#HootTip: Using Custom URL Parameters in #HootSuite
The HootSuite dashboard is full of features and tools to help you manage social media – and we’re always adding more. To keep you up to date, or just refresh your memory, here’s a new #HootTip about a handy HootSuite feature.
Custom URL Parameters
With many links sent from so many sources, tracking which channels are successfully driving traffic to your website can be difficult. Are customers arriving from Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or from links you’ve placed elsewhere? Which campaigns do they respond to? Which channels perform best for your objectives?
HootSuite provides a handy solution to make tracking your campaigns a breeze. Custom URL Parameters are built right into the dashboard allowing users to create campaign specific URLs for Pro users.
These customized links deliver metrics on exactly how visitors arrived at your site and are viewable as single line items within Google Analytics or Omniture. When paired with standard executive metrics, this information can help track conversions such as sales, signups, and other goals.
By entering parameters, the Ow.ly shortened links will show up as one referrer saving you the time spent counting and compiling data from multiple places within your analytics tool. A simple A/B test allows you to determine which channels are most effective for which types of messages.
Here’s How
- Enter your URL in the Link Shortening Box, expand the Ow.ly dropdown menu, and select Custom URL Parameters under the Tools section.
- Select or create a new preset. If using an existing preset – the parameters and values can be saved and will be automatically populated next time.
- Fill in the variables.
- utm_source – referral source (examples: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
- utm_medium – the delivery method or social media account (examples: CorporateHelpTweet, CustomerServiceBlogPost, email, banner_ad)
- utm_campaign – the campaign you’re tracking (examples: SpringPromotion, NewCustomerDiscount or in our example below: SpringMenuLaunch)
The HootSuite team understands the importance of measuring the return on social media investment and continues to produce tools to help measure. Have you seen the HootSuite Social Analytics modules? Did you download the White Paper about Measuring Social Media ROI? Like the Custom URL Parameters, these tools were developed to help monitor the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts.
How do you use Custom URL Parameters? What else do you wish to measure? We’re listening.
Keep an eye out for new #HootTips – they’re short, sweet and Re-Tweetable so you can share your HootSuite expertise with your friends and followers. Some lucky RTers may just find themselves with a #HootKit… It’s our way of saying “thanks for spreading the word.”
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