{"id":5711,"date":"2015-10-15T06:00:24","date_gmt":"2015-10-15T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=5711"},"modified":"2015-10-15T10:30:50","modified_gmt":"2015-10-15T17:30:50","slug":"deep-link-integration-app-how-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/development\/deep-link-integration-app-how-to\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Integrate Deep Linking into Your App"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our\u00a0series<\/a><\/span> with\u00a0Branch Metrics<\/a><\/span>, we’ve covered the basics of deep linking<\/a><\/span> and how it can increase downloads and retention<\/a><\/span>. Now we’re going to explain how\u00a0to add deep links to your mobile app.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re\u00a0unfamiliar with deep links<\/a>, they are links that take users to\u00a0specific content, rather than a generic page of\u00a0the app or mobile website.<\/p>\n

Deep link integration\u00a0is\u00a0often used to share content and drive downloads from user to user via SMS, email, or social\u00a0\u2014\u00a0it’s the best way to equip your users for Internet word-of-mouth.<\/p>\n

One or all of these methods may be right\u00a0for your app, and thankfully it’s not too complicated to get started.<\/p>\n

Evan Barry<\/a>, Marketing Manager at Branch Metrics, wrote the\u00a0first half of this post, explaining all\u00a0the different ways that you can use deep links. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The second half is based on a webinar that\u00a0Jed Wheeler<\/a>, Branch Developer Relations Lead, recently presented to the ThinkApps<\/a> community. It goes into further detail on\u00a0the technical aspects of integrating deep links.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

Using Deep Links in SMS<\/h2>\n

There’s a reason why\u00a0SMS is typically the first option and the largest focus for app developers: it\u2019s an instant way to grab the attention of anyone you want to reach.<\/p>\n

When it comes to deep linking, SMS remains the perfect use case for sharing app content. Many of the apps you know and love use the share sheet (above) to prompt you to share the app\u00a0(or content within the app) with friends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

For example, say you\u2019re listening to a cool radio station on iHeartRadio<\/a> that you think your friend would enjoy. Using the share feature that the developer has built into the app, you can select to share via message, and a text message will be auto-populated with a deep link.<\/span><\/p>\n

The developer can choose to send a custom message with the deep link, a picture, or allow the user to choose what they want to say.<\/p>\n

When the friend receives the text message, a smart redirect function (below) will direct them to the appropriate place, depending on whether or not they already have the app installed.<\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

If they don\u2019t yet have the app installed, the developer can choose to send users to the appropriate app store* or a custom mobile web splash, such as a Deepview<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although it may seem counter-intuitive to add an\u00a0additional step between SMS and an app store, sending users to a Deepview actually <\/span>increases conversion to download by two to six times<\/span><\/a> because the would-be users get a preview of the in-app content they are going\u00a0to see. <\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n the case of iHeartRadio, after the users\u00a0reach the app store and download the app, they\u00a0will be taken directly to the radio station in the app that was shared with them.<\/span><\/p>\n

*If a user already has the app installed, they will be taken directly to the radio station in the app after they click the link.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/a><\/p>\n

Personalized Welcomes<\/h3>\n

Other than content sharing, deep links on SMS are commonly used for personalized welcomes. A personalized welcome is a unique welcome landing based on the context of where a user came from or who shared the link with them. <\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, Gogobot<\/a> uses a personalized welcome to show users the Facebook profile picture and name of the user who sent them the deep link (above). Having a personalized welcome, compared to a generic welcome screen, increased Gogobot’s\u00a0conversion to sign-up by 78%. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, users who come from a deep link are <\/span>twice as likely to remain active users of your app<\/span><\/a>. Because of this, deep linking via SMS is a great way to increase downloads by users with high LTV (Lifetime Customer Value).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/a><\/p>\n

Using Deep Links in Email<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Deep links are a very valuable tool when it comes to measuring the impact and success of email campaigns. With Branch deep links, marketers\u00a0are able to track the clicks, views, and installs associated with each link they create. <\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, since Branch handles the routing of users in every use case, marketers using Branch links in emails don\u2019t have to worry about whether or not a user has an Apple or Android phone. Rather than providing a separate link for each type of user, a single Branch link can handle a click from any channel and\u00a0any operating system.<\/span><\/p>\n

Re-Engagement<\/h3>\n

8tracks<\/a>, a user-generated music playlist service, uses deep links in their re-engagement emails to try and bring back people who haven\u2019t used the app in a while. To do so, they add a “Get the App” button in their emails that uses\u00a0a Branch deep link (pictured above). <\/span><\/p>\n

