UTM parameter tracking is a very simple analytic technique that helps digital marketers track which campaign brought in the traffic to the website. But, in the hands of an expert, UTM parameters can also be captured during form submission to understand which campaign directly contributed to the conversion.
In this article, we will first explain five reasons why you should capture UTM parameters during form submission. Then, we will cover how you can capture the UTM parameters on your WordPress forms using our AFL UTM Tracker plugin.
1. Knowing which marketing campaigns are actually converting
Capturing UTM parameters during form submissions allows you to pinpoint the exact campaigns, sources, and mediums driving conversions. While traffic data shows which campaigns drive visitors, form submission tracking reveals the campaigns that lead to tangible outcomes, such as lead sign-ups or sales. This level of granularity is crucial for identifying high-performing campaigns and optimizing your strategy accordingly.
2. Optimize marketing campaigns based on conversion data
When you have detailed data about which campaigns generate leads, you can refine your marketing efforts. Capturing UTM parameters helps you understand the effectiveness of ad creatives, keywords, and platforms. With this insight, you can:
- Adjust your landing page message to align with more successful campaigns.
- Identify underperforming marketing channels and improve them.
- Conduct A/B testing to fine-tune campaigns for better results.
3. Maximizing marketing budget spent
Marketing budgets are finite, and every dollar should contribute to conversions. Capturing UTM parameters in form submissions helps you allocate resources to campaigns that deliver the best ROI. For instance:
- If your Facebook Ad campaign outperforms a Google Ad PPC campaign in driving high-quality leads, you can reallocate some portion of funds to the Facebook Ad.
- If a product placement on a partner’s newsletter has a high CAC, then you might consider going with another partner.
4. Improve lead nurturing with marketing automation
UTM parameter data enhances your ability to personalize follow-up marketing communications. Knowing the campaign that generated a lead enables tailored messaging that resonates with their interests. For example:
- A lead from a webinar campaign can receive more webinar-related resources.
- A lead from a product discount campaign can be nurtured with additional offers or incentives.
This targeted approach increases the likelihood of conversion and fosters stronger relationships with your leads.
5. Showing real results to stakeholders
Demonstrating the impact of your marketing efforts is vital for securing stakeholder buy-in and continued investment. Capturing UTM parameters during form submissions allows you to produce clear, data-driven reports that showcase:
- The campaigns driving the most conversions.
- The ROI of specific marketing initiatives.
- Insights into customer behavior and preferences.
Stakeholders appreciate concrete evidence of success, and UTM tracking provides just that.
How to capture UTM parameters when a visitor submits the form?
To capture UTM parameters during form submissions on your WordPress website, you need install a WordPress plugin like our AFL UTM Tracker plugin. It tracks the UTM parameters of the visitor using the browser cookies and when the visitor submits the form, the plugin generates a UTM attribution report.
- Installation: Upload the AFL UTM Tracker plugin to your WordPress site.
- Form Integration: The plugin works automatically with many popular WordPress form builders (e.g Gravity Forms) to capture UTM parameters. Otherwise populate the UTM parameters into the form hidden field using our Javascript Merge Tags.
- Test Form: Create a test URL with UTM parameters and submit your form.
- Verify UTM Report: In your WordPress admin, verify that the UTM parameters are captured correctly in your form submissions.
- CRM Integration: Configure your form or plugin to send UTM parameter data along with lead details to your CRM. This ensures you can automatically personalized emails based on the UTM parameters.
- Analyze UTM Report: Export the UTM attribution report to evaluate campaign performance, refine your marketing efforts, and drive more conversions.
Conclusion
Capturing UTM parameters during form submissions is an essential practice for any data-driven marketer. It provides the insights needed to understand which campaigns are driving results, optimize marketing efforts, and maximize ROI.
Furthermore, analytic tools like our AFL UTM Tracker plugin makes implementation straightforward on a WordPress site, even for non-technical users.
Try out our AFL UTM Tracker WordPress plugin today!
