Marketing can be complex, but measuring its effectiveness doesn’t have to be. UTM codes are your answer to understanding what’s working and what’s not in your campaigns and, more importantly, to pinpoint which campaigns are doing the heavy lifting. This is where UTM codes come into play, offering a simple solution to the challenge of marketing success. So, let’s break it down:
What are UTM codes?
UTM codes are essentially strings of text that are added to URLs. These strings contain specific parameters that provide invaluable information about the source, medium, and campaign that led a user to a particular webpage. In other words, UTM parameters act as data markers, offering a clearer view of the user’s journey, from the initial interaction to conversion.
Here’s a breakdown of the key UTM parameters:
Source:
This parameter specifies the origin of your traffic. Is it coming from an email, a social media platform, a search engine, or another source? Accurately tagging the source helps you identify which channels are driving the most traffic.
Medium:
The medium parameter describes the type of marketing medium used. It could be an email, social, organic search, paid search, or any other medium relevant to your campaign. Categorizing your traffic in this way allows you to determine which marketing avenues are the most effective.
Campaign:
The campaign parameter enables you to track a specific marketing campaign or initiative. Whether it’s a product launch, a seasonal promotion, or an event, this parameter helps you differentiate between different efforts within the same source and medium.
Term (optional):
This parameter is often used for paid search campaigns to identify the keywords that triggered the ad click. It’s an optional parameter and is mainly relevant to search engine advertising.
Content (optional):
Another optional parameter, content can be used to differentiate between different elements of your marketing efforts, such as different ad variations or links within the same campaign.
Understand with an example:
Let’s create an example URL with UTM parameters added.
Original URL:
https://www.example.com/product-page
Now, let’s add UTM parameters to track the source, medium, and campaign:
Source: Let’s say the traffic is coming from an email newsletter.
Medium: The marketing medium is email.
Campaign: It’s part of a campaign called “SummerPromo.”
With these UTM parameters added, you can track that anyone who clicks on this URL is coming from the source “email,” through the medium “email,” and as part of the “SummerPromo” campaign. This allows you to monitor the performance of this specific link in your marketing efforts.
Creating UTM tracking codes is a pivotal part of monitoring the performance of your online marketing efforts. While it’s technically possible to manually create these codes by adding specific strings to your URLs, it can be complex and time-consuming, especially when you have to manage them at scale. This is where UTM code generators come into play, making the process much more efficient.
Google Analytics URL builder:
Google Analytics offers a straightforward UTM code generator, which has become the go-to choice for many businesses. Here’s how you can use it:
Fill in the required fields for your campaign: the URL of the landing page, source, medium, campaign, term (optional), and content (optional).
Click “Generate URL,” and Google will create the UTM-coded URL for you.
Replug – A convenient alternative:
Replug is another powerful tool for UTM code creation, and here’s why it’s worth considering:
Automatic UTM code generation:
Replug automates the UTM code creation process, saving you the trouble of manual entry. This means you can gather valuable analytics data as soon as your campaign goes live.
Shortened and customized URLs:
UTM-coded URLs can become quite lengthy, which can be a problem on platforms like Instagram or when users need to copy and paste links. Replug shortens and customizes these URLs, making them more elegant and user-friendly.
For example, a long UTM-coded URL might look like this:
While UTM codes are a solid foundation for analyzing marketing performance, they have limitations. Replug offers an enhanced solution called Campaigns, providing in-depth insights and a more hassle-free tracking experience, especially when managing multiple campaigns across various marketing channels.
Link Management Made Easy
Your go to link management tool for CTAs, branded and bio links, QR Codes, tracking and retargeting.
UTM codes are a fundamental tool for tracking the success of your brand campaigns, links, and platforms. They provide valuable data, but those unwieldy, lengthy links can be a drawback. As your marketing endeavors become more intricate, it’s essential to adopt a system that offers both enhanced power and efficiency.
This is where Replug steps in as the ideal solution. Replug not only helps you track traffic effectively, even in the most complex marketing landscapes, but it also simplifies the process. With Replug, you obtain concise, stylish links that seamlessly fit into any context. Moreover, it offers an analytics tool that’s user-friendly and excels at managing multichannel marketing campaigns.
In essence, Replug empowers you to elevate your brand’s performance, making tracking and managing your marketing efforts a smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more successful process.
FAQs
What are UTM codes?
UTM codes are tracking parameters added to URLs to measure marketing performance. They’re vital for data-driven decision-making and proving campaign success.
How do I create UTM codes for my campaigns?
You can create UTM codes manually, but it’s easier and error-free to use online UTM code generators like Google’s Campaign URL Builder or Replug’s UTM code builder.
What is Replug, and how does it work for link tracking?
Bitly is a URL shortening and link management platform that not only shortens links for sharing but also provides link tracking and analytics to measure click-through rates and engagement.
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
Tracking URLs are special web links that help you track where your website visitors come from, especially when they click on links from your marketing efforts.
These URLs contain additional information that gets recorded, helping you understand which marketing campaigns are working and where your traffic is coming from.
If you’re running email campaigns, online ads, or any kind of promotions, tracking URLs, along with a reliable link tracking tool, are a practical way to measure their impact and make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and use tracking URLs effectively to improve your marketing game. Let’s dive in!
What is a tracking URL?