Any email marketing client can tell you the number\u00a0of link clicks you\u2019re getting on certain buttons. But with Branch, you’re\u00a0able to look at the number of clicks, downloads, and even sign-ups per email. <\/span><\/p>\n

With this information, you\u00a0can test which type of emails works best to drive people to the app, while increasing app users. Users that downloaded the app using this button have a 1-month retention rate that\u2019s <\/span>2.3 times higher than the average 8tracks install.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

Since emails are still split between opens on desktop and mobile, it\u2019s important to use a deep linking service that optimizes the experience on each platform. The diagram above demonstrates how Branch handles link clicks on desktop. <\/span><\/p>\n

Using the parameter $desktop_url<\/em>, developers can set where they want desktop clicks to be routed. If they haven\u2019t set $desktop_url<\/em>, Branch automatically hosts a “text me the app” page that will encourage people to enter their phone\u00a0number to receive a link to download the app. <\/span><\/p>\n

Across the Branch\u00a0platform, we\u2019ve actually seen that the clicks on “text me the app” links have the <\/span>highest conversion to download<\/a>,<\/span> at around 42%.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

However, if a developer would like to redirect a user to somewhere other than a Branch-hosted “text me the app” page, they can set $desktop_url<\/em> to anywhere they\u2019d like. For instance, <\/span>Hotel Tonight<\/span><\/a> built their “text me the app” widget seamlessly into their website.<\/span><\/p>\n

Launch<\/h3>\n

In addition to re-engagement, deep linking from email is a great way to launch your app<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been collecting email addresses in advance of\u00a0your launch, you can use deep links to bring those new users to any content you want them to see when they first download the app. <\/span><\/p>\n

Using Deep Links from Ads<\/h2>\n

Deep links are a powerful way to give you a better ROI on ad campaigns. This can include Google search ads, Facebook install ads, Twitter ads, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Google Search Ads<\/h3>\n

Hotel Tonight, which is one of Branch’s most innovative partners, is <\/span>using deep links for their Google Search ads<\/span><\/a> to drive down the cost per install and increase the install-to-booking rate. Deep links shorten the long conversion flow that had previously made mobile campaigns unprofitable.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Branch links, a single link can be placed anywhere (in this case, it was the destination URL of a mobile AdWords campaign), and the link will figure out where to send the potential customer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Before Branch, users had to take five\u00a0steps (with manual in-app search) in order to convert:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

With Branch links, Hotel Tonight can route users intelligently based on whether they have the app. <\/span><\/p>\n

If they’ve installed the app, a single click takes\u00a0them directly into the app to view hotels in their destination city. If they don\u2019t have the app, the new user is taken to the appropriate app store to install Hotel Tonight. They see their desired\u00a0content immediately upon opening the app. <\/span><\/p>\n

The process with deep linking is cut in half, with no manual in-app search:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

Using Deep Links via Social<\/h2>\n

For some content, users would like to share across social networks rather than via email or text. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, since Google, Twitter, Facebook, Apple, Pinterest, and other platforms handle deep links differently, it\u2019s important to choose a deep linking platform that handles every possible use case. That way you don\u2019t have to worry about where your links are posted. <\/span><\/p>\n

Out of the box, Branch <\/span>automatically supports all deep linking standards<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/h3>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

Twitter<\/h3>\n

Some apps choose to only share via social networks in an attempt to\u00a0reach a larger audience. The\u00a0Chosen<\/a>\u00a0app, which lets you upload videos of yourself performing songs to be voted on by other users (or judges), allows you to share videos on Facebook or Twitter. You can also share other people\u2019s videos that you just saw.<\/span><\/p>\n

When someone clicks on a link from Twitter, they are taken to a Deepview if they don\u2019t yet have the app. <\/span>After downloading the app, they are taken directly to the shared video within the app. <\/span>If a user who clicks on a link already has\u00a0the app, it will be opened automatically and the user will be brought directly to that video.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apps use social networks as an additional channel for sharing, giving the user multiple options where they can share interesting content. W<\/span>ith Branch deep links you can be sure that your links will work, no matter where they’re posted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Create Deep Links in Branch<\/h2>\n

Getting started\u00a0with Branch is simple for anyone, from marketers and product managers to developers. These\u00a0three links are\u00a0good places to start:<\/p>\n

start.branch.io<\/a><\/b>: This is where you sign up for an account (no payment information needed) and can find\u00a0a step-by-step\u00a0quickstart guide to SDK integration.<\/p>\n

dev.branch.io<\/a><\/b>: This page provides complete documentation on\u00a0all SDKs and APIs, as well as deep\u00a0product information. This may be the best place to start if you’re a developer.<\/p>\n

support.branch.io<\/a><\/b>: For extra support, go here for user\u00a0community forums and FAQs. The Branch team follows the discussion boards\u00a0and fellow users are there to help, as well.<\/p>\n

