What is Twilio?
Twilio is a communications platform that includes SMS text messaging among its available tools. It's a customizable platform that empowers businesses and brands to create personal connections with their customers.
Why connect Twilio to Bitly?
By connecting Twilio to Bitly, SMS messages to your customers include unique links personalized for each customer. Each link can direct each customer to unique pages or screens on your site or in your mobile apps.
And after sending a link in an SMS campaign, you can go to Bitly to see exactly how many people are clicking links and how they are engaging with your campaign.
Who can set this up?
Anyone experienced with APIs who has in-depth programming knowledge, such as a software developer or engineer.
How do I connect Twilio to Bitly?
Here's where things get technical. This integration uses the Bitly API to shorten links and the Twilio API to send SMS messages.
To integrate Bitly with Twilio:
- Generate your Bitly OAuth token, which is required to authorize and authenticate your connection to Bitly via the API.
- Purchase a Twilio phone number if you don't already have one.
- Acquire your Account SID and Auth Token for the Twilio API.
- Code the token and credentials into your integration by following the documentation for the Bitly API and Twilio API.
Now you're ready to create messages with Bitly short links:
- Shorten your links with the shorten or create a bitlink operation.
- Generate your Twilio messages by creating a Message resource that includes the shortened links.
Twilio supports grouping phone numbers into collections of lists for repeat sending, so you can send links in bulk. Twilio has a great guide for bulk messaging.