A tracking URL is a web link that has been modified with additional parameters or tags to collect specific data about user interactions with it. When a user clicks on a tracking link, the attached parameters are sent to analytics tools or marketing platforms, allowing businesses to monitor and analyze various aspects of user engagement, such as the source of traffic, the success of different marketing channels, and the performance of specific campaigns.
Tracking URLs plays a crucial role in helping businesses make data-driven decisions to optimize their online marketing strategies.
What are tracking parameters?
Tracking parameters are specific pieces of information added to a URL to collect data about user interactions with that URL. These parameters help in tracking and analyzing various aspects of user behavior, especially in the context of digital marketing and web analytics. Common tracking parameters include:
Source: Indicates where the traffic is coming from. For example, a source parameter might specify whether the traffic is from an email newsletter, a social media post, or a paid advertisement.
Medium: Specifies the type of traffic source within the broader category. For instance, under the source “social,” the medium parameter might differentiate between traffic from Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Campaign: Identifies the specific marketing campaign associated with the URL. This helps in tracking the performance of individual campaigns, such as a holiday sale or a product launch.
Term: Commonly used in search engine marketing, it provides details about the keywords or search terms that led to the click on the URL.
Content: Differentiates between different versions or content variations of the same URL. This can be helpful when conducting A/B testing or tracking the performance of different ad creatives.
UTM Parameters:UTMs (Urchin Tracking Module) are a standardized way of implementing tracking parameters. They include utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content, making it easier to work with tracking data across various platforms.
How to create a tracking URL using Replug?
To create a tracking URL using Replug, follow these steps:
Step 1: Sign In or create an account
If you don’t have a Replug account, sign up for free or log in to your existing account.
Step 2: Choose or create a campaign
From the main dashboard, select your existing campaign or create a new one. This is where you’ll organize your tracking URLs.
Step 3: Enter the destination URL
In the campaign settings, locate the “URL to shorten” section below the “Select your campaign” option. Enter the destination URL that you want to track.
Step 4: Add UTM parameters
On the right side of the “URL to shorten” section, you’ll find the “add UTM” tag. Click on it.
You have the option to either select from saved UTM parameters or create a new one. If creating a new one, fill in the UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign name, etc.) as needed, and then click Apply.
Step 6: Generate the tracking URL
After adding or selecting UTM parameters, click the “Create” button. Replug will generate a shortened version of your URL with the appended UTM parameters.
Step 7: Customize the tracking URL
If desired, click the edit icon to customize the UTM parameters URL further.
Step 8: Copy and update
Copy the generated tracking URL, and click the “Update” button to save your changes.
Step 9: Access your tracking URL
To access the newly created tracking URL and monitor its performance, go to the main dashboard, click “Manage,” and then select “Replug links.”
Link Management Made Easy
Your go to link management tool for CTAs, branded and bio links, QR Codes, tracking and retargeting.
Replug not only helps you create and manage tracking URLs with ease but also provides robust link analytics capabilities to help you track and measure the performance of your links. Here’s how you can leverage Replug’s link analytics features:
Click-through rates (CTR): Replug offers detailed insights into the CTR of your tracking URLs. You can see how many times your links were clicked, helping you gauge the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
Traffic sources: Discover where your traffic is coming from. Replug’s link analytics will show you the sources of your clicks, whether they originate from social media, email campaigns, paid ads, or other channels.
Geographic data: Gain a better understanding of your audience by accessing geographic data. Replug can provide information about the locations of your link clicks, helping you tailor your campaigns to specific regions.
Device and platform insights: Replug’s analytics can tell you which devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) and platforms (iOS, Android, Windows) your audience is using to access your links. This knowledge is valuable for optimizing your content for different devices.
Time-based analytics: Replug allows you to analyze link performance over time. You can track daily, weekly, or monthly trends, helping you identify when your links are most effective.
Conversion tracking: For those interested in conversions, Replug may offer features to track specific actions taken by users after clicking on your links, such as form submissions, downloads, or purchases.
A/B testing: Some advanced features may include A/B testing capabilities, allowing you to compare the performance of different link variations to optimize your marketing efforts further.
By using Replug’s link analytics, you can gather actionable insights into your marketing campaigns, understand your audience better, and make data-driven decisions to improve your overall online strategy.
FAQs
What’s a tracking URL and why is it important in marketing?
A tracking URL is a web link with added information to monitor user interactions. It’s crucial in marketing to track and analyze campaign performance and understand where website traffic is coming from.
How do I create tracking URLs for campaign performance monitoring?
You can create tracking URLs by adding parameters to a regular URL. This is typically done through tracking tools or by manually including parameters like source, medium, and campaign name.
What goes into a tracking URL, and how does it function?
A tracking URL contains parameters (e.g., source, medium, campaign) that provide data about user interactions. When users click on the URL, these parameters are sent to analytics tools, helping track traffic sources and campaign effectiveness.
Arslan Jadoon
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
Are you tired of casting a wide net with your marketing efforts and not seeing the results you want? It’s time to hone in on your target audience with the power of custom audience building. By using tracking URLs, you can gather valuable data on your website visitors and create tailored campaigns that resonate with their interests and behaviors.
Have you ever noticed that a website you visited the other day starts to show you ads on Facebook?
I’m sure it has happened to you because we have all been there. In the beginning, I was fascinated to see the Facebook ads for the products I was checking out earlier.