Once\u00a0you’ve got your account set up, there are several ways you can start creating deep links right away.<\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Branch Dashboard<\/h3>\n

This method is best for deep-linked advertising, email retention campaigns, links from a website, and any other use of deep linking that requires a static link. You do not have to\u00a0have the SDK installed yet.<\/p>\n

Via the Branch API<\/h3>\n

Taking the API approach is useful if you have your own dashboard that you use because all documentation is public.<\/p>\n

In Your App<\/h3>\n

These deep links are created on your end using the Share functionality in the Branch\u00a0SDK. They can be incentivized for organic referrals, viral content shares, or dynamically-related links to friendly apps with whom you have cross-promotional agreements.<\/p>\n

\"Deep<\/p>\n

SDK Integration<\/h2>\n

After you’ve launched the\u00a0SDK, here’s what to do next:<\/p>\n

1<\/span>. Configure and Initialize Branch<\/span><\/h3>\n

To install and start running the Branch SDK, take the following steps. (If you need additional\u00a0guidance, Branch has quickstart guides for all platforms<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

iOS: <\/strong>Branch suggests you use\u00a0CocoaPods<\/a>\u00a0to install the Branch SDK on iOS. Just add pod \"Branch\"<\/code><\/strong> to your podfile and run pod install<\/code><\/strong> from the command line.<\/p>\n

For a step-by-step guide to\u00a0installing Branch without using CocoaPods, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Android:<\/strong>\u00a0In the Android manifest<\/a>, copy in the intent filter (see image above), which\u00a0will clarify the context the user is looking for. Change :yourapp\u00a0<\/code><\/strong>under android:scheme to the URI scheme* you\u2019ve registered.<\/p>\n

*URI is “Uniform Resource Identifier.” This might sound intimidating, but a URI is what you may have been referring to as a URL. A URL is a link with the addition of a network connection like\u00a0http:\/\/<\/code> or ftp:\/\/<\/code>. (If you feel like digging deeper, Daniel Miessler has answered all of your questions here<\/a>.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Start the User Session<\/span><\/h3>\n

In this step, you\u00a0<\/span>input user data so that Branch knows what info is useful to pass on to you.<\/p>\n

A new Branch session starts every\u00a0single time your app is opened and\u00a0checks to see if\u00a0the user came from a link. This is where you register a callback method that will return any deep link\u00a0parameters upon link click.\u00a0Please note that the callback\u00a0function is called 100% of the time,\u00a0even when the network is out.<\/p>\n

As a session starts, user info comes in so that Branch can tie the\u00a0user’s\u00a0behavior back to the downstream impacts of that behavior. Make sure you put some pivotal pieces of code in place to get started:<\/p>\n

iOS:\u00a0<\/strong>First, open your project\u2019s AppDelegate.m<\/strong> (orAppDelegate.swift<\/strong>) file.<\/p>\n

