What's a UTM code, anyway?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. Sounds strange, right?
Here's the deal: UTM codes are nothing more than simple text snippets added to the end of a URL. They do the magic work of tracking where your web traffic is coming from.
Using UTM codes in your SMS marketing helps you figure out which texts are leading people to click through to your site or offer.
So, if you're curious about which SMS campaign is the most successful, UTM codes can help you.
How to create a link with UTM codes
Here's how to create a trackable link with UTM codes:
Choose a URL to share. It can be your homepage, a product page, or any other landing page.
Decide on the UTM parameters you want to track. These could be the campaign name (utm_campaign), the medium (utm_medium, in our case 'SMS'), and the source (utm_source).
Build the UTM link. Put it together in a URL builder like Google's Campaign URL Builder to generate your link.
For instance, let’s say you want to track how many people click through to your site from your welcome text message. You’ll add the:
URL – where you’re sending your contacts
Medium – the marketing channel where your contacts will see and click on the link
Source – the specific platform where contacts will interact with your link
Campaign – the name of your SMS campaign that contains the link
In our example, the medium is SMS, the source is SimpleTexting, and the campaign name is welcome_offer. This URL tells Google Analytics that your visitor has come on to your website via your welcome offer text message built in SimpleTexting.
With the parameters above, the UTM builder would generate the following URL:
https://simpletexting.com/?utm_source=simpletexting&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=welcome_offer
This Google Sheet can help you build AND keep your URLs naming conventions organized. The latter is crucial if you want to have an easier time making sense of the data.
How to add a UTM link to your mass text message campaign
Now that you have your UTM-powered link, it's time to add it to your text message campaign. I’ll also show you how to make the link look more concise and save characters with our link shortener.
When you’re drafting your mass message in SimpleTexting, add the UTM link to the message wherever you want it to appear.
Click the “Shorten URLs” button in the message toolbar. The button looks like a link icon.
SimpleTexting will add a link shortening code around your URL, and you can see an example of what it might look like in the message preview area.
Even though your link is shortened, it’ll keep your UTM parameters so you can track them in Google Analytics.
Remember, when it comes to SMS marketing, every click counts. Try out UTM codes today to see where your clicks are coming from and make more informed decisions.