Bit.ly is a NY based company launched in Aug 2007 that shortens URLs. A must-have to anyone posting regularly on Twitter and other microblogging platforms.
What´s interesting about Bit.ly as opposed to say Digg and other URL shorteners is that the process of shortening a URL using Bit.ly also generates some very interesting data on the real-time popularity of links. Unlike Digg for example, which relies on the flawed process of human voting to determine a front page article, Bit.ly is a distributed link service, so much harder to game. To generate real-time data on your link´s popularity, you can put a “+” on the end of any bit.ly URL, and see the speed at which it is being shared and clicked on by users of social networks.
Bit.ly shortens around 7m URLs per day, 2-3m of which are “new” – ie. they haven´t been previously shortened. Bit.ly Now was announced yesterday, and will open the data up to web users. There are many different ways in which this data could be applied. For example working with Bit.ly Now to produce a real time data feed of a campaign landing page´s popularity. Since Bit.ly can also track the acceleration of clicks from the social web, users can make incremental changes ot a campaign page and see how effectively they connect with users.