Shortened URLs are a great way to make a message shorter and more readable for your audience, but knowing some best practices will help successfully deliver your messages.
Best practices
When sending text messages that require a link, consider these best practices:
DO NOT
Do not use a shared public URL shortener like TinyURL or Bitly. In the US, all mobile carrier policies strongly discourage the use of shared public URL shorteners. These links are frequently used by spammers and bad actors and make it very difficult to gauge the quality of the message you're sending, resulting in a high risk of filtering and undelivered messages.
DO
Use the actual, full link in your message. We realize it may take up more characters, but it will undoubtedly help with the deliverability of your message.
Consider adding your link at the end of your message. Most modern smartphones will render your link into a snapshot and hide the entire link making the message look great while helping to increase click-through rates.
Use a dedicated short domain that belongs to your business or a service that offers a unique (non-shared) domain. Some URL shortener websites offer a paid plan which gives you a unique domain.
Use your own domain and run your own shortening system.
Final Thought
Using your own domain and link in the message sets you up as a trusted sender with your audience, in turn keeping your opt-out rates low and your interaction rates high.