So you’ve set up and launched your first Facebook ad campaign. For most newbie Facebook marketers, the next question is – what happens now?
Truth be told, setting up your Facebook ad account and developing your first campaign is just a part of Facebook advertising. While it is important to optimize each ad and ensure that it produces qualified results, there is more to running advertising within the platform than hitting “boost” or “publish.”
Tracking and analyzing results is far more important than setting up your campaigns! There are plenty of ways to track the progress and results of your Facebook ads. One of the easiest ways to do so is through UTMs.
This article explores UTMs – what they are, why they are important, and how to use them for your campaign.
What are UTMs?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. At its simplest, UTMs are URLs that tell marketers where traffic is coming from. It can provide information about the campaign, the ad set, and even the button a user used to get to your website or online store.
Here is an example of a UTM:
www.domain.com/pricing?utm_source=active%20users&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=feature%20launch&utm_content=bottom%20cta%20button
Its format starts with the usual URL followed by the parameters you have chosen to add. It is important to note that your UTMs can vary depending on your marketing goal and the metrics that you are tracking.
Important UTMs for your Facebook Campaigns
When building out your Facebook campaign, UTMs are optional. You are able to make a Facebook ad live without creating a custom URL. While it’s optional, it is recommended that you develop one for each and every campaign that you launch.
UTMs serve as an identifier. Without them, there is virtually no way for you to determine which campaign users are coming from. These tools are incredibly important in fine-tuning your Facebook efforts. They are your best option in identifying the users that click and interact with the content that you have put out.
Through this tool, you can create ads that are effective in reaching your target audience.
Five UTM parameters
Building a UTM involves five different types of parameters: Campaign Source, Campaign medium, Campaign Name, Campaign Term, and Campaign Content.
- Campaign Source (required)
This section identifies the origin of the traffic e.g. Facebook, Google, Email, etc. Essentially, it answers the question “where”.
- Campaign Medium (required)
This section identifies the advertising medium e.g. social paid, social organic, PPC, etc.
- Campaign Name (required)
This section identifies the exact campaign the user came from e.g. summer sale, 50%off, etc.
- Campaign Term (optional)
This section tracks specific keywords. It can be used to differentiate ad groups.
- Campaign Content (optional)
This section identifies creative/content elements e.g. toplinks, buynowbutton, carousell, etc.
Using UTMs for Your Facebook Campaigns
There are various ways you can build out UTMs for your campaigns. Facebook, however, has its own UTM builder.
When you are ready to set up your UTM, all you need to do is head to Ads manager – Ad level. Click on the Build a URL parameter button. Once clicked, the page would show the campaign parameters. You have the option to auto-populate the page.
In creating UTMs, it is best to choose words and phrases that are short and easily identifiable. This ensures that there wouldn’t be any confusion once it’s time to analyze results.
UTMs might not look like the sleekest URLs but they play an important role in the success of your Facebook marketing efforts. It provides deeper insight as to what works and what doesn’t work for your brand.
Like most things Facebook marketing, using UTMs take a bit of practice. Thankfully, you don’t have to navigate through tracking alone. We are eager to help! Reach out to us today to learn more about our services.