You might also want to know what the heck is going on. So let me briefly tell you what’s happening here. When you visit a website, the website tracks your footprints and reaches out to you via online ads, and it’s called retargeting.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to build a custom audience by tracking URLs and taking your marketing efforts to the next level. Get ready to connect with your audience in a whole new way!
Before I dig deeper into the custom audience building and tracking URL, I must highlight the jargon I’m going to be using in the article. So here are the things you may come across as you keep scrolling through the article:
URL tracking: A system to track link clickability is known as URL tracking.
Pixel code: A code snippet from social media platforms that goes into the source for retargeting.
Lead generation: An action of a trial account sign-up or demo request by a prospective customer is called lead generation.
Retargeting campaigns: A campaign to reach out to the audience that has been to your website before and win them back.
Email list: A list of subscribers who opted for receiving your email newsletters.
Before we dive into learning how to build a custom audience, you should know what exactly a custom audience is.
A group of audience that has visited your website before and becomes reachable through online advertising across multiple social media and ad networks is known as a custom audience.
The custom audience is primarily built to retarget the audience through online advertising. The process begins with getting a pixel code from the social media platform and placing it into the website source code.
Once a visitor lands on the website or landing page (where the pixel code exists), it enters into the custom audience and becomes reachable through a retargeting ad campaign.
Now you know what a custom audience is, so let’s take it further.
What is URL tracking?
URL tracking is a process of adding unique parameters to a URL to track user engagement and activity. This enables businesses and marketers to gather data on how users are interacting with their online content and marketing campaigns. By analyzing the data from URL tracking, businesses can optimize their online strategies and improve their return on investment (ROI).
What is UTM in social media?
UTM stands for “Urchin Tracking Module,” which is a code that is added to the end of a URL to track the effectiveness of a social media campaign. UTM parameters are used to help marketers understand how users are interacting with their content and which social media channels are driving traffic to their websites.
UTM parameters can be added to any link shared on social media, including posts, ads, and direct messages. By adding UTM parameters to these links, marketers can track how many people clicked on the link, which social media platform they were on when they clicked the link and other important data points. This information can be used to optimize social media campaigns and improve their overall effectiveness.
A UTM parameter is a referral traffic tracking system that adds a slug in the URL to make it easier for marketers and businesses to track website traffic sources and tracking URLs. This process comes in handy for websites and blogs to measure outcomes such as click-through rate, lead generation, and conversion rate.
Replug: An all-in-one URL Shortener Tool
Replug is an excellent link management tool for branded URL shortening, adding retargeting pixels, embedding call-to-actions, and creating social media bio-links.
It isn’t any ordinary URL shortener tool, instead, it’s equipped with several marketing tools under the same umbrella.
Besides URL shortening, if you have been trying to bring website visitors to your website through social media, Replug can come in handy in generating trackable short URLs. This URL Generator can bring 2x leads with retargeting.
Not only does it provide the URL shortening service, but it also gives you clickability analytics, meaning when a visitor clicks on your branded short link, you can track it using Replug.
If you have been using social media for a while, you may have come across people who can’t figure social media out. Whereas, on the other hand, some users keep crushing it with social media. They constantly share their content as well as share others’ content to spice things up.
When a user shares others’ content, it often starts the conversation and that’s how the engagement begins.
A URL shortener like Replug could be a great resource when you want to track the clicks on your social media posts.
You might wonder why sharing others’ content doesn’t bring eyeballs to our website. What if I told you that you can now share others’ content and still bring visitors to your website? That’s where Replug comes in. Read this guide on using branded short URLs for marketing.
Furthermore, you can generate a custom audience through the tracking URL capability of Replug tool. Let’s shed some light on how you can do this:
How to Build a Custom Audience through URL Tracking
Now you may have some idea about custom audience and link tracking. So without any further ado, let’s get to the cream of this blog post.
There are two ways to build a custom audience through URL trackers using Replug. Let’s take a look at both ways of building a custom audience through link tracking:
Replug is an all-in-one URL shortener that takes your digital marketing to the next level. The tool is an effective URL tracker for building a custom audience.
To get started with opt-in forms methods, follow the below-mentioned steps:
Login to your Replug account and click on the drop-down called Manage. Then choose the Campaigns option from the down-down menu.
Now click on the New Campaign since we’re going to create a fresh campaign.
Once you land on the next page, choose the brand you have created in the Replug or you can go for creating a new brand if you haven’t already created one.
After choosing the brand, the next up is the campaign creation process.
Name your campaign and skip the custom URL option if you haven’t added a short, custom domain to your brand.
Choose between call-to-action and 3rd-party/custom widgets.
When you pick the call-to-action (CTA) option, you’ll come across three options to choose from:
Button
It’s a call-to-action button underneath a headline on the popup. The purpose of a CTA button is to push people to click through and enter into the funnel or lead generation process.
Link
A link option gives you a headline, description, and text-based link. It’s more of a hyperlink-based call-to-action button written underneath some text.
Form
The form provides you with an opt-in popup that would enable you to collect leads. This feature performs best during building a custom audience.
These were three options available in the call-to-action feature.
However, if you choose the 3rd-party/custom widget option, it would let you select between the already created custom widget from the drop-down menu and create a custom widget.
To create a custom widget, you’d need to paste a 3rd-party widget code into it to proceed.
So that’s how you can use the opt-in forms for building a custom audience through tracking URLs.
