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Email Marketing UTM Tagging Process & Best Practices

This standard operating procedure (SOP) is designed to provide a systematic approach to the utilization of UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) tags in email marketing within our marketing agency.

The effectiveness of email marketing campaigns is not just measured by the number of emails sent or opened, but more importantly, by how much engagement and conversion they generate. To accurately track these parameters, we need a reliable and consistent system. That’s where UTM tags come in.

UTM tags are simple code snippets added to the end of a URL, helping marketers track the performance of campaigns and content. They allow us to gather data about our website traffic and understand where exactly it’s coming from. This data, in turn, enables us to assess the effectiveness of our email marketing efforts and guide future strategies based on actionable insights.

However, the full potential of UTM tags can only be realized if they are used correctly and consistently. This document outlines our agency’s standard procedure for when, how, and why to use UTM tags in our email marketing campaigns. This will include the creation, implementation, and analysis of these tags to ensure we accurately capture and interpret our campaign data.

By following this SOP, we aim to bring consistency to our tracking process, allowing us to improve the strategic decision-making process, optimize our marketing efforts, and ultimately deliver better results for our clients. Whether you are a seasoned marketer or new to the concept of UTM tags, this document will serve as a comprehensive guide for all team members.

It is our hope that this SOP not only brings clarity and efficiency to our email marketing processes but also helps to foster a data-driven culture within our agency. By leveraging the power of UTM tags, we can more effectively gauge our marketing initiatives, ultimately leading to greater client satisfaction and success.

Essential UTM Tagging Practices for Email Marketing #

After having understood the importance of UTM tagging in email marketing, it’s crucial to implement these best practices within our operations. Understanding the UTM source and UTM campaign parameters is crucial for setting up effective email marketing tracking. Below are the “must-do” activities that should be part of every email marketing campaign we launch.

  1. Uniform UTM Medium Tagging: The UTM medium parameter is used to identify the channel through which visitors are arriving at our content. In the case of our email campaigns, all emails must be tagged with ‘utm_medium=email’. This will enable us to filter all traffic that arrives from our email marketing efforts.
  2. Lowercase and No Space Format: When inputting the UTM tags, always use lowercase and do not leave any space in between words. Our analytics tools are case sensitive, which means ’email’ and ‘Email’ would be treated as different mediums. To ensure consistency and to prevent confusion during the data analysis stage, always use lowercase. Therefore, the appropriate tag is ‘utm_medium=email’, not ‘utm_medium=Email’ or ‘utm_medium= EMail’.
  3. UTM Source: The UTM source parameter identifies the platform or tool that is driving the traffic. In our case, it can be the email marketing software we are using to send out the emails. For example, if we are using Mailchimp for a particular campaign, the UTM source would be ‘utm_source=mailchimp’. This parameter allows us to isolate and analyze the traffic coming specifically from our Mailchimp-sent emails.
  4. UTM Campaign: The UTM campaign parameter is used to identify the specific campaign driving the traffic. Each campaign should have a unique and clear name, making it easier to differentiate it from others during the analysis stage. It is also highly recommended to include the month/year or date in the UTM campaign parameter. For instance, if we are running a summer sale campaign in July 2023, an appropriate UTM campaign parameter might look like ‘utm_campaign=summer_sale_july2023’. This way, we can easily track the performance of this specific campaign and compare it with others conducted at different times.
  5. Link Tagging: All the links embedded in our email, whether they’re leading to an article, a product, or any other location, must be tagged with UTM parameters. This includes call-to-action buttons, hyperlinked text, or other embedded links. Every individual link is a potential route for traffic, and missing a UTM tag means missing out on valuable data about where our traffic is coming from.
  6. Image Linking: Ensure that every image within the email, including the logo and header image, is linked and tagged with UTM parameters. Users often click on images, expecting them to lead to relevant content, so unlinked images represent missed opportunities for traffic and data collection.

By following these “must-do” activities, we will ensure a robust, consistent, and data-informed approach to our email marketing campaigns. This, in turn, will allow us to make more informed decisions, optimize our marketing strategy, and provide the best service to our clients.

Following these guidelines will ensure our UTM tagging is clear, consistent, and easily analyzable. Remember, the goal is to capture data that will allow us to make informed decisions about our marketing strategy, and that starts with properly setting up our UTM parameters. Always double-check to ensure that the UTM source accurately reflects the email sending platform, and that the UTM campaign is uniquely and descriptively named, including the date for additional clarity.

Example UTM Tags #

These examples will follow the discussed format for UTM tagging, including utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign parameters.

Suppose we’re sending out an email campaign through Mailchimp for a summer sale in July 2023. The tagged URLs might look like the following:

  1. For a link leading to the general page showcasing all your vacation homes: https://stayexample.com/vacation-homes/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale_july2023
  2. For a link leading to a specific vacation rental home page (let’s say for a home named “Beach Bungalow”): https://stayexample.com/vacation-homes/beach-bungalow/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale_july2023
  3. For a link attached to an image of a vacation rental home in your email: https://stayexample.com/vacation-homes/mountain-cottage/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale_july2023

Remember, each unique link in your email needs to be tagged individually. This allows us to see which specific links are driving traffic and conversions, helping us optimize our future email design and content strategy.

Also, be aware that while UTM tags are incredibly useful, they do make URLs visibly longer. Using URL shortening services or hyperlinking text or images can make for a cleaner visual appearance while preserving the UTM tracking functionality.

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