Add #import \"Branch.h\"<\/code><\/strong> at the top of the file (Objective-C only). Then, find the line which reads:<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
-<\/span> (<\/span>BOOL<\/span>)<\/span>application:<\/span>(<\/span>UIApplication<\/span> *<\/span>)<\/span>application<\/span> didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:<\/span><\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
and paste this right below it:<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Branch<\/span> *<\/span>branch<\/span> =<\/span> [<\/code><\/span>Branch<\/span> getInstance<\/span>]<\/span><\/code>; [<\/span>branch<\/span> initSessionWithLaunchOptions<\/span>:<\/span>launchOptions<\/span> andRegisterDeepLinkHandler<\/span>:<\/span>^<\/span>(<\/span>NSDictionary<\/span> *<\/span>params<\/span>,<\/span> NSError<\/span> *<\/span>error<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span> if<\/span> (<\/span>!<\/span>error<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span> \/\/ params are the deep linked params associated with the link that the user clicked -> was re-directed to this app<\/span> \/\/ params will be empty if no data found<\/span> \/\/ ... insert custom logic here ...<\/span> NSLog<\/span>(<\/span>@\"params: %@\"<\/span>,<\/span> params<\/span>.<\/span>description<\/span>);<\/span> }<\/span> }];<\/span><\/strong><\/pre>\n
Android:<\/strong> Open up your splash activity<\/strong> (or the activity you registered the intent for above), then add the onStart lifecycle method<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
\n
@Override<\/span>\r\npublic<\/span> void<\/span> onStart<\/span>()<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n    super<\/span>.<\/span>onStart<\/span>();<\/span>\r\n    \/\/ Lifecycle callback method<\/span>\r\n}<\/span><\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
Initialize the session and register your deep link router. Take note of how the instance is retrieved. If you are not\u00a0<\/strong>using automatic session management, then you will need to use getInstance(Context context)<\/code><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\n
Branch<\/span> branch<\/span> =<\/span> Branch<\/span>.<\/span>getInstance<\/span>();<\/span>\r\n\r\n\/\/ ONLY use the line below IF you ARE NOT using automatic session management.<\/span>\r\n\/\/ Branch branch = Branch.getInstance(getApplicationContext());<\/span>\r\n\r\nbranch<\/span>.<\/span>initSession<\/span>(<\/span>new<\/span> Branch<\/span>.<\/span>BranchReferralInitListener<\/span>(){<\/span>\r\n    @Override<\/span>\r\n    public<\/span> void<\/span> onInitFinished<\/span>(<\/span>JSONObject<\/span> referringParams<\/span>,<\/span> BranchError<\/span> error<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n        if<\/span> (<\/span>error<\/span> ==<\/span> null<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n            \/\/ params are the deep linked params associated with the link that the user clicked -> was re-directed to this app<\/span>\r\n            \/\/ params will be empty if no data found<\/span>\r\n            \/\/ ... insert custom logic here ...<\/span>\r\n        }<\/span> else<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n            Log<\/span>.<\/span>i<\/span>(<\/span>\"MyApp\"<\/span>,<\/span> error<\/span>.<\/span>getMessage<\/span>());<\/span>\r\n        }<\/span>\r\n    }<\/span>\r\n},<\/span> this<\/span>.<\/span>getIntent<\/span>().<\/span>getData<\/span>(),<\/span> this<\/span>);<\/span><\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
3.\u00a0Create Links<\/span><\/h3>\n
With Branch, the links are where all of the action takes place.<\/p>\n
The most important parts of Branch links are the\u00a0embed key<\/strong> and value deep link metadata<\/strong>. Branch ensures this gets delivered to the app with the clicking user. The other fun, functional parts are the label feature<\/strong> and channels for analytics<\/strong> on the dashboard.<\/p>\n
In this stage, you can drop in arbitrary tags, channels, names, messages, open graph tags and stages, all to navigate your user to where you want them to go and when you want them to go there.<\/p>\n
All of that information\u00a0is combined\u00a0into a message that is sent to the API, then the response of that message comes back to you and includes the URL, which is dropped into your share function.<\/p>\n
The whole process is invisible to the\u00a0end user and takes just a fraction of a second. With that, you have dynamic deep links that work everywhere.<\/p>\n
iOS: <\/strong>There is more info on iOS content sharing<\/a>\u00a0on Branch’s website. But to get you started, here’s the method call:<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
NSMutableDictionary<\/span> *<\/span>params<\/span> =<\/span> [<\/span>NSMutableDictionary<\/span> dictionary<\/span>];<\/span>\r\nparams<\/span>[<\/span>@\"article_id\"<\/span>]<\/span> =<\/span> @\"1234\"<\/span>;<\/span>\r\nparams<\/span>[<\/span>@\"$og_title\"<\/span>]<\/span> =<\/span> @\"MyApp is disrupting apps\"<\/span>;<\/span>\r\nparams<\/span>[<\/span>@\"$og_image_url\"<\/span>]<\/span> =<\/span> @\"http:\/\/yoursite.com\/pics\/987666.png\"<\/span>;<\/span>\r\nparams<\/span>[<\/span>@\"$desktop_url\"<\/span>]<\/span> =<\/span> @\"mysite.com\/article1234\"<\/span>;<\/span>\r\n\r\n[[<\/span>Branch<\/span> getInstance<\/span>]<\/span> getShortURLWithParams<\/span>:<\/span>params<\/span> andChannel<\/span>:<\/span>@\"sms\"<\/span> andFeature<\/span>:<\/span>BRANCH_FEATURE_TAG_SHARE<\/span> andCallback<\/span>:<\/span>^<\/span>(<\/span>NSString<\/span> *<\/span>url<\/span>,<\/span> NSError<\/span> *<\/span>error<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n    if<\/span> (<\/span>!<\/span>error<\/span>)<\/span> NSLog<\/span>(<\/span>@\"got my Branch link to share: %@\"<\/span>,<\/span> url<\/span>);<\/span>\r\n}];\r\n<\/span><\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Deep<\/p>\n
