With a smart link, you can route visitors to many different destinations instead of just one. A first click will provide a list of links to choose from, and a second click will bring users to the site of their choice. You can use smart links to put your song or album (on different streaming platforms), music video, press write ups, or other social media profiles all in one place. The best part: you can track the data generated to better understand who’s visiting your pages and how you can market to them better.

What is a Smart Link and Why Should I Use It?

Our ability to stream music from numerous platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube, SoundCloud, Amazon, etc) globally raises several questions for artists:

• What links should I put in my bio? What if I can only add one?
• Who should I be targeting in my marketing and promotion?
• On which platform are my fans most willing to stream and buy my songs?
• Do I have enough fans in a certain place to schedule shows there?
• Who’s buying my merch?
• Which platform led to the most streams on release day?

A smart link addresses all of these questions – it’s like a business card for creators. Multiple links to any platform or page (streaming, downloads, visuals, tickets, merch and everything in between) are available in one place so that visitors have access to everything at the touch of a single button. Not only that, but it will track how many clicks your links are getting along with other analytical data. Voila! One link, multiple pages, and valuable insights.

Example of smart links on Amplify.link

The use of a smart link is a huge time saver for artists. No need to be selective about what links to include where, because this one’s got everything. Once set up, it’ll adjust language and currency settings according to a visitor’s location. It’s a great investment for anyone with work dispersed in various places across the internet.

What Does a Smart Link Look Like?

Smart links look slightly different depending on the company hosting them, but are by and large a visual followed by a list of clickable links that each redirect you to their own page. These links are either named by you or are simply the name and logo of the platform they lead to.

Artist Yoshi T. uses Linktree, one of the most popular smart link services, and has it in his Instagram bio. His first page consists of links to different songs, merch, and artist pages. When you click on a song link, you’re brought to the list of platforms it’s available to pre-save or stream on.

Attract and Analyze Your Listeners

Ease changes everything about the user experience. The fewer steps there are to get from point A to point B, the more likely you are to get that extra follow, pre-save, or share. The smart link is a powerful tool for music marketing because it streamlines the entire process, allowing you to increase engagement on social media, streams, purchases, and have an overall higher conversion rate.

As you do so, you’ll also be able to track data generated from the link:

• Views and clicks per time period
• Location of your visitors (by city or country)
• Most popular music platforms used
• Most popular browsers used
• What social media directed traffic towards your music
• Conversion rate (streaming or physical sales)

Having this information can be game changing for artists representing themselves. Knowing where your fans are (both geographically and digitally) allows you to refine your promotional strategies. Now you’ll know what platforms to put a little more energy into growing a following on, or which to target when running an ad campaign.

How to Create a Smart Link

Smart links are hosted by different companies, and most of them operate on a monthly or annual subscription plan. Among the most popular in music marketing are:

1. Linktree
2. Linkfire
3. Soundplate
4. Hypeddit
5. Amplify.link
6. Feature.fm
7. ToneDen
8. Found.ee
9. MusicJet

Groover also has its own free link in bio for artists: your groover.me page is built from your Spotify profile in seconds and gathers your tracks, videos, events and merch in one place. You can also collect your fans’ emails there and write to them directly, with no subscription.

Some digital distribution services also offer a shareable link to pre-save a project on the main streaming platforms. This carries over to streaming once it’s out, but you won’t be able to customize your link or add any other sites to it.

How to Choose a Smart Link Service

When researching which host is best suited for your needs, check what they offer in terms of:

• Number of links and pre-saves permitted
• Extent of customization (titles, photos, etc)
• Link scheduling
• Pre-saves
• Possibility to obtain a domain name
• Basic vs. advanced statistics
• Retargeting options (Facebook, X, Google, Pixel)
• Possibility to request donations/support
• Monetizing live stream events
• Additional buttons (add to playlist, follow, etc)

Do you want to give your music the visibility it deserves? 👇

L’article Smart Links: Share, Track, and Analyze Your Music est apparu en premier sur Groover Blog.