How To Track Your Marketing with UTM Links

Discover link tracking with UTMs, how to use them, and connect you to our link generator, so you can easily create them yourself.

What are UTM Links?

If you’re browsing the internet and see a link that looks like this: 

https://www.mybusiness.co.uk/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=promo2023

That's a UTM link.
 

So, what does UTM stand for?
 

For marketing people, UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. And while it sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, it’s actually an easy way to keep track of how effective your marketing efforts are.

A UTM link is a regular website link with a bit of extra code – called UTM parameters – added on. This code tells your website analytics software where the traffic is coming from and what campaign it's connected to.

For example, let’s say you’re sending an email to your customers. Rather than putting a simple link in your newsletter, add a UTM link. This creates a specific, trackable link, so that you can see how many visitors you’ve had specifically from that one email, versus how many have just happened to find you.

In our UTM code example above, the UTM parameters are everything after the question mark. The "utm_source=instagram” part tells your analytics software the traffic is coming from your Instagram account. The "utm_medium=social" part tells it the channel is social media, and the "utm_campaign=promo" part tells it that it's associated with your ‘Promo 2023’ marketing campaign.

Where are the best places to use UTM link tracking?

The short answer? Anywhere you're sharing a link promoting your website, such as:

• Social media

Whether you're promoting a new product or sharing a blog post, a UTM link tracks your social media traffic. You can see which platforms are driving the most traffic to your website and adjust your strategy to match. It’s also a good idea to include UTM links in your ‘Link in Bio’ on various social media.

• Email newsletters

If you're sending out regular email newsletters, use UTM link tracking in your call-to-action buttons to reveal which ones are attracting people to your website – and which aren’t.

• Paid advertising

When paying for ads, we all want the best returns. A UTM link will allow you to track exactly where your clicks, conversions and revenue are coming from. This way, you can see where to spend more time and money.

 
How do I create and track my UTM links? 

There are a variety of free and paid-for analytic tools to help you. Some of the most well-known include UTM tracking Google Analytics, Bitly, and Hootsuite.
Here's how it works:

• How to create UTM links

Before you can track your UTM link, you need to create it. Why not download this UTM link builder below and have a go? Just enter the campaign name, source, and medium to generate your unique link. It’s important to be as specific as possible when describing your campaign name. For example, name it ‘instagram-story-1-january-2023’ rather than ‘instagram-2023’. This will help you identify exactly which post the traffic came from.

• How to use UTM links

Start using your link in your marketing campaigns. Make sure you use it consistently across all platforms, so you can accurately track your traffic and engagement.

• Track your UTM link

Use your chosen analytic tool for insights like the number of clicks on a link, where your traffic is coming from, and how much revenue is rolling in.

• Analyse your results

Once you've tracked your UTM link over time, analyse the results. Look for patterns and trends in your traffic and engagement and use that information to make smarter decisions about your marketing strategy.

Build your own UTM links with this downloadable UTM link generator template

• Simply choose your medium and source from the drop down menu

• Add your business’ usual URL

• Watch as it generates your new UTM link, ready to copy and paste

You can also add your own mediums and sources if you don’t see them in the dropdown.

• Click the ‘edit’ button at the foot of each dropdown

• Add your choices to the list in the second tab of the document

• Edit the Data Validation to amend the drop-down lists by selecting the cells you added

For more support on UTM parameters, UTM links or free 1-2-1 business advice, you can also speak to one of our V-Hub Digital Advisers.