The second way to build a custom audience is by using retargeting pixels. Replug allows you to retarget the audience across several social media platforms, such as Facebook, Quora, Linked In, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Follow the steps below to start retargeting by tracking the URL:
To start a retargeting campaign using Replug, go to Manage and then click on Campaigns.
Add a new campaign just like you did in method 1.
Choose the brand (or build if you haven’t already built one) to get going.
Name the campaign in the next step, and choose or add a custom domain to your campaign if you need to.
Don’t forget to select the campaign type underneath the campaign name and custom domain. Choose the Retargeting Pixel at this step.
Right after choosing the retargeting pixel option, you’d have to choose between a Call-to-Action (CTA) and 3rd-party/Custom Widgets.
If you choose the CTA option, it’ll provide you with the same three options:
Button
Link
Form
The snippet preview would appear at the bottom; you could choose the button or link as a CTA option. However, if you choose the form option, it’ll provide you with a lead collection feature.
It means you could connect your campaign with the email list to collect email addresses in your email marketing software.
However, if you choose the 3rd-party/custom widget option right after selecting the retargeting pixel option, you could target the audience that click-through the CTAs through several social media advertising platforms.
You can pick either Facebook, Quora, Linked In, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Once you go ahead with the social media platform selection, you’d need to name your script and provide the pixel ID from the respective social media platform.
For instance, if you’ve chosen Facebook in your retargeting campaign, you should go to Ads Manager in your Facebook account.
Then, click on the Event Manager to get the Pixel ID of your Facebook ad account.
Once you’re done with providing the details, add the retargeting pixel and save the campaign.
Also, remember that creating a campaign is half the equation. The other half is using the campaign to generate leads or bring visitors back to your website.
Example: A retargeting Facebook Ad for the COIN app
I want to show you an example of how fascinating building a custom audience or retargeting visitors is.
I have been checking out the Coin App website on my phone – it’s a company that rewards for providing GPS data through their app.
The next day, I came across their Facebook ad when I was scrolling through my Facebook feed.
What it means is that they’re using the Facebook retargeting ad campaign to reach out to the website visitors and trying to bring them back to their website using retargeting ads.
That’s the power of retargeting and targeting a specific audience instead of showcasing ads to everyone out there.
Why you should know about building a custom audience
Have you ever wondered why you should pay attention to building a custom audience in the first place? Here are some of the key reasons why you should think twice before ignoring building a custom audience:
Sift-through the crowd
It’s a bit hard to discover the audience that might be interested in your product or service. When you try to reach out to the audience through online advertising or content marketing with no filters on it, you’re likely to stumble upon everyone – even those who aren’t relevant to your business.
Therefore, building a custom audience helps you sift through the population and helps you reach the segment that could potentially be interested in your message.
Look-alike audience
A look-alike audience is a similar audience to your existing customers, and you identify them through their demographics, behaviors, and choices. It’s a lot easier to engage or sell to a look-alike audience than to a random audience.
When you put in the work in building a custom audience, the chances are, you could bring in a look-alike audience on board.
Easier to reach out
You must have some idea by now that it’s a bit challenging when targeting a generic audience. Sure the ad platforms have several features that shape your campaign and improve your targeting but it’s always difficult to reach out to a newer audience than to a familiar audience.
Therefore, the custom audience solution comes to the rescue in this situation. Retargeting is a way to go when you want to reach out to a custom audience. The top social networks and ad platforms such as Google, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Quora, and Twitter allow you to retarget the audience.
Improves the conversion rate
When you’re targeting a custom audience and sending a message across, it’s mostly well-received on the receiving end because of the connection.
Have you had a chance that you visited a website and the same website’s ad shows up on other sites? The reason is that the advertiser is targeting visitors who have visited the website before.
Most prospective customers want to check out the product they already know about or are familiar with. Therefore, many online advertisers run retargeting ad campaigns to the custom audience when they’re offering huge discounts. This way, they get a better conversion rate.
What are your thoughts on building a custom audience through tracking URLs?
We’ve explained the custom audience and URL tracking so that you could make them a part of your marketing arsenal. Plus, I discussed how you can start building a custom audience through tracking links with Replug tool.
Most of us use short URLs while sharing content on social media so that the links don’t look long and unattractive. No wonder it’s surprising that you could build a custom audience through link tracking using Replug– URL Shortener.
I’d be thrilled to find out your thoughts on building a custom audience through URL trackers. Would you consider trying this strategy out?
Let us know in the comments section or through our social media channels.
FAQs
How do I get a tracking URL?
Follow these steps to create a tracking URL:
Copy the URL that you want to track from your website, social media account, or any other location.
Go to the Replug website and paste the URL into the text box provided on the main dashboard.
Click on the “Create” button to generate a shortened URL with tracking capabilities.
Replug allows you to track clicks and other engagement metrics for the URL you’ve created, giving you valuable insights into how people are interacting with your content. You can also customize your tracking link to make it more memorable or to convey additional information about the content it points to.
How do I create a Google tracking URL?
To create a Google tracking URL:
Go to the Google Analytics URL Builder tool.
Fill in the required fields with relevant information, including website URL, campaign source, medium, term, and content.
Click “Generate URL” to create a unique tracking URL.
Copy the generated tracking URL and use it in your marketing materials.
Google tracking URLs help track campaign effectiveness and audience interaction to optimize marketing efforts and improve ROI.
What is the difference between a custom audience and a lookalike audience?
