20 practical ways to improve the links in your marketing campaigns

Connie

— 8 min read
Share
20 practical ways to improve the links in your marketing campaigns

Marketers often spend hours refining a post, landing page or campaign creative, then treat the link as an afterthought.

That can lead to long URLs in social posts, QR codes that cannot be updated, inconsistent tracking parameters and profile links that send every visitor to the same generic homepage.

A better link can make a campaign easier to share, measure and maintain. Here are 20 practical improvements you can apply across social media, email, printed materials and mobile campaigns.

1. Turn your TikTok profile into a conversion path

A TikTok profile should tell visitors what you offer and where they should go next.

Start with a short bio that explains your topic, product or point of view. These TikTok bio ideas can help creators and brands write something more specific than a generic job title or slogan.

The profile link should then lead to the next logical action, such as:

  • Visiting a store
  • Joining a mailing list
  • Booking a call
  • Downloading a resource
  • Viewing current offers

Avoid sending everyone to a homepage unless the homepage clearly supports that action.

2. Add a clickable URL to your TikTok bio

TikTok does not offer the same link options to every user.

Account type, location and eligibility can affect which profile features are available. The process described in how to add a link to your TikTok bio helps you check the relevant settings and place the URL correctly.

After adding it, open your profile from another account and test the link. Do not assume it works simply because it appears inside the editing screen.

A business account can be useful, but it may not suit every creator.

Some users prefer to keep a personal or creator account because of music access, content preferences or existing profile settings. The guide to putting a link in a TikTok bio without a business account explains which alternatives may be available.

Even when a clickable website field is unavailable, you can still improve the path through connected social profiles, memorable URLs or a clear call to action.

4. Check TikTok eligibility before troubleshooting

If the website field does not appear, the problem may not be technical.

TikTok can apply different conditions according to account type, region or current platform rules. Review the latest TikTok link in bio requirements before repeatedly changing settings.

This can save time and prevent unnecessary account changes.

5. Replace a long TikTok URL with a cleaner version

A TikTok profile link has limited visual space. Long addresses filled with folders and tracking parameters can look cluttered.

A TikTok URL shortener gives you a neater address that is easier to recognize and reuse.

For example, instead of linking to:

example.com/pages/products/summer-collection?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=july

you could share:

go.example.com/summer

The shortened version can still redirect to the fully tracked destination.

A social profile often needs to promote more than one thing.

A creator may have a newsletter, store, podcast and latest video. A SaaS company may want to feature a free trial, demo page, webinar and new product release.

Understanding the meaning of link in bio helps clarify why so many profiles use a small landing page rather than a single direct URL.

That page acts as a menu between the social platform and your most important destinations.

Many tools can create a basic page with several buttons. The differences become clearer when you need branding, analytics, custom domains or integrations.

Compare the best link in bio tools based on factors such as:

  • Page-loading speed
  • Design control
  • Click tracking
  • Branded domains
  • Embedding options
  • Retargeting support
  • Number of profiles or team members

Do not select a tool based only on templates. The page still needs to support the campaign journey.

LinkedIn posts and messages often include URLs with long tracking strings.

A LinkedIn URL shortener can make those addresses easier to place in:

  • Personal posts
  • Company-page updates
  • Comments
  • Direct messages
  • Event promotions
  • Employee advocacy content

You can create a different short link for each distribution channel while keeping the final landing page unchanged.

That makes it easier to compare traffic from a founder’s profile, a company page and a sales team’s outreach.

Amazon URLs can become unnecessarily long because they contain product titles, categories and referral information.

An Amazon link shortener can create a cleaner version for product reviews, creator profiles, newsletters and social posts.

A shortened URL should not be used to conceal an affiliate relationship. Add an appropriate disclosure wherever commercial or affiliate content is involved.

10. Make Canva resources easier to share

Canva is commonly used for presentations, templates, media kits, reports and downloadable resources.

Its share links are functional, but they are not always easy to type or remember. A Canva URL shortener can create a clearer address for workshops, emails and printed handouts.

Before shortening the link, verify its access level.

There is a major difference between:

  • A view-only presentation
  • A template others can copy
  • An editable design
  • A private file restricted to selected users

The short URL will not correct the wrong permission setting.

Microsoft 365 links can also become long, especially when sharing OneDrive files, Forms, Teams resources or cloud documents.

A Microsoft URL shortener makes these links easier to place in internal communication, external campaigns and event materials.

Keep the final destination active for as long as the short link remains in circulation. Moving or deleting the original file may break the redirect.

Automatically generated short links often end in random letters and numbers.

That may be acceptable for internal tracking, but a descriptive alias is better for public campaigns. Learn how to rename a link so the address reflects its destination.

For example:

  • brand.link/demo
  • brand.link/pricing
  • brand.link/event-guide
  • brand.link/product-update

A clear alias helps users judge what they are opening. It also makes the link easier for your team to identify inside reports.

13. Add UTM parameters before shortening a URL

Shortening should usually be one of the final steps in link creation.

First, add the tracking parameters required for the campaign. Then shorten the complete address.

Following UTM parameter best practices helps keep traffic-source data consistent across campaigns.

