Marketing strategies use online press release as one of the most important tools in connecting with a number of media outlets and journalists who further help expand the credibility of a brand or company. The backlinks to the website of the company associated with the campaign are generated this way. The link to the website within the press release redirects audiences to visit the portal. However, although this is the technical line of flow of digital marketing functionalities there should also be data or analytics that prove the press release’s functional importance as a medium in pushing audiences to the website. A press release might contain multiple links but to determine the unique one that performs is best requires the indispensable functional involvement of urchin Tracking Module or UTM.
UTM Codes
Google’s 2005 merger with Urchin Software Corporation paved the framework of the modern-day Google Analytics that is used extensively across companies, businesses, and verticals. Google Analytics has taken monitoring of online engagement and website traffic to another level of technical and functional convenience. UTM codes help track the performance in a digital campaign. The simple code is used to generate unique URLs for the website and tags the information of the user who has clicked the link.
Including UTM in a Press Release
Digital campaigners allow the insertion of anchor text links in an online press release. These anchor texts, professionally called ‘keywords’ are underlined words that are clickable and redirect users to specific webpages. Choosing the right keywords as anchor text is very crucial because the UTM of a page within the website only classifies as traceable. Be wary of the keyword because if the keyword links to a different website than yours, the clicks on this particular link cannot be traced since the primary URL belongs to the other website.
Different Parts of UTM
A UTM comprises of four main parameters or components.
Campaign- Naming a campaign is a subjective area altogether but generally, naming it the title of the content that is being linked through it is the wisest. Say, for example, a blog about hairstyles is being linked here, simply name the campaign ‘Hairstyle Blog’, mostly for easy understanding and convenience.
Source - The source is from where the traffic is being generated and can be categorized into a broad area.
Medium- In simple words, it means the ‘medium’ through which the traffic reached a certain website. A medium generally branches out from the Source. In a press release, the medium could be simply, ‘pr’.
Content- Content is no longer a mandatory parameter of a UTM but can be useful in differentiating similar sources. For instance, if press releases are published by a company frequently, the name of the ‘Content’ should vary from other similar releases. The name can be anything, as long as it is easily decipherable and convenient.
UTM has become an indispensable tool in the collective spectrum of digital marketing campaigns. The value they bring in enables companies and campaigners to avail of their functional importance time and again. For companies who frequently published content and blogs, a strategic UTM naming convention might be adopted to make the whole process much more systematic and organized.
Generating a UTM
UTM generation is processed by Google with the help of Campaign URL Builder. Naming strategies can be followed by campaigners and after filling the various parameters in the campaign information sheet, a UTM will be generated instantly through internal algorithms.
Inserting the Generated UTM in the Press Release
Now is the time to identify the keywords or anchor texts of the press release. Fill in the anchor text and UTM link text boxes while uploading the press release on the website of your marketing service provider. That is all you have to do to generate a unique UTM for your website. One thing that must be remembered here is that if the same campaign is being linked with other media, unique UTMs must be generated every single time with the change in Source and Medium. By doing so, identifying which link within the press release is performing the best and which platform or media is generating maximum clicks against your campaigns become easy.
Interpretation of Statistics Generated by UTM Codes
Checking the statistics on your Google Analytics Account is very easy. Just go on the left-hand sidebar, click on Acquisition, Campaigns, and then, All Campaigns. You will be shown a number of rows designated for each campaign. You will be able to see a summary of the number of clicks against each campaign irrespective of Source and Medium along with other important statistics like user behavior ion your website. By clicking on individual campaigns, you will be able to see in-depth information about Source and Medium.
These insights are extremely valuable in determining the success of not just the campaign but also the future of the company. UTMs have changed the course of digital marketing and what we have today has helped pave the path of better prospects and pursuits in the scope of businesses.
