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Tracking the Source of Subscriptions with UTM Parameters
Tracking the Source of Subscriptions with UTM Parameters
Updated over a week ago

If you are running marketing campaigns, you probably are using UTM parameters, which enable you to keep track of the success of your marketing efforts. Tools like Google Analytics tell you how many users signed up (if you have goals set up), but not who.

Uscreen supports a function for extracting individual UTM parameters from a web session, then places them in separate columns in the CSV file that contains the lists of your Customers.

UTM parameters are additional strings that complement a URL. The additional information specifies where the traffic of your sales leads is coming from.

This is one example of a URL that contains UTM parameters (in bold text): https://thebread.life/?utm_source=help_center&utm_medium=help_guide&utm_campaign=utm_article

When a user starts a web session with the link above and eventually places an order, we record the following information in the database:

  • UTM Source: help_center

  • UTM Medium: help_guide

  • UTM Term: N/A (The example doesn’t come from paid search ads)

  • UTM Content: N/A (The example links to the main page, not a piece of content)

  • UTM Campaign: utm_article

  • Referrer: https://help.uscreen.tv/ (This is the webpage where the visitor would come from)

NOTE: UTM parameters are saved in a web cookie; therefore, if a visitor navigates through your storefront before placing an order, the information will still be added.

Troubleshooting:

  • The web cookie created is a session cookie: it is deleted when the user finishes the web session. The customer may open a new web session, without using the link that contains the UTM parameters. In that case, the information won’t be populated in the database. The UTM parameter fields will be empty.

  • If UTM parameters are not used at all, the fields in the database and report will be empty as well.

  • If there are typos in the URL keys, that information will be lost, even if other keys are being tracked correctly.

  • When you use URL shorteners, make sure it redirects to the target page with the UTM parameters added to the end of the target website URL.
    Always test short links before sending your campaign.

  • The use of lowercase is suggested. UTM tags are case-sensitive.

  • utm_term must only be used for paid search to note the keyword being targeted. Leave it blank, instead, you must link your AdWords and Analytics accounts and enable the auto-tagging feature.

  • UTM data aren’t always perfect. Users can copy links and share them on other platforms, which can impact the quality of the metrics. Allow some room for error.

Supported Parameters

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