UTM tracking code use case in marketing: Measuring email signature marketing effectiveness
15 January 2025
0 min read
Email signature marketing offers a great opportunity for tracking and increasing engagement. But to be effective, you need to track the results. This is where UTM tracking codes come into play.
By using UTM codes within email signatures, businesses can gain valuable insights into clicks and conversions, helping them track performance and refine their strategies.
This guide showcases a key UTM tracking code use case in marketing, by offering a step-by-step approach to setting them up in email signatures. Once these UTM tracking codes are in place, you can analyze the results to optimize future campaigns.
The rise of email signature marketing as a performance channel
Email signature marketing is gaining traction as a performance channel because it uses an often-overlooked touchpoint in business communication: the email footer. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s becoming essential for modern marketing strategies:
1. Everyday communication as a marketing asset
Employees send thousands of emails daily. Each one provides an opportunity to reinforce branding or promote campaigns without being intrusive. Email signature marketing turns routine interactions into scalable touchpoints for engagement.
2. Personalized, contextual messaging
Email signatures allow for dynamic, targeted content. Marketers can tailor banners or CTAs based on the recipient’s profile, making the communication more relevant. For instance, an email to a prospect could include a webinar invite, while one to a customer might promote a new feature or renewal offer.
3. Performance-driven design
Advanced email signature management platforms like Exclaimer, offer analytics to track the performance of campaigns embedded in email signatures. This allows marketers to measure clicks, conversions, and engagement directly tied to email traffic.
4. Integrated with ABM and demand gen
Email signature marketing complements account-based marketing (ABM) by delivering hyper-targeted messages to specific accounts. It also enhances demand generation efforts by amplifying content and campaigns directly in the recipient's inbox.
5. Cost-efficient and scalable
As email signatures use existing email traffic, they don’t come with additional ad spend or budgetary strain. They’re a cost-effective way to maximize ROI from an already active channel.
Why tracking campaign effectiveness is critical
Tracking campaign effectiveness ensures your marketing efforts actually drive the desired outcomes. Without measurement, you’re essentially guessing what works and what doesn’t.
What are UTM codes and why use them?
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes are snippets of text added to the end of a URL to track the performance of campaigns across different marketing channels. They allow you to see where traffic is coming from and how users are interacting with your content.
A typical UTM code might look like this:
https://www.example.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=q1-promo
This URL contains five potential UTM parameters:
utm_source – The traffic source (email, Google, LinkedIn)
utm_medium – The channel (banner, signature, CPC)
utm_campaign – The specific campaign name or identifier (q1-promo)
utm_term (optional) – Keywords for paid search
utm_content (optional) – Used to differentiate similar ads or links (banner A vs. banner B)
Why should you use UTM codes?
One primary UTM tracking code use case in marketing is to attribute conversions to specific channels. This ensures that every campaign delivers measurable results.
Track campaign performance
UTMs allow you to identify exactly where your traffic is coming from, and which campaigns are driving it. For example, you can measure how many people clicked on an email signature banner versus a social media ad.
Attribute conversions to channels
With UTMs, you can follow the user journey from the first click to conversion. This lets you know which marketing efforts lead to specific outcomes, like purchases or sign-ups.
Understand audience behavior
You can analyze the performance of different audience segments by tagging campaigns such as targeting industries, regions, or customer personas.
Optimize marketing spend
UTMs show which campaigns or channels deliver the best ROI. This helps you prioritize the ones that work and reduce spending on underperforming areas.
Simplify reporting
UTM data integrates with platforms like Google Analytics, giving you clear, actionable insights in one place. This makes reporting efficient, and data driven.
Run A/B tests
By tagging links with unique UTM parameters, you can test variables like CTA copy, banners, or subject lines to determine what resonates most with your audience.
Benefits of UTM codes in email signature marketing
While Exclaimer’s analytics offers robust tracking for email signature campaigns without requiring UTM codes, there are still distinct benefits to using UTMs in tandem with your email signature marketing efforts.
By exploring each UTM tracking code use case in marketing, businesses can uncover opportunities to optimize email signature campaigns and attribute performance effectively.