A custom audience is a group of individuals who have already engaged with your brand, such as existing customers or website visitors. A lookalike audience is a group of individuals who share similar characteristics with your custom audience but have not yet engaged with your brand.
In short, a custom audience is made up of people who are already familiar with your brand, while a lookalike audience is made up of people who are similar to your existing audience but may not be familiar with your brand yet. Lookalike audiences are often used in advertising to expand a brand’s reach to new potential customers who share similar characteristics to their existing customer base.
Hassaan Khan is a freelance writer for SAAS companies, e-commerce stores, and niche websites. He has contributed to SEMrush, ThriveGlobal, BloggingCage, AllBloggingTips, and several other publications.
He builds niche websites, publishes e-books, and helps website investors with his done-for-you niche site-building service.
One common way to track clicks on a link is to use a link tracking service, providing you with a unique link that redirects to the intended destination. The link tracking service will record the number of clicks on the unique link and other data, such as the location of the clickers and the devices they use.
Another way is to use web analytics tools like Google Analytics that provide click-tracking functionality. By adding tracking codes to your links, you can see how many clicks they get and other information about the users who clicked them.
In this guide, we’ll look at “how to track clicks on a link using a link tracking service.” So let’s get started:
How to track clicks on a link using a link-tracking service?
Using a link-tracking service to track clicks on a link can help you optimize your marketing efforts and improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. By tracking the number of clicks on a link, you can identify which content is resonating with your audience and driving the most engagement.
You can use this information to create more content your audience finds interesting and relevant.
Introducing Replug: An all in one link tracking service
Replug allows businesses and marketers to create and track custom branded links, monitor click-through rates, and gain insights into their audience. With Replug, users can create unique tracking links, manage their link campaigns, and analyze traffic sources from a single dashboard.
Replug also offers a range of advanced features, including retargeting, link optimization, and custom domain names, to help businesses and marketers improve their brand recognition, increase conversions, and drive more engagement.
Link Management Made Easy
Your go to link management tool for CTAs, branded and bio links, QR Codes, tracking and retargeting.
Can I track clicks on links in emails and social media posts?
Yes, you can track clicks on links in emails and social media posts using Replug. Link-tracking services from Replug provide users with unique tracking links that can be used in email campaigns and social media posts.
When a user clicks on a tracking link, the link-tracking service records the click and provides data on the number of clicks, the source of the clicks, and the behavior of users after clicking the link. This information can be used to optimize marketing campaigns and improve the user experience.
How can I ensure the security of my tracking links?
Ensuring the security of your tracking links is an important consideration when using a link-tracking service. Here are a few ways to help ensure the security of your tracking links:
Choose a reputable link-tracking service: Select a link-tracking service with a good reputation and a track record of providing secure services.
Use HTTPS: Use HTTPS links instead of HTTP links to encrypt the transmitted data and ensure the links are secure.
Use authentication: Use authentication mechanisms such as passwords, tokens, or API keys to limit access to your tracking links.
Monitor for abuse: Monitor your tracking links for signs of abuse, such as click fraud or spam. If you notice any suspicious activity, take action to block or remove the offending links.
Keep your software up to date: Make sure that any software you use for tracking links is up to date and that you have applied any security patches or updates.
Train your staff: Educate your staff about the importance of link security and how to detect and prevent security threats.
By following these best practices, you can help ensure your tracking links are secure and your data and user privacy are protected.
Arslan Jadoon
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
Are you a TikTok creator or business looking to track the performance of your content on the platform? Understanding your analytics can help you create more effective and engaging content and optimize your TikTok marketing efforts.
This guide will show you how to check your TikTok analytics. Also, get the insights you need to succeed on TikTok. So let’s get started!
How to Check analytics on TikTok Through a mobile phone?
Step 1: Open the TikTok app on your mobile phone.
Step 2: Tap on the profile icon in the bottom right corner.
Step 3: Tap on three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
Step 4: Tap the creator tools menu to see the analytics.
Step 5: Tap the analytics menu on your mobile screen.
Step 6: You will now see the Analytics screen on your mobile device.
It’s worth noting that TikTok’s analytics may not be 100% accurate, as the platform uses algorithms to estimate specific metrics. However, the data should still give you a good overall idea of your content’s performance and how it compares to other content on the platform.
On TikTok, you can access analytics for your account by navigating to the Creator Studio. There are three main categories of analytics: Overview, Content, and Followers.
Overview: The Overview section provides information about your followers, video views, profile views, likes, and comments. Within this section, the Engagement tab lets you see metrics such as likes, comments, and shares for your videos within the chosen time frame.
Content: The Content tab offers more in-depth data and analytics for each video you post, including total views, total likes, comments, shares, average watch time, percentage of people watching the entire video, traffic source type (such as your profile or the For You feed), and audience territories. All content metrics are only available for the last seven days.
Followers: The Followers tab shows you insights about the community you’ve built on TikTok, including information about the locations of your followers and their activity times. You can also see your profile views and track changes in follower growth. If you have LIVE access, you can view analytics for your live streams in the LIV tab. This includes metrics like total views, new followers, total time, and diamonds earned.
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters are tags that you can add to the end of a URL to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. When someone clicks on a link with UTM parameters, they are sent back to Google Analytics, allowing you to see how many people clicked on the link and where they came from.
