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Affiliate MarketingMonetizationGuide

Short Links for Affiliate Marketing: A Complete Guide

Devon Brooks •

Affiliate marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry, and short links are one of its best-kept secrets. Whether you’re a blogger, YouTuber, or social media influencer, how you present your affiliate links directly impacts your conversions.

Raw affiliate links are often long, ugly, and obviously commercial:

❌ amazon.com/dp/B08N5WR...?tag=youraffid-20&linkCode=ll1&camp=1...

Your audience sees this and thinks:

  • “They’re just trying to make money off me”
  • “Is this a real product page or some scam?”
  • “I’ll just go to Amazon directly”

1. Trust Building

A clean link like doin.cc/headphones feels like a recommendation from a friend, not a sales pitch. Readers are more likely to click something that looks intentional.

2. Platform Friendliness

Many platforms (Instagram, TikTok, some forums) are suspicious of affiliate links. Short links often pass through where raw affiliate URLs get flagged.

3. Easy Sharing

“Check out doin.cc/camera” is speakable in a video. Try saying that Amazon affiliate link out loud.

4. Performance Tracking

See exactly which content drives clicks—your blog post, YouTube video, or Twitter thread?

Step 1: Organize by Category

Create a naming convention for your links:

  • Products: doin.cc/product-name
  • Reviews: doin.cc/review-product
  • Deals: doin.cc/deal-store

Step 2: Create Memorable Slugs

Good examples:

  • doin.cc/desk-setup → Your workspace gear
  • doin.cc/fav-camera → Photography recommendations
  • doin.cc/books → Reading list

Step 3: Track Performance

Monitor which links get clicked and from where. This tells you:

  • Which products resonate with your audience
  • Which content types drive purchases
  • When to update or retire links

Disclosure and Ethics

Important: Always disclose affiliate relationships. Short links don’t change FTC guidelines. Make it clear you may earn a commission.

Good disclosure:

“I may earn a commission if you purchase through my link (doin.cc/product). Thanks for supporting the channel!”

Platform-Specific Tips

YouTube

  • Pin affiliate short links in comments
  • Use in video descriptions with clear labels
  • Mention verbally: “Link is doin.cc/thing”

Blog Posts

  • Hyperlink naturally within content
  • Create dedicated “Shop My Favorites” pages
  • Add links to images (with alt text)

Instagram

  • Bio link hub with categorized short links
  • Stories swipe-ups (if available)
  • Link in caption (yes, people copy-paste)

TikTok

  • Bio link is everything
  • Verbal callouts in videos
  • Comment pinning

Advanced Strategies

Create evergreen short links that you update for seasons:

  • doin.cc/deals → Update for Black Friday, Prime Day, etc.
  • doin.cc/gift → Rotate for holidays

A/B Testing

Create two short links for the same product to test:

  • Which thumbnail drives more clicks?
  • Which call-to-action works better?

❌ Using random strings: doin.cc/7x9kp2 tells readers nothing
❌ No tracking: Flying blind on what works
❌ Not updating old content: Broken links = lost commissions
❌ Over-linking: Every sentence doesn’t need an affiliate link

Measuring Success

Track these metrics:

  • Click-through rate: Percentage of audience who click
  • Conversion rate: Percentage of clickers who buy
  • EPC (Earnings per click): Your average earnings per link click
  • Top performers: Which links generate the most revenue?

Building Long-Term Trust

The goal isn’t to trick people into clicking. It’s to make recommendations easy to act on. When your audience trusts your recommendations, they’ll actively look for your links.

Clean, memorable short links are part of that trust equation. They signal that you’ve put thought into the experience, not just the commission.

Turn your recommendations into income—one clean link at a time.