Here’s why they’re valuable:
1. Campaign-level insights
UTM codes let you dive deeper into how specific email signature campaigns contribute to broader marketing efforts. For example, you can track if a product launch banner in email signatures is driving traffic compared to other channels, such as social or paid ads.
2. Channel and source attribution
If your email signatures drive traffic to a central campaign landing page, UTM codes help differentiate visitors who came from email versus other sources. This provides accurate attribution when analyzing performance in Google Analytics.
3. Cross-platform data integration
UTM data integrates with data platforms like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or your CRM. This enables you to centralize data from email signature campaigns alongside other marketing efforts for a holistic view of performance.
4. Custom insights for A/B testing
UTM parameters let you test different banners or messaging in your email signatures. For example, comparing performance between “Product Demo” and “Free Trial” CTAs becomes easier with tagged links.
5. Support for long-term tracking
UTM codes persist in analytics tools even after the campaign ends. This makes it easier to analyze historical performance or build long-term comparisons across campaigns.
6. Detailed funnel analysis
By combining UTM codes with your existing analytics, you can track how users interact beyond the first click. For instance, you can identify whether visitors from a signature banner convert, engage with other pages, or drop off.
Setting up UTM codes for email signature campaigns
As a key UTM tracking code use case in marketing, integrating accurate parameters into email signatures is incredibly important. Setting up UTM codes for email signature campaigns is actually straightforward, meaning you can track and measure the performance of your campaigns effectively. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Set up the landing page
Decide where you want the email signature to link to. This could be a product page, webinar signup, content piece, or a campaign landing page.
Step 2: Choose your UTM parameters
Add UTM parameters to your URL to track traffic. Use the following standard UTM fields:
utm_source – Define the traffic source:
Example: utm_source=email
utm_medium – Specify the marketing channel:
Example: utm_medium=signature
utm_campaign – Name the campaign for tracking purposes:
Example: utm_campaign=q1-promo
utm_content (optional) – Differentiate between variations, such as banners or CTA copy:
Example: utm_content=cta-free-trial
Step 3: Use a UTM builder
To avoid errors, use a UTM builder like Google’s Campaign URL Builder or similar. Here’s how:
Enter the base URL (e.g., https://www.example.com/landing-page).
Fill in the UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign, and optional content/term).
The tool will generate a complete URL, such as:
https://www.example.com/landing-page?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=q1-promo&utm_content=cta-free-trial
Step 4: Shorten the URL (optional)
Long URLs can appear cluttered in certain circumstances. If the URL is visible, you can use a URL shortener like Bitly or Rebrandly to create a cleaner, more professional-looking link.
Example shortened URL: https://bit.ly/q1-promo
Step 5: Add the utm-tagged link to the email signature
Insert the UTM-tagged URL into your email signature design. For example:
Banner CTA: Use the tagged link for a clickable banner (e.g., “Book a Demo”).
Text link: Include it in your contact details (e.g., “Learn more about our latest offers”).
Step 6: Test the link
Click on the link to ensure it works and tracks correctly in tools like Google Analytics.
Step 7: Track and analyze performance
In your analytics platform, filter traffic by the UTM parameters to evaluate:
Source/medium: Look for traffic tagged as email/signature.
Campaign: Check engagement or conversions tied to specific campaigns (e.g., q1-promo).
Content: Compare performance of different signature CTAs.
Best practices for UTM code naming
Using consistent and clear UTM code naming is critical for accurate tracking and analysis. Here’s how to ensure your UTM codes are organized and effective:
1. Be consistent across campaigns
Use standardized naming conventions to avoid confusion when analyzing results.
For example, always use email instead of sometimes writing Email or e-mail.
2. Keep it simple and descriptive
Use clear, concise names that describe the source, medium, or campaign. Avoid overly long or complex codes.
Example:
Instead of - utm_campaign=campaign_for_the_first_quarter_of_2025
Use - utm_campaign=q1-2025.
3. Use lowercase for all UTM codes
Most analytics tools treat Q1-Promo and q1-promo as different values. Always use lowercase for consistency.
4. Avoid spaces and special characters
Use dashes (-) or underscores (_) to separate words. Spaces and special characters can break URLs or result in inconsistent tracking.