Several common UTM parameters are used to track marketing campaigns in Google Analytics:
utm_source: This parameter specifies the source of the traffic, such as “google,” “Facebook,” or “newsletter.”
utm_medium: This parameter specifies the medium through which the traffic was acquired, such as “CPC,” “banner,” or “email.”
utm_campaign: This parameter specifies the specific campaign that the traffic is associated with, such as “spring_sale” or “new_product_launch.”
utm_content: This parameter is used to differentiate between different versions of an ad or link, such as “banner_a” and “banner_b.”
utm_term: This parameter tracks the keywords used in paid search campaigns.
Step 8: Enter your URL, upload an image for the CTA, and click Next.
Step 9: You are now in the CTA message section.
Write your headline, message, and CTA button text.
Step 10: Enter the URL of your CTA in the last block, and this is the stage where you add UTM parameters to your link.Click add UTM to add UTM parameters.
Step 11: Now, the UTM section will open, where you can select from saved UTM parameters or create a new UTM preset.
Step 12: Click create a new UTM preset and fill in the sections you intended to cover in your CTA campaign.
Once finished filling in, click apply and move to the next step.
Step 13: As you can see, your URL now contains UTM parameters, so click next and finish setting up your CTA campaign.
You can now share the link, examine who clicked on your link, and more!
Let’s move towards method 2 of creating UTM with Replug.
Method 2:
Add UTMs while creating a Link:
Here’s how to add UTM parameters with Replug links.
Step 1: Sign in to Replug to access the main dashboard and select Replug links under the manage section.
Step 2: Click create new link in the Replug links section.
Step 3: To create a new link, you’ll need to select a campaign.
Note: Create a new campaign if you haven’t done so already.
Step 4: Enter the link to which you wish to add UTM parameters.
Step 5: Now click add UTM to add UTM parameters to your link.
Step 6: Click select from the saved UTM parameter or create a new UTM preset.
Step 7: Fill in the UTM parameters you want to track and click Apply.
Step 8: You will see UTM parameters at the end of your link; check them and click save.
Step 9: Your link will automatically shorten. Edit your link, copy it, and share it directly on given platforms or download your link as a QR code.
Enter the URL of the page you want to link to in the “Website URL” field.
In the “Campaign Source” field, enter the traffic source (e.g., Google, Facebook). This will be used to populate the utm_source parameter.
In the “Campaign Medium” field, enter the medium of the traffic (e.g. CPC, banner). This will be used to populate the utm_medium parameter.
In the “Campaign Name” field, enter a name for the campaign (e.g. summer_sale). This will be used to populate the utm_campaign parameter.
Click the “Generate URL” button to generate the campaign URL with the UTM parameters included.
You can then use this URL in your marketing campaigns, and the traffic from these campaigns will be tracked in Google Analytics using the UTM parameters you specified.
Can you add a UTM code to a QR code?
Yes, it is possible to add a UTM code to a QR code. A UTM code is a set of parameters that can be added to a URL to track the source, medium, and other marketing campaign details. By adding a UTM code to a QR code, you can track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and understand how visitors are interacting with your website through the QR code.
To add a UTM code to a QR code, you will need to create a URL with the UTM parameters included and then generate a QR code using that URL. There are several online QR code generators that allow you to create a QR code by entering a URL, such as QR Code Monkey or QR Code Generator.
Arslan Jadoon
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
Creating a call to action using a URL shortener can effectively drive conversions and encourage users to take a specific action. Using a URL shortener to create a call to action has a few key benefits.
First, it can make long and complex URLs easier to share and more visually to appeal. Sharing a link in a social media post or on a platform with limited space for long URLs can be beneficial.
Second, URL shorteners can help to track clicks on a link, which can help understand the effectiveness of your call to action.
Finally, URL shorteners can make creating custom and branded links easier, which can help build brand awareness and make your link more memorable.
How to create a call to action using Replug?
Use these simple steps to create a call to action that inspires users to take action that will benefit your business or organization.
Step 1: Sign in to Replug or create an account if you’re new.
Step 2: Go to the manage section on the main dashboard page and select campaign.
Step 3: Click on the “create new campaign” button in the campaign section.
Step 4: To create a new campaign, you must select a brand first. You may choose an existing brand or create a new one if not already been created.
Step 5: Click the next button once you’ve selected or created a brand.
Step 6: You will now see a page for choosing a campaign type. Choose a name for your call-to-action campaign here.
Step 7: Select the call to action option from the campaign type page and click the next button.
Step 8: Next, select your CTA type; here, we’ve selected a button CTA.
Step 9: After selecting the CTA type, you need to select the theme for your CTA. Your CTA’s appearance depends on your CTA’s purpose. As for this case, we have chosen a popup CTA theme to appear after clicking the shortened link.
Step 12: You are now in the CTA message section. Write your headline, message, and CTA button text.
Step 13: Enter your CTA button’s URL or phone numberin the last block, and click Next.
Step 14: You’re now in the CTA customization section, where you can add colors. (Background colors, text colors, CTA button background colors, CTA button text colors). Choose your colors and click next.
Step 15: In the final step, you will select the seconds, after which the CTA will be displayed to the user. Alternatively, you can select the “On exit-intent” option, which will display the CTA when the user wants to exit the page.
Step 16: Save the campaign; now, you can share it across other platforms. Ensure that your newly created campaign appears in the campaigns section.
Did You Know?
