UTM Codes Introduction:
UTM codes allow the university to identify inbound traffic from print and digital marketing campaigns so that OMC and clients can evaluate and adjust performance to achieve the best ROI. It is best practice to use UTM codes for all marketing campaigns but OMC client managers will focus their efforts primarily on the following:
Comprehensive enrollment initiatives that enroll, yield, and/or retain studentsEspecially when they are promoted through multiple channelse.g., Summer Sessions, Winter Intercession, Grad Open House, etc.Signature university eventsEspecially when notable attendees and/or media coverage is expected. Events promoted through multiple channelse.g., California Prize for Service and the Common Good.Recurring eventsEspecially when they are promoted through multiple channelse.g., WILP Symposium, Day of the Dons, Open House/Info Sessions, etc.OMC and client e-newslettersEspecially when the reach is broad and/or externale.g., donor e-newsletter, Thacher Gallery e-newsletter, etc.UTM Codes OMC Process:
Process
Client Managers create all UTM codes for campaigns noted above. UTM codes will be maintained here and organized by client managers.OMC’s ecommunications team creates UTM codes for all OMC-generated enewsletters.OMC’s social media team creates UTM codes for all social media posts using the naming convention created by the client manager.How To
Client Managers use the formula contained within the google document to create and populate a UTM for each component of the campaign.Vanity URLs
When print pieces are included as part of the marketing plan for a campaign noted above, it’s best practice to request a vanity URL from Web & Digital Communications. A vanity URL resolves into a UTM and allows OMC to track and evaluate the effectiveness of print pieces within a campaign.UTM Naming Convention:
The text in UTM codes must always be lowercase. Also, do not use spaces (use hyphen or underscore instead) and be as clear and concise as possible.
Campaign, source, medium, contentCampaignOne to two wordsInclude two digit year only (17 vs 2017)Remain consistent in campaign name for recurring eventse.g. If wilp17 has been used previously, do NOT use wilp_2018 (or another variation) in subsequent yearsSource:Email type (announcement, newsletter, invitation, etc.)Social media channel (twitter, facebook, instagram, etc.)Print type (invitation, postcard, poster)Publisher (facebook, google, etc.)Medium:emailprintsocialdisplaybannerContentOptional, used to differentiate where users are clicking within the same sourcee.g. An image vs. a text link (within and email)Examples of content tags:imagetitlecta (call to action)biolinkcoverphotobanner size (i.e. 300x250)UTM Examples:
Open House
https://www.usfca.edu/request/open-house?utm_source=vanity-url&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=sem-grad-info-evening-nov-2016
California Prize campaign
https://www.usfca.edu/california-prize?&utm_campaign=cal-prize17&utm_med... &utm_source=Twitter
Note: if you don’t see your cell row auto-populating, you just need to copy & paste the previous UTM URL cell into the one you’re using and it will update accordingly. You should see similar to the following code in the cell: