So, you’ve been hearing us talk a lot about UTM values but you’re still not sure what they are, why you should be using them or where to put them. No worries – let us explain it all to you in simple terms.
First off, what are they?
Essentially, UTM values are labels that code a URL link. These labels allow you to track which URLs are being clicked on, which means you can see where inbound leads are coming from.
Why you should be using UTM values
That is exactly why you should be using UTM values: to track where your inbound leads are coming from. However, you don’t need to use them everywhere. For example, you shouldn’t use them on your web pages. Why? Because website tracking tools are more effective at tracking what your website leads are looking at. Instead, you should use these values for external sources that are driving inbound leads to your website.
Here are the nine places you should be using UTM values:
- On social media. With plenty of social media platforms to choose from, using UTM values will give you a good idea of which platform your main targets are using.
- In your email marketing campaigns. While some email platforms automatically add UTMs to your links (like GatorMail does), some don’t. Check your platform and make sure your links are labelled to tell you which email campaigns are working best.
- PPC adverts. With the cost of pay per click advertising, it’s important to track which adverts are performing best.
- PR posts. Despite popular opinion, the world of online PR is alive and well. You need to keep an eye on it to see which of your PR channels bring in the leads.
- Back links. Anywhere on the World Wide Web that links back to your website should use UTM values. This way you know where your online presence is felt most.
- Blog swaps. If you’re guest blogging on another website, you want to drive them back to your website. Use UTM labels to see which blog topics are interesting other audiences.
- In your email signatures. For example, we promote our events with a banner in our email signatures. By using UTMs in here we can track any traffic that goes to the banners landing page as a direct result of their 1:1 interaction.
- Banner advertising. Similar to the email signature we mentioned above, using UTM labels in banner advertising helps track how successful this paid-for channel of marketing is.
- Events you promote on other websites. Say you’re hosting a seminar with a partner company of yours. Use UTM values in the event promotion on their website (not yours) to see which events bring in the right leads.
Ok, so now you know what UTM values are, why you should be using them and where you should be using them. If you’d like more advice on how to start using UTM best practices, go on to read our UTM best practice guide. Or get started by using our URL builder that creates your UTM values today!
