How to Use UTM Codes to track marketing campaign success for your small business.

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In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, small businesses need to maximise every pound spent on advertising. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to track and measure the success of online and offline marketing campaigns is through UTM codes. But what exactly are UTM codes, and how can small businesses in the UK use them to improve their marketing strategies?

Live case study:  A client is currently running ads across the Meta platform (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger & WhatsApp) alongside Google Ads (Paid ‘cost per click’ Ads on Google Search) Email Marketing Campaigns and even leaflets. 

With all these different campaigns formats running simultaneously we wanted to be able to measure how successful each marketing medium is for sending potential clients to the website…..in comes the UTM (Urchin Tracking Module)!!

What are UTM Codes?

UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes are small snippets of text added to the end of a URL. These tags allow you to track the performance of different marketing campaigns across various platforms, such as social media, email newsletters, or paid ads.

How to Create UTM Codes

You don’t need technical skills to create UTM codes. Google offers a free tool called Campaign URL Builder that makes generating UTM parameters simple. Just enter the URL, fill in the parameters, and the tool will generate your UTM-coded link.

You can create UTM code here https://ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder/

A UTM code typically consists of five parameters:

Website URl: Where you want the UTM to land on your website

Campaign ID: The ad campaigns ID

Campaign Source: Identifies where the traffic is coming from (e.g., Facebook, Google, Instagram) or even a QR Code on a physical flyer

Campaign Medium: Describes the type of marketing channel (e.g., email, social, CPC).

Campaign Name: Refers to the specific campaign name (e.g., Spring_Sale, Black_Friday).

Term (Optional): Tracks paid search keywords.

Content (Optional): Differentiates between versions of the same ad or link.

Example of a UTM-coded URL:

sample UTM code

Best Practices for Using UTM Codes

  • Be Consistent: Use consistent naming conventions for your campaigns.
  • Keep It Simple: Only use the parameters you need to avoid cluttered URLs.
  • Shorten links: Use URL shorteners like Bitly for sharing long URLs on social media.
  • Track in Google Analytics: Connect your UTM codes to Google Analytics to view detailed reports.
  • Review Regularly: Analyse your data monthly to refine your marketing strategy.

UTM Codes In practice

Let’s go back to that client case study at the top of the blog. Here is how this clients UTM codes are tracking in analytics

To find how your UTM codes are working go into your Analytics, navigate to Traffic Acquisition them select the drop down to select either the source or campaign name (if you run multiple ads on any one platform)

Select the data you are wanting to review.

Here you can see the various locations my client’s traffic is coming from including the meta campaigns, Google and Email campaigns.

Let’s channel this down even further and look at the specific campaign names. Here we can see…

  1. Google Ads campaign ‘Marquee Hire’ and the new data using the newly added UTM ‘Search_Ads_Marquee_Hire’
  2. We can also see scans of a QR code on a Leaflet called ‘Leaflet Drop’
  3. A Mailchimp Campaign named ‘Year by Year 2023’
  4. Meta Campaign named ‘March 25 Meta 1’

Why Should Small Businesses Use UTM Codes?

For small businesses with limited budgets, understanding what works and what doesn’t is crucial. UTM codes help you:

  • Identify Top Performing Channels: Know whether social media, email marketing, or PPC ads are driving the most traffic.
  • Measure Campaign Effectiveness: Pinpoint which campaigns are generating leads or sales.
  • Optimise Marketing Spend: Focus your budget on the platforms and campaigns that deliver results.
  • Track ROI Accurately: Gain insight into how much revenue each marketing channel is generating.

Conclusion

UTM codes are an invaluable tool for small businesses in the UK looking to improve their digital marketing performance. By tracking where your traffic comes from and understanding which campaigns yield the best results, you can make data-driven decisions and maximise your return on investment.

Start incorporating UTM codes into your marketing strategy today and gain better insight into your business’s online success!

Looking to get better insights on where your website traffic is coming from? Get in touch today

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