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There are numerous metrics you can use to track how subscribers are engaging with your email campaigns: open rates, click-through rates, and engagement (read, skim, delete) are a few that are usually at the top of the list. But how about measuring what happens after a subscriber clicks on your email and lands on your website or landing page? This is where UTM parameters come into play.
What are UTM parameters?
A UTM parameter, also called a campaign parameter or UTM code, is a text string at the end of a website link. These codes enable Google Analytics (or other analytics platforms) to track website users coming from different sources or channels. Campaign parameters also give marketers the ability to track details about a specific campaign, such as the text or images they use. UTM codes usually look something like this: https://www.emailonacid.com/blog/article/eoa-news/email-spell-check-spell-check-emails-before-sending-with-email-on-acid / ?utm_campaign=Spell%20Check&utm_source=hs_email &utm_medium=email
In Google Analytics there are five parameters that you can insert into a UTM code:
- Campaign Source – This is the specific source that referred the subscriber to your website. For example, you could use “newsletter” or “Twitter.”
- Campaign medium – This is the marketing channel that referred the subscriber to your website (it is broader than the campaign source). For example, “email” or “social networks”.
- Campaign name – This is the marketing campaign for the content. It could be a specific promotion or special sale (“XMasSale”, “30PercentOff”) or a more general campaign (“Retention”).
- Campaign content – This parameter can help identify differences in the content of your source. When testing a button versus a link in an A/B test, you can specify the content as a “button” or “link.” You can also use this parameter to identify a specific email in a campaign or series.
- Campaign duration – You may not need to use this parameter in your email campaigns. This parameter is often used in ads to identify paid keywords that the marketer uses to drive traffic to a website.
When a user clicks on a link with the UTM code, Google Analytics can track the specific channel, source, campaign, campaign content, or campaign term that brought them to your website. You can then track these different parameters through Google Analytics to learn more about how your customers are interacting with your content.
Wait a minute… what does “UTM” stand for?
UTM stands for “Urchin Tracking Module”. Where does the “Urchin” come from, you ask? Long story short: Urchin was the predecessor of Google Analytics. When Google introduced UTMs, Google named them after the tool that tracked these parameters – Urchin.
Why do I have to use UTM parameters in email campaigns?
Using UTM codes in your emails can help you better understand what a subscriber does when they click on your email and visit your website. You can better track email performance and engagement, including conversions (and assisted conversions), revenue, sessions, page views, etc. UTM parameters also give you the ability to see what type of email -Perform better on content. For example, if you're A/B testing different images in an email, use UTM parameters (utm_content) to measure the engagement of subscribers who clicked on image A compared to subscribers who clicked on image B , easier to track.
Which UTM parameters do I have to include?
Technically, Google's UTM builder only requires you to enter the campaign source. However, keep in mind that the more parameters you specify, the more information you can track. In the Email on Acid UTM validation tool, we recommend specifying at least the campaign source, campaign medium, and campaign name.
How do I set UTM parameters?
Many marketing teams create custom UTM builders to ensure consistent terminology and tracking. If you don't have a custom tool, Google offers a campaign URL builder that makes it easy to add campaign parameters to URLs. These tools allow you to enter the link and the various parameters and it will spit out a new link for you with all the UTMs included.
In some cases, your ESP can add UTMs to your links for you. You can also add missing UTM parameters to your emails using Email on Acid's UTM validation tool (in Campaign Precheck). Once you enter your parameters into the UTM tool, the platform updates your HTML and adds the campaign parameters to your links, so you don't have to go back to an email editor or developer to make adjustments.
Email on Acid's UTM validation tool separates recommended campaign parameters from optional parameters. However, you will notice that the source is always required.
Use of UTM parameters and Google Analytics
Once you set up UTM codes, you can easily track how your email channel is performing compared to other marketing channels. You can do this by checking this out channels Report in Google Analytics, found under Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels.
The channel view tells you how many new users and sessions visit the site through your emails, what they do when they get to your site (pages per session, bounce rate), and whether they convert. In the channel report, you can dive deeper into email performance by clicking and changing the email channel Primary dimension in the report. You can set this dimension to any of the other UTM parameters you use, such as: B. Source, content or campaign. This way, you can easily compare and see which content, campaigns, or email sources are performing best.
An example of using UTMs in emails
Let's take a quick look at a recent campaign launched by Email on Acid:
This email we sent to our customers was part of a campaign to announce our new spell checker tool. For this email we used these campaign parameters:
- Campaign source: hs_email (this indicates that we sent the email using our CRM, Hubspot)
- Campaign medium: E-mail
- Campaign name: Spell check
So a link in the email would look like this: https://www.emailonacid.com/blog/article/eoa-news/email-spell-check-spell-check-emails-before-sending-with-email- on-acid/?utm_campaign=Spell%20Check&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email
Checking the UTM parameters
Have you ever thought about adding UTM parameters to your email campaign? Or did you forget to keep them consistent throughout the email? We've all been there before. Consistent UTM parameters are critical for tracking email performance and informing future email content. That's why we added a UTM validation tool to our email QA platform. The UTM validation step scans your email links for UTMs, meaning you don't have to click on every link in your email to double-check tracking. If you haven't added the UTMs, Campaign Precheck provides the option to do so (the tool will customize your code for you). Additionally, any UTMs that are missing parameters or have inconsistent campaign names are flagged.
An important note about capitalization
Google Analytics is very picky about its UTM parameters. If a UTM code has slightly different formatting (such as an uppercase letter or an extra space), Google tracks it separately. For example, a campaign called “Retention” is tracked separately from a campaign called “Retention”. Campaign Precheck's UTM validation tool flags such inconsistencies.
Do you use UTMs in your email campaigns?
UTMs are an essential tool for tracking email performance. Yes, it's an extra step in the creation and quality assurance process, but including UTMs can help you improve future campaigns and demonstrate email marketing ROI performance. How to use UTM codes? What information do you collect with campaign parameters? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you want to save some time on your email QA process, check out our UTM validation tool – it will make your life easier and ensure your reports are accurate.
Author: The Email-on-Acid Team
Email on Acid's content team is made up of digital marketers, content creators, and real email geeks. Connect with us on LinkedIn, follow us on Facebook, and tweet @EmailonAcid on Twitter for more great email marketing news and great convos.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
