Link Short Cuts

I have a problem. With my title list growing, I need more space to link them all on social media. When I tried to put them up in all places, things got messy. Giant lists of books on ads were cumbersome, and linking to only one vendor would eliminate potential sales. Then one of my author friends put me in the know of some great shortcut apps.

As an author, updating links to your books, websites, social media, etc., can be so tedious. This week and next, I’ll discuss two sites that let you create universal links to push readers to your sites quickly. (Universal links are static links that can be used everywhere. You can edit them behind the scenes without changing the initial link. You edit it once, and it updates all over.)

Linktree

Linktree is an app to create a universal link. Just one. A powerful entity to all your everything everywhere. (What do you mean, Ginny?) Linktree allows you to create a list of links to anything you want. The list is dynamic. You can add, subtract, and rearrange the content on the list. And the Linktree link remains static! It’s great bang for your buck when you have limited space to add links. I’m looking at you, Twitter and Instagram.

And Linktree is free for a basic user. There is a Pro version for $6 a month. It allows you to collect business contacts through the app and some other pluses.

Using Linktree

Create an account at linktr.ee.

Add your links. Click on the Links menu. Hit the big purple Add Links button. Click the pencil at the end of the title or link and type out a title and the link. The title will be what customers see on your link tree site. Make it engaging! A preview of your list is on the right side.

To check your link, hit the Explore Link button to ensure it works.

Use the toggle buttons to turn links off and on as needed. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel when adding and removing links.

Click and drag links to change their position on the list.

To change what you already have listed, click the pencil again. Then update.

You can add thumbnails, schedules, and make links a priority.

After the links are live for a bit, Linktree will give you analytics of the number of views and clicks. Something not getting any clicks? Add a thumbnail or change the title.

Customizing the Look

Click on the Appearance menu on the main page. (You can always click the tree icon on the top left to get back to the main screen.)

Choose an image for the link list (headshot, logo, book cover). Add a profile name and an 88-character bio.

Choose a theme for the background. You can change these anytime. Currently, it includes a Halloween-themed page up. Pro offers more choices such as more backgrounds, buttons, and custom fonts.

I can’t stress enough how much a universal link will make life easier. Check out mine here.

https://linktr.ee/GinnyFrost