Android:\u00a0<\/strong>Branch suggests using\u00a0their\u00a0builder method (see image above) to generate a Branch link.<\/p>\n
Here’s how to generate a Branch link via the\u00a0builder class:<\/p>\n
\n
BranchShortLinkBuilder<\/span> shortUrlBuilder<\/span> =<\/span> new<\/span> BranchShortLinkBuilder<\/span>(<\/span>MainActivity<\/span>.<\/span>this<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addTag<\/span>(<\/span>\"tag1\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addTag<\/span>(<\/span>\"tag2\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>setChannel<\/span>(<\/span>\"channel1\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>setFeature<\/span>(<\/span>\"feature1\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>setStage<\/span>(<\/span>\"1\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addParameters<\/span>(<\/span>\"name\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"test name\"<\/span>)<\/span> \/\/ deeplink data - anything you want!<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addParameters<\/span>(<\/span>\"message\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"hello there with short url\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addParameters<\/span>(<\/span>\"$og_title\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"this is a title\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addParameters<\/span>(<\/span>\"$og_description\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"this is a description\"<\/span>)<\/span>\r\n                        .<\/span>addParameters<\/span>(<\/span>\"$og_image_url\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"https:\/\/imgurl.com\/img.png\"<\/span>);<\/span>\r\n\r\n                \/\/ Get URL Asynchronously<\/span>\r\n                shortUrlBuilder<\/span>.<\/span>generateShortUrl<\/span>(<\/span>new<\/span> Branch<\/span>.<\/span>BranchLinkCreateListener<\/span>()<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n                    @Override<\/span>\r\n                    public<\/span> void<\/span> onLinkCreate<\/span>(<\/span>String<\/span> url<\/span>,<\/span> BranchError<\/span> error<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n                        if<\/span> (<\/span>error<\/span> !=<\/span> null<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n                            Log<\/span>.<\/span>e<\/span>(<\/span>\"Branch Error\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"Branch create short url failed. Caused by -\"<\/span> +<\/span> error<\/span>.<\/span>getMessage<\/span>());<\/span>\r\n                        }<\/span> else<\/span> {<\/span>\r\n                            Log<\/span>.<\/span>i<\/span>(<\/span>\"Branch\"<\/span>,<\/span> \"Got a Branch URL \"<\/span> +<\/span> url<\/span>);<\/span>\r\n                        }<\/span>\r\n                    }<\/span>\r\n                });<\/span>\r\n                \/\/ OR Get the URL synchronously<\/span>\r\n                String<\/span> myUrl<\/span> =<\/span> shortUrlBuilder<\/span>.<\/span>getShortUrl<\/span>();<\/span><\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
Deep Link Best Practices<\/h2>\n
1.\u00a0Identify Your Users<\/span><\/h3>\n
This is what deep linking is all about\u00a0\u2014\u00a0knowing\u00a0who shared the link and who came in from those shares.<\/p>\n
Branch automatically tracks unique devices. However, to make full use of its\u00a0powerful API, you should also identify users with the\u00a0form of unique\u00a0identification that your app utilizes.<\/p>\n
Invoke the setIdentity call<\/strong> whenever you create or login a user. This should be done after you have successfully initialized a session. Add this line of code:<\/p>\n
\/\/ your app's userId, 127 chars or less\u00a0Branch.getInstance().setIdentity(\"your \u00a0user identity\");<\/code><\/strong><\/pre>\n
Also be sure to add a logout call<\/strong> anywhere you allow the user to log out.<\/p>\n
Branch.getInstance().logout();<\/pre>\n
2. Specify Channels and\u00a0Add Open Graph Tags<\/span><\/h3>\n
By specifying channels and adding\u00a0custom tags you can\u00a0specify your data and create a more unique customer experience. This data will be automatically embedded into the meta tags and will show up in your analytics,\u00a0providing deep detail on who shared what, where, and\u00a0how.<\/p>\n
Open Graph meta tags (aka, OG tags) allow you to select and customize what image and information shows up when a use shares a link from your site on Facebook.<\/p>\n
For example, go:title <\/code><\/strong>sets the link title at the top of the snippet, go:site_name <\/code><\/strong>is your site url under the title,\u00a0go:description <\/code><\/strong>provides a few lines from the article or page, and go:image<\/code><\/strong> is where you put the URL for the image you want displayed.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s best to customize this information so that your shared links are appealing and are highlighting\u00a0the information that you want people to see first. Branch enables OG customizations, so use that\u00a0to your advantage.<\/p>\n
3. Leverage Referrals<\/span><\/h3>\n
To incentivize sharing and drive viral growth, Branch offers several ways to\u00a0leverage referrals<\/a>.<\/p>\n