Good example: utm_campaign=q1-promo
Bad example: utm_campaign=Q1 Promo!!
5. Be specific with campaign names
Include details like the campaign type, timeframe, or audience to easily distinguish between campaigns.
Example:
utm_campaign=summer-sale
utm_campaign=webinar-feb-2025
6. Use utm_content for variations
Use utm_content to differentiate between specific elements in a campaign, such as banner versions, CTAs, or audience segments.
Example:
utm_content=cta-book-demo
utm_content=cta-free-trial
7. Document naming conventions
Create a shared document for your team that outlines how to name UTM parameters. This ensures everyone follows the same rules.
8. Test and validate your UTMs
After creating UTM-tagged links, test them in Google Analytics or your analytics platform to confirm track as intended.
9. Avoid overloading parameters
Keep UTMs focused and relevant to the campaign. Don’t add unnecessary parameters that clutter the URL and make analysis harder.
10. Use a UTM builder tool
Tools like Google Campaign URL Builder, UTM.io, or spreadsheet templates can simplify the creation of consistent and error-free UTM codes.
Integrating UTM codes into email signatures
Adding UTM-tagged links in strategic parts of your email signature helps you track and measure engagement. Here’s a breakdown of where to use them and how to apply them:
1. CTA banners
Why: CTA banners are often the most visible and engaging part of an email signature. They’re ideal for promoting campaigns like events, webinars, product launches, or special offers.
How:
Use a UTM-tagged link for the banner's URL to track clicks specifically from this campaign.
Example UTM:
https://www.example.com/q1-webinar?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=q1-webinar&utm_content=cta-banner
Placement: Place the banner at the bottom of your email signature with clear, actionable text (e.g., “Sign Up for Our Webinar”).
Tip: Test banner variations by using utm_content to differentiate designs (e.g., utm_content=banner-v1 or utm_content=banner-v2).
2. Social media icons
Why: Social icons in email signatures offer a subtle way to drive traffic to your social media pages and measure engagement.
How:
Tag each social media icon with a unique UTM to identify which platform is driving clicks.
Example UTM for a LinkedIn icon:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/example?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=q1-social&utm_content=linkedin-icon
Tip: Use utm_content to distinguish between social platforms (e.g., utm_content=linkedin-icon, utm_content=instagram-icon).
3. Website links or promotions
Why: Linking to your homepage, specific product pages, or ongoing promotions means you capture traffic driven by everyday email interactions.
How:
Tag these links with UTMs to measure how much traffic your website receives from email signatures.
Example UTM for a product page:
https://www.example.com/product?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=product-awareness
For limited-time promotions, ensure the UTM reflects the campaign name and intent.
Example UTM for a promotion:
https://www.example.com/sale?utm_source=email&utm_medium=signature&utm_campaign=winter-sale
Tip: Position the links near the top (e.g., under the name/title) or use a hyperlinked tagline (e.g., "Explore Our Latest Solutions").
Additional tips for UTM integration in email signatures
Avoid overloading links: Prioritize key CTAs or links that align with your goals. Too many links may overwhelm recipients.
Shorten URLs for clarity: Use a URL shortener like Bitly if the UTM link appears in text.
Test responsiveness: Review if banners and links display well on mobile devices.
Use analytics: Regularly review your UTM data in tools like Google Analytics to assess signature performance and optimize placement.
Measuring and analyzing campaign effectiveness
To understand how your email signature marketing campaigns are performing, you need to set up proper analytics, focus on relevant metrics, and compare results against benchmarks or baselines.
Here's how:
Using analytics platforms to track performance
Analytics tools make it easy to monitor your UTM-tagged links and campaign success. Popular platforms include:
Google Analytics (GA):
Track traffic from UTM-tagged links (source, medium, campaign, content).
Monitor overall traffic patterns and conversions from your email signature campaigns.
Access these reports:
Acquisition > Source/Medium (filter for email/signature).
Campaigns > All Campaigns (filter for specific UTM campaign names).
HubSpot (HS):
Use HubSpot’s tracking tools to monitor interactions tied to your email signatures.
See which contacts clicked, converted, or re-engaged.
Analyze individual link performance using the Tracking URL Builder in HubSpot.
