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UTM Tracking

How to track links using UTM parameters

When your marketing campaigns span multiple platforms, it’s critical to pinpoint where your customers are originating from, the platforms they use, and how they interact with your content. For example, the amount of engagement from an email may differ from the number of customers clicking on a link from Facebook. Analyzing these numbers allows you to focus your marketing efforts and resources more effectively.

An effective way to track this information is by appending UTM parameters to your links.

What is a UTM parameter?

UTM stands for Urchin Traffic Monitor and are little snippets of code at the end of a link that defines specific information such as what platform, medium (such as banner or newsletter), or even which button is clicked on your website. Adding a UTM allows you to track this particular information within Google Analytics. There are many different ways to create a tracking URL but at Dirigible, we use Campaign URL Builder by Google Analytics. To use this builder, you simply need the website URL you’d like to track. Then, fill in your specific campaign information.

Here’s a brief overview of the five UTM fields and their applications:
  • Campaign Source: This reveals the original platform from where the user engaged with your link, such as an email or a social media platform.
  • Campaign Medium: This identifies the type of content that prompted user engagement, whether it’s a button, graphic, or a social media post.
  • Campaign Name: A handy tool for tracking multiple campaigns. By assigning unique names or codes, you can analyze the performance of each campaign individually.
  • Campaign Term: Highly valuable for paid search. This can track which keywords within an ad led a user to your page.
  • Campaign Content: Similar to Campaign Term, this helps track what content led to a click on your website. This is particularly useful when testing the effectiveness of different content leading to the same location.

Long Link? No Problem

Links with URM parameters can be quite long. If this bothers you, you can use a link shortener like bit.ly to condense the link and make it a bit friendlier looking. Many link shorteners also offer analytics capabilities, providing valuable insights into clicks and engagements. Link shorteners can further refine your data analysis and improve the efficacy of your digital marketing efforts when used in conjunction with UTM tracking. However, use link shorteners with caution — some users will not click on a shortened link due to potential security risks.  (maybe they’ve been rickrolled too many times.)

UTM Parameters – Your Gateway to Informed Business Decisions

Harnessing the power of UTM Parameters allows you to track the origin of your audience, their medium of engagement, and the effectiveness of your content, no matter which platform it originates on. Adding this extra step to your marketing campaigns will give you the knowledge needed to refine your digital strategy, ultimately leading to a more targeted approach to your marketing. 

Published on Jun 13 2023

Last Updated on Mar 19 2024

Categories: Small Business Websites, Web Design