Replug can also help to track the effectiveness of the CTA, as it offers analytics tools that allow you to track how many clicks the CTA receives. This can help you determine which CTAs are most effective and optimize your marketing efforts accordingly.
FAQs
What are the 3 features of a strong call to action?
Any CTA should have these three key features:
Clarity: A strong call to action should be clear and straightforward so that the reader knows exactly what they are being asked to do. This means using actionable language, such as “click here” or “sign up now,” and avoiding vague or confusing phrases.
Urgency: A sense of urgency can be a powerful motivator, and a strong call to action should convey a sense that the reader needs to take action immediately. This can be achieved through time-sensitive language, such as “limited time offer,” “act now,” or by highlighting the benefits of taking action immediately.
Relevance: A strong call to action should be relevant to the reader and the context in which it appears. This means that it should be tailored to the specific needs and interests of the audience and should align with the overall goals and message of the campaign or piece of content. By focusing on the reader and their needs, a strong call to action can increase the chances of conversion.
What elements are in CTA?
There are a few key elements that are typically included in a CTA:
Action verb: The CTA should include an action verb that tells the reader what to do. Some common action verbs used in CTAs include “click,” “sign up,” “download,” and “register.”
Button or link: The CTA should include a button or link that the reader can click to take the desired action. The button or link should be prominently placed and easy to find.
Benefit: The CTA should include a benefit or reason for the reader to take the desired action. This could be a discount, exclusive content, or a chance to win a prize.
Sense of urgency: The CTA should convey a sense of urgency or time sensitivity to encourage the reader to take action immediately. This can be achieved through time-sensitive language or by immediately highlighting the benefits of taking action.
Meet Arslan, a skilled website blog and content writer who combines creativity and expertise to deliver engaging and informative pieces that captivate audiences.
A tracking URL is a link that contains one or more URL parameters to track, identify, and analyze user activity or behavior on a website.
URL tracking is an engagement strategy used in digital marketing that allows marketers to track the clickability, conversion rate, and call-to-action buttons on the websites.
Have you seen a call-to-action button in an email newsletter or cloaked Amazon affiliate links?
The reason behind it is that e-commerce marketers utilize tracking tools that allow them to add parameters that help track user behavior and also to win back customers through retargeting.
Why is URL tracking important?
URL tracking is an essential process in online marketing that helps marketers in analyzing the overall performance of the URLs. It includes factors such as number of clicks and conversions.
The reason why the URL tracking process is important for bloggers, affiliate marketers, and digital marketers is that it assists users in determining the link performance in an article or on a website page.
It’s nearly impossible to track affiliate sales without URL tracking. Almost every affiliate network or affiliate marketing software uses URL parameters in the product links to track the clicks and conversions.
Digital marketing experts use UTM parameters to track their website visitors and understand the source of the traffic. They set separate UTM parameters for Google ads, Facebook ads, social media, landing pages, etc.
To sum it up, the reason why URL tracking is important in the digital marketing world is that it provides users with insights into link performance, click activity, and conversion rate.
URL tracking is an online marketing strategy that monitors the impact of the marketing campaigns through link performance. Following are the activities that can be tracked with URL tracking:
Bloggers and marketers don’t vaguely start tracking random URLs. Instead, there is always an agenda behind the tracking.
URL selection:
Pinpoint the URLs that you can track over the next few weeks or months.It’s almost impossible to manually track hundreds of thousands of URLs.
Opt for the most suitable UTM parameters:
Opt for the most suitable UTM parameters to insert in the URL to track. A UTM parameter is a tiny code that goes into the URL address to track the sources of website page traffic.
Tracking the UTM parameters:
The last and most important part of the URL tracking process is tracking the UTM parameters. Track UTM parameters through Replug or also can use Google Analytics.
When should I use a tracking URL?
There are several use cases for tracking URLs. Once you have figured out what tracking a URL means, it gets easier to apply the tactics.
Here are different scenarios when you should use a tracking URL:
Record the clicks on the links:
Whenever you want to know how many clicks a link has gotten, the easiest way to track the clicks is by using a tracking URL.
Track sales and conversions:
E-commerce stores and online businesses track sales and conversion through a tracking URL. It usually comes in handy when businesses want to know where the sale or conversion has come from on their website.
Identify the top-performing pages:
When there are multiple sales pages with unique UTM parameters, it’s easier to identify the top-performing sales page.
Study the performance of the links on a site:
There are site-wide links available on every blog or website. Tracking URLs help admins understand the overall link performance on the website.
Allot the affiliate commissions appropriately:
Tracking URLs are imperative in affiliate marketing. No wonder the affiliate product links are long and clunky. The affiliate networks use URL parameters to identify and allot the affiliate sales to the appropriate affiliate account.
Find the traffic sources for a landing page:
When marketers create a new landing page for a new product, they share the landing page link across all channels, such as social media, email newsletter, blog sidebar, etc. Therefore, the source of the website visitor is easily traceable with a tracking URL.
Trace the footprints of the generated leads:
Lead generation means when a visitor signs up for a trial account or downloads a freebie. Marketers insert a UTM parameter that explains where the lead came from.
There are three types of URL tracks that are being used:
1. Auto-tagging
The auto-tagging URL tracking is a URL tracking system that automatically adds relevant slugs to the URL that helps in tracking the data. There is no need to manually add a tag to every URL.
