Social Media Tool: How and Why You Should Use URL Shortener Su.pr

by Scott Bishop on October 13, 2009

This weeks tool is the URL Shortener from Stumble Upon, called Su.pr .

What is it: Su.pr is a URL Shortener. It’s does exactly what is sounds like, it shortens URL’s.

Why Should I Use it: Anyone using Twitter, needs to use a URL shortener. Twitter only allows 140 characters per tweet, therefore tweeting a previous post such as http://realtimemarketer.com/the-1-factor-to-a-successfull-blog-consistent-frequency-of-posts/ is impossible.

URL shorteners take these long links and shorten them. Using Su.pr that link is now this http://su.pr/3Cu9aP and only 19 characters. Long URL problem solved.

Su.pr is not the only URL shortner on the block, or the most popular. The two most popular URL shorteners are Tiny URL, which dominates with 75% market share and Bitl.ly , which comes in a distant second.

I traditionally use Bit.ly for most of my links I share. It’s synched with my TweetDeck account and also provides basic analytics such as link hits and re-tweets. But when sending out and promoting my own blog links, I use Su.Pr, and you should too. Here’s why.

Su.PR Highlights:

One-click posting and/or URL-shortening capabilities to both Facebook and Twitter.
Analtyics: Tracks clicks, retweets, stumbles, and reviews on StumbleUpon.
Tweet later ability: Su.pr allows me to post links at times when I’m not in front of my computer. When I write a new post, I generally tweet the new blog post a few times during the day and once in the middle of the night while I’m asleep. This allows new people from non-US time zones (Europe and Australia) to see my links. Social networks are global communities and I have begun to make some great contacts in Australia. (Tweetlater.com is a tool for this, but it has been flagged as a spamming device and can get your Twitter profile suspended. I assume that’s why they recently changed their name)
Recommended Optimal Posting Times: Certain times throughout the day and week are better for posting to Twitter to increase hits. Su.pr tells you when those times are.
Detailed Reporting and graphs for your posts.
New: Advanced options for your own custom short URLs.

Increased Web Traffic:

Here’s the kicker…unlike using other URL shortners that only shorten links, Su.pr is synced with Stumbleupon. This provides each link you submit to the StumbleUpon network. Each link submitted can be voted upon by the StumbleUpon community, and if it becomes popular, your post hits can go through the roof.

With little to no effort, each link I submit from my blog usually receives an extra 80 to 100 hits in the first day from the StubleUpon community. This is not a breathtaking result, but this is with absolutely no extra effort. With a little more time spent on StumbleUpon, those numbers would increase dramatically.

Su.Pr Tips:

Use the #StumbleMe hashtag and I’ll review your posts on StumbleUpon. Read the directions here:
Subscribe to others in the StumbleUpon network. You can find me HERE, I’ll subscribe back.

Su.pr Setup Guide

Sign up for a free StumbleUpon account HERE.
Log onto the Su.pr homepage using your new StumbleUpon account HERE.
Go to the settings tab and sync your Twitter and/or Facebook accounts.
Go back to your Su.pr homepage and enter the comment and URL you would like to share with your Twitter followers or Facebook friends.
Select “Post”
Once you’ve made your post, you can immediately start checking stats in real time.

I use the Su.pr for my blog posts and have seem some success. I hope you will as well. What successes have you had with Su.pr or any other URL Shortener? Leave a comment below!

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Scott S. Bishop is editor for Real Time Marketer and a social media and marketing strategist. He also blogs about social media communities at AxeroPulse.com. He is @thescottbishop on Twitter

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