‍Optimizing parameters for success

UTM parameters are essential tools in digital marketing, enabling you to track and analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns by adding specific tags to your URLs. Here's how you can use each parameter to gain meaningful insights into your marketing efforts:

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UTM_Medium [channel] :
Categorizes incoming traffic into major channels, helping you understand which broad strategies are most effective, such as paid social, email campaigns, display ads, etc.
• Values: utm_medium=paidsocial, utm_medium=paidsearch, utm_medium=email, utm_medium=display
• Application: Use utm_medium=paidsocial for campaigns on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Choose utm_medium=paidsearch for ads running on search engines such as Google Ads, Bing, etc. Opt for utm_medium=email for email marketing efforts. For banner and display ad campaigns, utm_medium=display is appropriate.

UTM_Source [segment1] :Pinpoints the specific platform or website where your traffic originates, enabling you to identify the most effective sources.
Values: utm_source=google, utm_source=instagram, utm_source=newsletter
Application: Provides insights into optimizing presence on specific platforms by identifying high-performing sources.

UTM_Campaign [segment2] :Compares the performance of various campaigns within each source and medium, guiding strategic planning based on effectiveness.
Values: utm_campaign=summer_sale_2024, utm_campaign=holiday_promo
Application: Facilitates strategic decision-making by highlighting which campaigns yield the best results.

UTM_Term [segment3] :Used in paid search campaigns to identify effective keywords, aiding in optimizing ad spend.
Values: utm_term=beach_umbrellas, utm_term=organic_sunscreen
Application: Refines keyword strategy by tracking the most valuable search terms.

UTM_Content [segment4] :Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad to test performance, useful for A/B testing.
Values: utm_content=ad_version_a, utm_content=30_percent_off_ad
Application: Helps identify winning ad creatives, optimizing your creative strategy.

Tips & tricks for using UTM parameters

Madlitics tracks not only how visitors arrive at your site but also what content attracted them. These fields help you understand which types of content are driving leads and customers, and allow you to dig deeper into individual page performance.

1. Use lowercase letters consistently because reporting tools are often case sensitive.
2. Stick to standard, widely-used values to facilitate better integration with default channel groupings in analytics tools.
3. Avoid using custom values for utm_medium unless necessary, as this prevents fragmentation of your traffic data.
4. Regularly review your UTM setup to ensure it aligns with your evolving marketing strategy.
5. Align customizable values with Madlitics standards when possible to maintain consistency across your marketing tools.

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Need help building consistent UTM parameters for campaign URLs?
Use the Madlitics Campaign URL Builder to quickly generate trackable links for your marketing efforts.

‍Using UTM parameters effectively

The following examples illustrate how marketers can use UTM parameters to track various campaigns across different channels. By setting specific parameters, you can clearly identify the source, medium, campaign name, targeted keywords or audience, and the specific content that drove traffic to your website.

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Google Ads
High intent and effective for capturing immediate traffic. Ideal for capturing high-intent traffic, Google Ads allows you to reach users at the exact moment they're actively searching for products or services you offer, which increases the likelihood of conversion.

Parameters

• utm_medium=paidsearch
• utm_source=google
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[ad group]
• utm_content=[ad name]

Example url
‍?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=february_promo&utm_term=discount_offer&utm_content=ad_version_a

Captured Data

• Channel: Paid search
• Segment1: google
• Segment2: february_promo
• Segment3: discount_offer
• Segment4: ad_version_a

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Email Marketing
‍Highly personalized and cost-effective with great ROI. Best for nurturing leads, customer retention, and direct sales, email marketing is highly personalized, cost-effective, and allows for segmentation and automation.

Parameters

• utm_medium=email
• utm_source=[email origin]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_campaign=[offer description]
• utm_content=[clicked link]

Example url
‍?utm_medium=email&utm_source=hubspot&utm_campaign=lead_nurturing&utm_term=free_demo&utm_content=hero_image_cta

Captured Data

• Channel: Email marketing
• Segment1: hubspot
• Segment2: lead_nurturing
• Segment3: free_demo
• Segment4: thought_leadership_post

_{Note: The utm_source parameter for email marketing identifies the email's origin. You can specify your email platform (e.g., mailchimp), an internal identifier for emails you send (e.g., company_newsletter), or the source of external emails (e.g., partner_name). Choose the option that best describes the email's origin and provides the most useful tracking data.}

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Organic Search
Essential for long-term visibility and traffic without paid spend. Best for attracting visitors through unpaid search results, organic search strategies focus on improving visibility in search engines like Google and Bing.

Parameters

• utm_medium=organicsearch
• utm_source=[search engine]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[keyword] *
• utm_content=[content description] *

Example url
‍?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organicsearch&utm_campaign=blog_launch&utm_term=social_media_strategies&utm_content=blog_post

Captured Data

• Channel: Organic search
• Segment1: google
• Segment2: blog_launch
• Segment3: social_media_strategies *
• Segment4: blog_post *

_{Note: While utm_term and utm_content are included here for reference, they may not always be necessary for organic search tracking, as the primary focus is often on the source and campaign.}

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Facebook Ads
Popular for reaching a broad audience and engaging with customers. Ideal for targeting based on interests, behaviors, and demographics, Facebook Ads are great for building brand awareness and reaching people who might not be actively searching for your product but fit your target audience profile.

