Category: Cool Tool

This week, I’m recommending Bitly – a handy URL shortener tool.

How we share information in healthcare is just as important as what we share. The link itself is part of the message, whether it’s an educational resource, a campaign sign-up link, or an event registration page. Here’s where Bitly comes in.

What Is Bitly?

Bitly is a platform that takes long, often unwieldy URLs and shortens them into compact links that are easier to share and track. It’s one of the most widely used URL shorteners in the world and is trusted by organisations ranging from global brands to local nonprofits.

Let’s say you’re running a digital campaign for epilepsy awareness. You’ve created a resource page that lives at: https://yourorg.org/programmes/epilepsy-awareness-week-2025/download-resources
That’s a lot to include in a tweet, an Instagram bio, or a printed flyer. With Bitly, you could shorten it to: https://bit.ly/epilepsyweek2025
Much better, right?

But more importantly, you can track how that link performs. How many people clicked it? Where were they located? Did one social platform drive more traffic than another?

What Else Can You Do with Bitly?

Once you’re inside the platform, you’ll find several additional features that make Bitly especially powerful for healthcare communication and outreach.

🔹 Link Customisation
You can edit the end of a Bitly link to make it more descriptive or branded, like:
bit.ly/CaregiverGuide2025
This improves trust and helps people understand what they’re clicking on.

🔹 Analytics Dashboard
Bitly provides real-time data on link performance, including:

• Click volume
• Geographic location of users
• Referral sources (e.g., Twitter, email, WhatsApp)

🔹 Branded Domains (Paid)
With a paid plan, you can use your own short domain (like yourclinic.org/guide) to create even more trust and continuity in your communications.

🔹 Link Management Tools
You can organise links into folders, label them by campaign, and even set expiration dates for time-sensitive URLs (paid feature)

🔹 QR Codes

Every time you shorten a link with Bitly, you also have the option to create a QR code with a single click. That means you can easily place your link on:

• Clinic posters
• Flyers and leaflets
• Event banners
• Conference slides
• Prescription inserts or appointment cards

QR codes make it effortless for patients, staff, or the public to scan and access information using just their phone – no typing required. For example, a hospital running a flu vaccination campaign uses a Bitly link to direct patients to the booking form. They place the QR code version of that link on posters in waiting rooms, allowing patients to scan and schedule right from their seats.

Is Bitly Free?

Yes—and no. Bitly offers a free plan that allows basic link shortening, custom back-halves, and limited analytics. For more advanced features like branded domains, deeper analytics, and team collaboration, they offer tiered paid plans.

For small teams or individual professionals, the free plan is often enough. For hospitals, health systems, or nonprofits running large campaigns, the paid options can be well worth the investment.

This week, I’m recommending CoSchedule’s Subject Line Tester.

CoSchedule’s Email Subject Line Tester is a free online tool designed to give you instant feedback on your subject lines. It analyzes your headline against a database of successful emails, providing a score and actionable recommendations to help you boost your open rates and overall email campaign performance.

How to Use the Tester in 5 Simple Steps

1. Type Your Subject Line: Simply enter the subject line you’re considering into the provided field on the CoSchedule website.
2. Get Instant Analysis: The tool immediately processes your input and provides an analysis.
3. Receive a Score & Breakdown: You’ll get a numerical score (typically out of 100) along with a detailed breakdown of its strengths and weaknesses.
4. Review Suggestions: The tester provides specific suggestions for improvement, such as adding power words, emotional words, or adjusting its length for optimal readability.
5. Refine and Test Again: Tweak your subject line based on the feedback and re-test until you achieve a score you’re happy with. It’s an iterative process that leads to better results!

The beauty of CoSchedule’s tester lies in its comprehensive analysis. It doesn’t just give you a score; it breaks down your subject line’s effectiveness across several critical factors. You’ll see how your subject line performs based on:

• Overall Score: A quick check of your subject line’s predicted performance.
• Word Balance: It assesses the mix of common, uncommon, emotional, and power words, guiding you towards a more impactful blend.
• Length: Provides recommendations for ideal character and word counts to ensure readability on various devices.
• Sentiment: Analyzes whether your subject line conveys a positive, negative, or neutral tone.
• Spam Triggers: Helps you identify and avoid words or phrases that might trigger spam filters.
• Preview: Shows you how your subject line will likely appear in common inbox displays, so you can catch truncation issues.
• Keywords: Highlights strong keywords that resonate with your audience and search intent (if applicable).

Best Practices for Writing Effective Email Subject Lines

While the tester is fantastic, remember these timeless best practices that the tool helps you optimize for:

• Be Clear & Concise: Get straight to the point. Subscribers should know what your email is about at a glance.
• Create Urgency/Scarcity (where appropriate): Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Don’t Miss Out!” can drive immediate action.
• Personalization: Using the recipient’s name or other relevant data can significantly boost engagement.
• Pique Curiosity: Ask a question or hint at valuable information to encourage an open, but always deliver on that promise inside the email.
• Focus on Benefit: What’s in it for the reader? Highlight the value they’ll gain by opening your email.
• Use Emojis Sparingly: Emojis can boost open rates, but use them thoughtfully and know your audience. Too many or irrelevant emojis can look unprofessional.
• A/B Test Relentlessly: The best way to know what works for your audience is to test different subject lines against each other.

Curious about the effectiveness of this blog post’s title as an email subject line, I entered it into the tool. Take a look at its performance score below:

Here’s an improved score with a different heading; however, it has too many words.

Click Here to Try CoSchedule’s Email Subject Line Tester