One of the reasons URL shorteners like bit.ly have become so popular are of course Twitter, but another is the possibility to collect data and metrics about your links. Just set up a free account, use that account to shorten your links before sharing and then follow up by looking at the metrics. You might be surprised at the number of people looking at your links without retweeting or commenting.
If your Twitter client supports URL shortening accounts, be sure to set that up so your links automatically show up in your stats. Don’t forget to use this in your email marketing efforts as well, especially if you’re not using a system with built in metrics.
Read a shootout between different URL shorteners to find your favorite.