Parameters

• utm_medium=paidsocial
• utm_source=facebook
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[ad group]
• utm_content=[ad name]

Example url
‍?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=crm_retarg&utm_term=lead_nurturing&utm_content=carousel_ad

Captured Data

• Channel: Paid Social
• Segment1: facebook
• Segment2: crm_retargeting
• Segment3: lead_nurturing
• Segment4: carousel_ad

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TikTok, Instagram, Twitter Ads

Effective for visually appealing content and targeting younger demographics. Best for visual products and younger audiences, these platforms offer high engagement rates, especially for visually appealing content.

Parameters

• utm_medium=paidsocial
• utm_source=[platform name]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[ad group]
• utm_content=[ad name]

Example url
‍?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=crm_demo&utm_term=small_business_owners&utm_content=video_ad_1

Captured Data

• Channel: Paid social
• Segment1: tiktok
• Segment2: crm_demo
• Segment3: small_business_owners
• Segment4: video_ad_1

_{Note: UTM_Term is less common here, as TikTok is not search-based. You can rely on utm_content to differentiate between different types of ads, such as video variations or influencer partnerships.}

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Linkedin Ads
Valuable for B2B marketing and reaching professionals. Ideal for B2B marketing and professional services, LinkedIn Ads target professionals based on job titles, industries, and company size.

Parameters

• utm_medium=paidsocial
• utm_source=linkedin
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[ad group]
• utm_content=[ad name]

Example url
‍?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=crm_retarg&utm_term=lead_nurturing&utm_content=carousel_ad

Captured Data

• Channel: Paid social
• Segment1: linkedin
• Segment2: crm_launch
• Segment3: business_owners
• Segment4: sponsored_post

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Referral Marketing
Valuable for leveraging existing relationships but less direct than paid ads. Best for leveraging external websites to drive traffic, referral marketing helps you gain visitors from links on other platforms.

Parameters

• utm_medium=referral
• utm_source=[referrer website]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_campaign=[keyword or offer] *
• utm_content=[referral link description]  *

Example url
‍?utm_source=partnerwebsite&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=crm_launch&utm_term=partnership&utm_content=homepage_link

Captured Data

• Channel: Referral
• Segment1: partnerwebsite
• Segment2: crm_launch
• Segment3: partnership *
• Segment4: homepage_link  *

_{Note: Including utm_term and utm_content as optional in this contexts allowing for flexibility while still acknowledging that it's not the primary focus for most campaigns.}

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Affiliate Marketing Useful but can vary significantly in effectiveness based on partnerships. Best for expanding reach through partnerships, affiliate marketing allows you to leverage other websites or individuals to promote your products or services.

Parameters

• utm_medium=affiliate
• utm_source=[affiliate name]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_campaign=[keyword or offer] *
• utm_content=[ad name]

Example url
‍?utm_source=affiliate_partner&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_term=special_offer&utm_content=banner_ad_1

Captured Data

• Channel: Affiliate
• Segment1: affiliate_partner
• Segment2: summer_sale
• Segment3: special_offer *
• Segment4: banner_ad_1

_{Note: utm_term is not typically used because the primary tracking focuses on the affiliate's source rather than specific keywords.}

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Organic Social
‍Important for brand building, but results can be slower and less measurable. Best for building brand personality, engaging with customers, and fostering community, organic social strategies are free to use and help build authentic connections while driving potential viral growth.

Parameters

• utm_medium=organicsocial
• utm_source=[platform name]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_term=[target audience or topic] *
• utm_content=[post description] *

Example url

?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organicsocial&utm_campaign=customer_engagement&utm_term=brand_&utm_content=community

Captured Data

• Channel: Organic social
• Segment1: instagram
• Segment2: customer_engagement
• Segment3: brand_awareness  *
• Segment4: community_post  *

_{Note: The utm_term and utm_content parameters are included here for reference, but their use may vary based on the specific goals of your organic social campaigns.}

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Display Advertising
Useful for brand awareness but often has lower engagement compared to other channels. Best for visually impactful marketing, display advertising allows you to reach audiences through banner ads across various websites.

Parameters

• utm_medium=display
• utm_source=[ad network]
• utm_campaign=[campaign name]
• utm_campaign=[keyword or offer] *
• utm_content=[ad variation]

Example url
‍?utm_source=google_display&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=holiday_sale&utm_term=spring_collection&utm_content=banner_ad

Captured Data

• Channel: Display
• Segment1: google_display
• Segment2: holiday_sale
• Segment3: spring_collection *
• Segment4: banner_ad

_{Note: Including utm_term as optional in this contexts allowing for flexibility while still acknowledging that it's not the primary focus for most campaigns.}

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Wrapping it up

Utilizing UTM parameters effectively allows marketers to gain valuable insights into their campaigns across various channels. By clearly defining the source, medium, campaign, and content, businesses can track performance, optimize strategies, and make informed decisions that drive growth. Whether using paid advertising or organic methods, the right UTM setup ensures that every interaction is measurable and actionable, paving the way for data-driven success.

Related articles and further information

Installing Madlitics
Integrating Madlitics with forms
Testing Madlitics configuration
‍Sending data to marketing tools

Madlitics marketing channels
Madlitics marketing segments
‍UTM parameter best practices