2.Manual tagging for backend systems
Manual tagging for backend systems relies on the ValueTrack parameters. These parameters track information about the ad clicks. Adding these parameters to your ad campaign, the user can track or identify the details such as device, location, and other information about the audience.
3.Manual-tagging
In a manual-tagging system, the user needs to put in the UTM parameters using a URL builder. Usually, the UTM tracking generators have a form and the users need to fill in the blanks using the parameters to generate the tracking URL.
How to track URLs with UTM parameters?
Are you wondering about tracking URLs with UTM parameters?
Here are four steps to follow:
#1. Select the URLs to track
The URL tracking process begins with selecting the URLs to track. Most experts start with choosing the UTM parameters and bypassing step no. 1, which doesn’t make sense. So start with the URL selection and then get to the UTM parameters afterward.
Usually, digital marketing experts use UTM parameters on the call-to-action buttons in email newsletters, landing pages, discount offer pages, and Facebook or Google ads.
#2. Choose appropriate UTM parameters
The next up is to choose the suitable UTM parameters to add to your URL. Digital marketers who run Google ads or Facebook ad campaigns know the effectiveness of these UTM parameters.
Moreover, a campaign’s URL could have multiple UTM parameters doing their specific jobs. The most common UTM parameters are mentioned below:
utm_source:
To identify the traffic platform sending traffic to a website
utm_medium:
To understand the type of link where it’s being used
utm_campaign:
To specify a certain campaign or promotion
utm_term:
To recognize the search term the brand is targeting
utm_content:
To explain the type of content used to drive website visitors such as an article text or a sidebar banner.
#3. Place the UTM parameter tracking
UTM parameters placement does seem a difficult task, especially for online marketers who have zero experience with HTML or website code editing. However, the manual insertion of the UTM parameter isn’t the only way to do it.
There are several UTM tracking code generators available on the market that lets you insert the UTM parameters into a URL. Not only are these UTM generators spot on, but they also make the process faster.
#4. Analyze the results
It’s necessary to keep an eye on the campaign results to navigate along the way. To get started with tracking your UTM campaign results, follow these steps:
Go to your Google Analytics account for further steps
Head over to the Acquisition. Then go to the Traffic Acquisition.
You’ll see all the traffic acquisition channels.
The UTM campaign would reflect under the source/medium section, so look out for that.
How to get a tracking URL?
The UTM parameters are extremely helpful when tracking user behavior during an online campaign. A tracking URL with complete tracking anecdotes could come in handy in social media marketing, online advertising, and email marketing.
Have you ever hovered over a link in an email that includes various terms such as source or medium? The reason is that these are types of UTM parameters that facilitate to track the performance of the email marketing campaigns.
You might wonder, how do I get a tracking URL?
Well, you can opt for a decent UTM tracking tool that allows you to add UTM tags to your URLs without making a big deal out of it.
Add UTMs with Replug
Replug is an all-in-one link management tool for creating, managing and tracking vanity URLs for social media, online advertising, or email newsletters. Branded URL shortener allows users to shorten the long URLs so that they appear clean anywhere you share them.
Moreover, the additional Replug features include UTM, retargeting, bio links, QR generation, mobile deep linking, and more.
Here are four simple steps to get a tracking URL using Replug:
Step 1: Log in to your Replug account
Go to the Replug app and log in to your account.
Step 2: Enter the URL to shorten
After the login, you’ll see a URL shortening snippet right on the dashboard. Select the Replug campaign and paste the long URL you want to shorten and add UTM parameters to the campaign. If you haven’t created a campaign, you’ll be better off creating one.
The moment you paste the URL to shorten it, an “Add UTM” CTA button will appear next to the URL.
Step 3: Add UTM parameters
Click on the “Add UTM” CTA button to include the UTM parameters to add the ability to track the URL using Replug.
Once you click that CTA, you’ll be prompted with a UTM screen – you’d have to select an already created UTM or add a new one.
If you choose to create a new UTM code, a form will pop up to fill out.
Go through this step as it’s crucial to add the URL tracking. Once you’re done with adding all required parameters, proceed to the next step.
Step 4: Generate the short URL
After you add the parameters, they will appear along with your URL. Proceed further to generate that short URL along with UTM parameters to track link performance.
Start Tracking
Generating a tracking URL is a great tool for online marketers to push sales growth. The fundamentals of a tracking URL will remain the same whether you use Google Analytics or a URL shortener tool. However, the benefits of URL shorteners are still yet to be explored to its maximum potential.
Brands and entrepreneurs use URL tracking for branding, building a custom audience, and generating more sales.
FAQs
Can URL be tracked?
Any URL that contains the tracking parameters can be tracked. The ideal method is to include UTM parameters to track the URL performance.
What is URL tagging?
URL tagging is the process of infusing identifiers to the URLs to attribute the traffic to a specific campaign or event.
Start making most of your online marketing efforts with tracking URLs today!
Hassaan Khan
Hassaan Khan is a freelance writer for SAAS companies, e-commerce stores, and niche websites. He has contributed to SEMrush, ThriveGlobal, BloggingCage, AllBloggingTips, and several other publications.
He builds niche websites, publishes e-books, and helps website investors with his done-for-you niche site-building service.
Amplify Your Marketing With Optimized Link Sharing
Over 35,000+ marketers, agencies, businesses, e-commerce stores and brands optimize and track their links using Replug and get better returns on their marketing efforts.
Hassaan Khan
