How to use UTM Parameters for Startups
An often overlooked part of marketing and top of funnel work for startups is making sure you track where folks are coming from and what types of content or advertising works best for you. One tiny component of that tracking is utilizing UTM parameters to aid in that.
We’ve put together some details on UTM tracking, a tool to help make the links more easily, and also how we do some attribution work with Swishjam.
What are UTM Parameters?
UTM parameters are simple code snippets added to the end of a URL. When a user clicks on a URL with UTM parameters, the tags are sent back to your analytics tooling like Swishjam and tracked. These parameters allow you to understand the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns by providing detailed insights about the traffic coming to your website.
A typical URL with UTM parameters looks like this:
http://www.example.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=product_launch
The Five UTM Parameters
- utm_source: Identifies the source of the traffic (e.g., Google, newsletter, Facebook).
- utm_medium: Specifies the medium used to reach the audience (e.g., email, CPC, social).
- utm_campaign: Names the specific campaign or promotion (e.g., summer_sale, product_launch).
- utm_term: Used for paid search to identify keywords for the ad (optional).
- utm_content: Helps differentiate similar content within the same ad or link (optional).
Why Use UTM Parameters?
1. Enhanced Campaign Tracking
UTM parameters enable startups to track the performance of various marketing campaigns across different channels. By analyzing which campaigns are driving traffic, you can optimize your marketing efforts and budget allocation.
2. Understanding Audience Behavior
These parameters provide insights into how users interact with your content. This helps in understanding the customer journey and refining your marketing strategies accordingly.
3. A/B Testing
UTM parameters are crucial for A/B testing different marketing strategies. By using different UTM codes for each variant, you can precisely measure which version performs better.
4. ROI Measurement
Startups can accurately measure the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing campaigns by tracking which channels and campaigns lead to conversions.
Best Practices for UTM Tracking
1. Consistent Naming Conventions
Use consistent naming conventions for UTM parameters to avoid confusion and ensure accurate tracking. For instance, always use lowercase and avoid spaces (use underscores or hyphens instead).
2. Use UTM Parameters Judiciously
Overuse can lead to overly complex URLs and confusion in data analysis. Use them primarily for tracking external traffic sources.
3. Integrate with Analytics Tools
Ensure your website's analytics tools are set up to track UTM parameters. This integration is crucial for gathering and analyzing data effectively.
4. Shorten URLs
Use URL shorteners for long URLs with UTM parameters, especially when using them on social media platforms. While there’s a bit of controversy about link shorteners in that they are used by spammers and fraudsters it is a good way to shorten the URL itself. Our recommendation here is that if you can make plain text the visual link for someone that helps alleviate concerns. Some platforms such as Medium even go as far to ban link shorteners in their ToS.
5. Viewing the Data
In Swishjam we track both the UTM parameters that a user might encounter as well as the initial touch point for a user. In our Web Analytics product you’re able to see UTM parameters, referrers, and right now on each user where they originally came from. More detailed analysis tools will be available soon to dive deeper into this data.
Conclusion
UTM parameters are indispensable for startups looking to gain detailed insights into their marketing efforts. By effectively utilizing these tools, startups can make data-driven decisions, optimize their marketing strategies, and ultimately achieve better results in their digital marketing endeavors. Remember, the key to successful UTM tracking lies in strategic implementation and consistent analysis.