A simple structure might use:

  • utm_source for the platform or publisher
  • utm_medium for the traffic type
  • utm_campaign for the campaign name
  • utm_content for the creative or placement

Avoid inventing new spellings each time. linkedin, LinkedIn and linked_in may appear as three separate sources in your reports.

One landing page may be promoted in several locations, but each placement should not necessarily use the same tracking link.

Imagine a company promoting a webinar through:

  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • An email newsletter
  • Partner posts
  • Printed event materials

Each channel can use a separate short URL pointing to the same registration page.

This lets you see which placement generated clicks and registrations without building several landing pages.

15. Turn a PDF into a scannable resource

Printed brochures and event materials cannot contain a clickable link, but they can include a QR code.

The guide on how to link a QR code to a PDF explains how to upload the document, create an accessible URL and connect it to a code.

This works well for:

  • Product manuals
  • Restaurant menus
  • Research reports
  • Conference schedules
  • Price lists
  • Instruction sheets

Optimize the PDF for mobile reading. A document with tiny text and wide tables may technically open on a phone but still deliver a poor experience.

16. Check what an existing QR code contains

You may occasionally receive a QR code without its original source link.

Instead of guessing where it leads, use a scanner or decoding tool to convert the QR code to a URL.

This is useful when:

  • Auditing old campaign materials
  • Reusing a previous design
  • Checking a supplier’s QR code
  • Reviewing printed packaging
  • Investigating a broken redirect

Always inspect unfamiliar destinations before entering credentials or downloading files.

17. Make sure people know how to scan the code

Most modern phones can read QR codes through the default camera, but not every user knows that.

A guide explaining how to scan a QR code can help users open codes from printed items, computer screens, screenshots and saved photos.

Printed assets should also include a short instruction near the code, such as:

“Scan to open the full report.”

That gives the person a reason to scan rather than displaying an unexplained square.

18. Use editable QR destinations for printed campaigns

A QR code can remain on a brochure, package or sign for months. The page behind it may need to change much sooner.

The answer to whether you can change a QR code link after printing depends on the code type.

A static QR code permanently contains the original destination. A dynamic code sends users through a redirect that can be updated later.

Dynamic QR codes are usually more practical when:

  • A PDF will receive new editions
  • An event page will change after registration closes
  • A menu changes seasonally
  • A product manual may be replaced
  • A campaign has not yet confirmed its final landing page

Test the redirect before sending anything to print.

A regular link may open an app’s homepage even when the campaign refers to a particular product, screen or offer.

A deep link can take the user closer to the intended content.

The deep link definition covers links that point to a specific location inside an app or website rather than a generic starting page.

Consider a mobile campaign promoting one pair of shoes. Opening the store homepage forces the user to search again. Opening the correct product screen keeps the journey connected to the original ad.

Deep links are useful for:

  • Ecommerce offers
  • Referral campaigns
  • In-app content
  • Account pages
  • Mobile onboarding
  • Cart-recovery messages

Every deep link should have a fallback for users who do not have the app.

20. Choose the right mobile linking method

Deep links, universal links and Android App Links may lead to similar experiences, but they are implemented differently.

The guide comparing deep links and universal links explains the distinctions and how each option behaves across devices.

Marketing and development teams should test at least four situations:

  1. A mobile user has the app installed.
  2. A mobile user does not have the app.
  3. A desktop user clicks the link.
  4. The in-app destination no longer exists.

Do not evaluate only the ideal path. The fallback experience often determines whether the campaign feels smooth or broken.

Link analytics can show a great deal about campaign activity, but they do not automatically reveal the name of every person who clicks.

The answer to can you see who clicks on your link depends on the platform, tracking setup and user context.

Standard reports may include:

  • Total clicks
  • Unique visits
  • Device type
  • Browser
  • Approximate location
  • Referrer
  • Date and time

Identifying a specific visitor generally requires additional context, such as an authenticated account, an individually assigned email link or data captured through a form.

Privacy rules also apply. Collect only the information you need and explain how it will be used.

Before publishing a campaign link, check the following:

Destination

Does the URL lead directly to the content promised in the post, message or QR code?

Mobile experience

Does the page load and display correctly on a phone?

Permissions

Can the intended audience access the file, form, design or PDF?

Tracking

Are the UTM parameters correct and consistent?

Is the visible address clean, branded and descriptive?

Redirect

Can the destination be updated later if needed?

App behavior

Does the deep link open the correct screen and provide a working fallback?

Analytics

Can you distinguish clicks from meaningful actions such as registrations or purchases?

Longevity

Will the destination still work after the campaign ends?

Testing

Has someone other than the link creator opened it on a different device?

Link optimization is not limited to making a URL shorter.

The strongest links send people to the right destination, carry useful tracking data and remain manageable after publication. They also match the context in which someone discovers them.

A TikTok profile needs a clear next step. A LinkedIn campaign needs clean attribution. A printed QR code needs a destination that can survive future changes. A mobile promotion needs to open the correct in-app screen.

Treat every link as part of the campaign experience. The creative may earn attention, but the link decides what happens next.

Read more