Gus Svendsen

3 Steps to Start Using the goo.gl URL Shortener

Posted by gussvendsen - 12/17/09 at 07:12:33 am

Once upon a time, TinyURL reigned king over the URL shortening land. But thanks to great statistics, a rise in Twitter users, and a simple API, Bit.ly usurped the kingdom. In 2009, bit.ly reportedly served over 2.1 billion shortened URLs. But now there’s a new challenger to the throne. On Monday, Google announced goo.gl, its own URL shortening service.

Unlike bit.ly, if you visit goo.gl, you will not be able to use the service there. Google’s official statement in their blog post was this:

“Google URL shortener is not a stand-alone service; you can’t use it to shorten links directly. Currently, Google URL Shortener is only available from the Google Toolbar and FeedBurner. If the service proves useful, we may eventually make it available for a wider audience in the future.”

Well, that’s not completely true. I found a different way to use it, and I’m passing the tip on to you. To get started, you’ll need to be on a PC and have Google Chrome installed. (If you do not have Chrome installed, you should get it.)

How to Start Using goo.gl

1. Open your Chrome browser - Check if your Google Chrome browser is running the latest version by clicking on Settings [wrench] > About Google Chrome. It will automatically check for the latest update. If you are not using version 4.0.x, then install the update. (see below)

2. Install the goo.gl extension – Once you’re running Chrome 4.x, you may add extensions. Installing a Chrome extension is a breeze. Just locate an extension and click the install button, and in a few seconds, it’s ready to use. Get the goo.gl extension here. (see below)

3. Activate the extension while on any site – To use the URL shortener, simply navigate to the URL you wish to shorten, and click on the goo.gl extension icon. This will bring up a small window with the shortened URL embedded. Click on “Copy” to copy the short URL to your clipboard and close the small window. Paste the URL anywhere you want to display a shortened URL. (see below)

Other Ways to Use goo.gl:
Google Toolbar – If you would like to try goo.gl in Internet Explorer or Firefox, you can learn how to do that at the Internet Techies blog.
Feedburner - Go to your Feedburner acount, click on Publicize > Socialize to see examples of goo.gl shortened URLs. This feature is very much like TwitterFeed, but it lacks statistics at this point.

The paint is still drying on goo.gl, so don’t expect much right now. But once stats and other comparable features are added to the service, it could really pose challenges for reigning alternatives.

The Popcorn Principle of Social Media

Posted by gussvendsen - 12/02/09 at 07:12:39 am

Since Social Media is based on establishing and cultivating relationships, it’s a big picture endeavor. There is no instant gratification. It takes time to start seeing the benefits in a quantifiable way. I call this the Popcorn Principle.

When you put popcorn in the popper, it doesn’t start popping immediately. It needs to heat up. For a while nothing happens. But when enough time and heat has been put into it, a single pop breaks the silence. Soon, others follow suit. The next thing you know, you’re flooded with the chatter of over-heated kernels.

Keep the heat on. Keep adding new kernels. Savor the buttery goodness of the ones that have popped.

@gussvendsen