UTM parameters are simple ways a marketeer can "tag" website traffic coming from a specific source. It uses URL parameters that you can add to a weblink to categorize the traffic coming to that specific weblink for a specific campaign.
There are a few different URL parameters used to accurately categorise the traffic coming to a specific link. Three of these, UTM source, UTM medium and UTM campaign, are mandatory. UTM term, UTM content and UTM campaign ID are optional and not allways relevant.
Think of UTMs as stamps in your passport. They can show the customs officer where you came from and what your purpose is. This example is further explained in the table below.
| Passport information | Example Passport value | UTM equivalent | Example UTM value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country of entry | Kenya | UTM source | Kenya.com |
| Mode of entry | By land | UTM medium | Referral |
| Purpose of visit | Vacation | UTM Campaign | Summer holiday campaign |
How do you know how much a marketing campaign contributes to your marketing goals? By measuring how many customers you've gotten from every specific marketing effort. To measure this offline is difficult, but online it is a lot easier. For this purpose UTMs where invented. They give marketeers a simple way to "tag" the traffic on a website that comes from a specific marketing source or campaign.