Provided by companies such as bit.ly, Su.pr and tinyurl, the short links are used in social media conversations on and Facebook where space is at a premium.
Coca-Cola has begun using CokeURL, provided by budurl, for its short links, which it hopes will give them credibility among users and result in higher click through rates.
The move could be imitated by other leading brands as Twitter's popularity continues to grow and brands seek to track and control conversations about their products.
By creating their own URL brands run the risk of missing out on analytics features offered by services such as bit.ly. Bit.ly allows users to track the link, giving feedback as it makes its way through the various social networks.The website is also the preferred choice among marketers, who are able to integrate the service with Google Analytics for online campaigns.
The company is said to be working on a new project, dubbed Bit.ly Now, which will compete with Digg in the realm of content ranked by users.
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