluehost, it will then redirect that person to my affiliate link, which will then take them to Blue Host. And, as you can see, I’m at Blue Host right now.
A very simple and easy process of shortening your links, making them memorable so that you can have easy access to give them to someone when they need it.
I hope you found that valuable. If you would like to see more of these types of how-to videos, stay tuned to learningwithleslie.com. We’ll be adding many more in the future.
This is Leslie Samuel. That’s it for now, and I’ll see you in the next video.
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Thanks for sharing. I’ll be sure to add to my Blog.
Not a problem Patrick. Glad it helped!
Hi Leslie,
been busy with my sites but I drop by regularly
And I’ll continue to do so! I enjoy your content and the first how to video is very promissing!
Keep up the good work, Andrea
Andrea, thanks for dropping by regularly!
Glad you are still enjoying the content. I have lots more how to videos coming over time, so stay tuned
Hi Leslie,
Will use them for a mail campaign, too.
just followed your instructions and created two awfully pretty links today
Thanks, Andrea
Thats Awesome Andrea. Glad to know it helped
Awesome content Leslie! I had wondered how you did that and nearly called it in as a question !
Have justed installed the plugin as it is exactly what i was after for an upcoming series I am putting together – a series of videos followed by promotion of a product.
Thanks mate
I’m glad I to be able to predict and answer your questions John, lol
Glad to know you found it useful!
Ha ha! Yes this is the second time you have read my mind!
Hi Leslie, This plugin is just what I was looking for, so thanks for the info.
I notice on your WordPress Dashboard you have your visitor stats showing up as a graph on the right hand side. What do you use to have your stats showing up on your dashboard like that?
Thanks again for your awesome content
Carol
@carol m You are very much welcome. I use WP Stats for the statistics.
All the best!
@Leslie Samuel Hi Leslie, I tried to install WP Stats plugin and assumed you meant WP Stats Dashboard (not WP Stats plugin which is different) because it looks like WP Stats plugin only gives you your own WordPress internal dashboard info such as number of pages, categories, posts etc.
But the WP Stats Dashboard plugin requires you to also install the jetpack plugin for which you need a wordpress.COM account (not self hosted platform) which I don’t have. Is setting up a .COM account with wordpress what you need to do to get daily visitors stats on your self hosted blog dashboard?
Am I doing something wrong?
@carol m Ahh yes, you need to install the jetpack now. They changed that recently. You do need to signup for a wordpress.com account, but that’s just for them to track your stats. You won’t be using a wordpress.com blog. It will just be linking your account to your blog, so you should be fine.
@Leslie Samuel Thanks for the info Leslie. I’m hoping that by having the stats right there, I won’t be tempted to spend any time at all on checking all the various stats websites for feedback.
@carol m You are very much welcome. Yep, stats can be addicting
Hm. I’m not sure why, but the first time i watched this i thought… jeeze… i dunno….cause i have this strange relationship with plugins lol. now that i watched the video again i’m like, OH! That looks easy
Hey! WHY am i not using that?? Ha. I will start right now. THANKS!
Told ya – it’s too easy NOT to use it. Then you can tell people to go to simplynaturalideas.com/blendtech. Much easier than blendtech.com/affiliate?id=weirdname+weirdnumber.NOW!
Leslie, thanks so much. I’m all for making things easier and pretty. Especially easier to remember. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for doing the video as well.
@MaryVL You are very much welcome Mary
Great information, I really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Thanks for the tip!! Just added the plugin.
You are very much welcome. Glad to help!