Marketers use data and analytics. The goal of marketing is to create a story that will engage your target audience.
The best time to post on any of your social channels is different for everyone. It depends on what you're trying to do and how many followers/fans your account has.
That’s where UTM tracking comes in!
The definition of UTM tracking
UTM or Urchin Tracking Model is a system for tracking internet traffic by adding parameters to links. UTM tags are a way to track the traffic source of an individual link. It allows business owners to see exactly where their customers are going on social media.
When a link you have added these tags (or parameters) to is clicked, they're sent back to Google Analytics. You can attribute site visits and conversions to specific posts on any platform you’re running campaigns for.
UTM or Urchin Tracking Model is a system for tracking internet traffic by adding parameters to links. With UTM tracking, you can keep track of how many visitors are converting into customers.
Using UTM parameters on social media
The pace of social media is unrivaled. Therefore, it can be difficult to determine what works when looking at overall conversions. UTM tracking lets you know which campaign is making the most impact.
Add UTM codes to every link you share on social media. That way, your organization can see how many people click-through and convert. This will help with the optimization for future campaigns or organic posts.
How to use UTM parameters
Understanding the five different types of UTM codes can help you make your website more engaging and accurate. To get started, let’s look at how these parameters work.
1. The source parameter
The source parameter tells you where your website visitors are coming from. For example, you’ve just launched your campaign and added a UTM tracking code to the end of your links. Somebody then clicks the link. Google Analytics will register visitors coming to your website. It will also tell you from which social platform the visitor clicked the link.
2. The medium parameter
This parameter identifies which medium the link you are tracking was used on. You can use the "Medium" filter to see how your social media campaigns are performing. This will allow you a birds-eye view of organic and paid-social traffic together.
3. The campaign parameter
This is a major breakthrough for marketers who want to track their campaigns. You can now identify the specific campaign of any link, tweet or post by including this parameter in all of your digital advertising materials. It will automatically tell you which ads they are related to.
4. The term parameter
The term parameter is often used in association with paid search campaigns. Keyword tags are popular for paid search campaigns. They also can be implemented on any social platform.
5. The content parameter
Using this parameter, you can easily see which campaign is being A/B tested. You can also use this parameter to see which call-to-action is converting best.
4 Ways to use UTM tracking codes
UTM parameters are super useful for measuring social media performance- from campaigns to specific ads and posts. Here’s a more detailed explanation of how you can use them.
1. To ramp up your social media strategy
UTM parameters can help you understand which content is resonating with your audience the most. They also provide insight into why some people aren't engaging as much.
To minimize risk of losing site visits and conversions, show your audience what they want to see. Monitoring the performance of each platform is where you should focus your efforts. It's important to keep an eye on what each platform is doing.
2. To measure your conversions from social media
Knowing your cost-per-acquisition (or CPA) is one of the most significant things you need to know. Have a clear understanding of how your social media marketing is turning out. Without that, it's difficult to make informed decisions.
Let's say you want to run an ad campaign, but don't know which channels are most effective for driving conversions. UTM parameters can help with this by providing a complete breakdown of where your customers are coming from.
3. To help you track influencer marketing campaigns
Influencer marketing is a rapidly growing trend that's helping brands to reach new customers. You should be able to see what results are being generated and from which platforms.
With influencer marketing, you can distribute UTM tracking links for the influencers to use across their own channels. You will have an overview on how many visits or conversions are being generated from each source.
Influencer marketing can be an expensive campaign to run. It's important that you feel assured your investment will generate the expected return.
4. To test your social media campaigns
The possibilities are endless when it comes to A/B testing elements of your social media campaigns. You can also do this by adding multiple links into your ads. Then use different UTM parameters to track each one.
You can never know enough about your audience. Therefore, it's significant to experiment with different types of elements in marketing campaigns. It helps you to learn more about their behavior and it unconsciously markets them better as well.
Conclusion: UTM tracking is a reliable way to get good use of your marketing budget
You don't want to waste your precious marketing budget on something that's not delivering. You need a way to track and see how your hard-earned money is going to good use. You should also be able to see a clear return of your investments. The UTM code is the key to unlocking your marketing strategy. It allows you to track who is viewing and engaging with posts, and what type of content they prefer.
