How To Implement UTM Tracking In Marketo

A UTM parameter is a string of text added to the end of a URL to track various metrics of website traffic. There are 5 main parameters:

1. Source (utm_source) identifies the specific source of the traffic, such as a search engine, social media platform, newsletter, or website. For example, if the traffic is coming from Google, the utm_source parameter would be set to ‘google’.

2. Medium (utm_medium) specifies the marketing medium or channel that generated the traffic, such as organic search, paid search, email, or social media. For instance, if the traffic is from a paid (Cost Per Click) Google Ads campaign, the utm_medium parameter would be set to ‘cpc’.

3. Campaign (utm_campaign) identifies the overall marketing campaign associated with the URL. It’s used to distinguish between different campaigns, promotions, or initiatives. For example, if the URL is part of a summer sale campaign, the utm_campaign parameter could be set to ‘summer_sale’.

4. Content (utm_content) differentiates between different assets within the same campaign. It’s often used for A/B testing or tracking specific ads. For instance, if you’re running multiple banner ads as part of the same campaign, you could use the utm_content parameter to distinguish between them, e.g. ‘banner_ad1’, ‘banner_ad2’, and so on.

5. Term (utm_term) is used for tracking keywords in paid search campaigns. It specifies the keyword that triggered the ad click. For example, in a Google Ads campaign, the utm_term parameter might contain the keyword ‘football+boots’.

UTM parameters are used to track performance across all digital marketing activities. They enable marketers to attribute the correct recognition to the impact of each activity. By analyzing UTM parameters in web analytics tools like Google Analytics, marketers can surface actionable insights, such as which campaigns are driving the most web traffic.

Take this example. Imagine your data reveals large volumes of unknown traffic coming from LinkedIn. To capitalize on this channel, you might post more frequently or invest in paid campaigns.

UTMs can also help with budget distribution. In Marketo, you can track the revenue generated by different assets or campaigns and use that information to inform where future budget is spent.

Do a discovery session

Before you get started with UTMs, do a discovery session to unpack and understand everything about your data, including which UTM parameters your team will be using.

Develop a culture around UTMs

UTMs are only valuable to your business if everyone on the marketing team is using them. If they don’t, you won’t have the complete picture, which can impact decision-making at every level.

Set up trigger campaigns

Once you’ve set up UTMs in Marketo, it’s possible to set up trigger campaigns based on UTM data. For instance, if the parameter ‘medium’ is Instagram, then it can be set to automatically trigger an email building on that interaction.

Create Smart Lists and reports

It’s also possible to add UTMs to Smart Lists and reports to visualize data about your marketing efforts in a way that can be easily understood by your management team.

Add your own UTM parameters

You’re not restricted to those five parameters. You can develop custom parameters to track and report on other aspects of your marketing. For instance, you could add a date UTM to capture when an email is read.

Use hidden fields in forms

Users might arrive at your website via a URL with UTMs, but what if they navigate away from it? With hidden fields – typically in forms – you can set up Marketo to retrieve the UTM from the cookie instead of the URL.