Exclaimer Analytics:
Track email signature engagement directly within your Exclaimer dashboard (no need for UTMs).
Identify the most clicked banners, links, or social media icons across teams.
Key metrics to monitor
When analyzing campaign effectiveness, focus on these metrics to determine performance:
Click-Through Rate (CTR):
Percentage of email recipients who clicked a link in the signature.
Formula: (Number of Clicks / Number of Emails Sent) × 100
A high CTR indicates the campaign is driving interest and engagement.
Conversions:
Actions taken after clicking a link, such as completing a form, signing up, or making a purchase.
Trackable in tools like GA or HubSpot (use UTM parameters).
Traffic sources:
Measure how much traffic is coming from email signatures by filtering UTM sources as email and mediums as signature.
Bounce rate:
Percentage of visitors who leave without interacting further. A low bounce rate signals relevance between the signature link and its destination.
Engagement per signature:
Identify which team members or departments generate the most clicks and engagement, especially useful for company-wide campaigns.
Campaign ROI:
Calculate the return on investment for your campaigns by comparing the cost (if applicable) to the revenue generated through conversions.
How to identify high-performing campaigns
To pinpoint successful campaigns, analyze your metrics with these steps:
Set baseline metrics:
Use historical performance data to set benchmarks. For example:
Average CTR: 3-5%
Conversion Rate: 1-2%
If no prior data exists, use industry benchmarks to set realistic expectations.
Compare campaigns side-by-side:
Look for trends in CTR, conversion rate, and traffic volume across campaigns.
Identify patterns—e.g., a banner promoting a free trial might outperform a generic link.
Drill into UTM performance:
Filter analytics reports by specific UTM tags (e.g., campaign name or content type) to see what’s driving clicks and conversions.
Identify outliers:
Highlight campaigns with unusually high or low performance and analyze why.
For example, a spike in CTR could mean an especially compelling CTA or banner design.
Engagement by audience segment:
Use analytics platforms to see which audiences (e.g. industries, job titles) interact most with email signature campaigns.
Optimizing email signature campaigns
Regular A/B testing is a great way to enhance the effectiveness of each UTM tracking code use case in marketing, including email signature campaigns, by analyzing performance and identifying high-impact strategies.
Email signature campaigns can deliver stronger results when you adopt a data-driven approach to improvement. Here's how to refine your campaigns using A/B testing and iteration:
A/B testing for improvement
A/B testing allows you to compare two versions of an element to see which performs better. For email signature marketing campaigns, this could include testing banners, CTAs, or designs.
What to test:
Banner design: Test different visuals, layouts, or colors.
Example: Compare a bright, bold design to a more minimalistic one.
CTA copy: Experiment with wording and tone.
Example: "Sign Up for Free" vs. "Explore Our Free Trial."
Placement: Test the position of links, social icons, or banners within the signature.
Link destination: Direct users to different landing pages to see which drives more conversions.
Example: A product demo page vs. a resource download page.
How to run an A/B test:
Define your objective: Choose a clear metric to measure, such as click-through rate (CTR) or conversion rate.
Create two variants: Make small, measurable changes to one element while keeping all other variables constant.
Distribute evenly: Split the audience equally to ensure unbiased results.
Monitor performance: Use tools like Google Analytics or your Exclaimer analytics dashboard to track performance.
Analyze results: Identify the winning variant and implement it broadly.
Tips for A/B testing:
Test only one element at a time for accurate insights.
Run tests for a sufficient duration to gather enough data (at least 1-2 weeks).
Avoid testing during unusual activity periods (holidays or product launches).
Iterating based on insights
Once you've gathered insights from your A/B tests, use them to refine your campaigns.
Steps for iteration:
Analyze key metrics:
Look at CTR, conversion rates, and bounce rates to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses.
Identify patterns or trends in high-performing campaigns.
Gather feedback:
Collaborate with team members or ask recipients for qualitative feedback on signature design or messaging.
Make incremental updates:
Focus on improving specific areas identified in your analysis.
Example: If a banner has a high CTR but low conversions, test a new landing page.
Optimize for audience segments:
Tailor your email signatures based on audience type (e.g., prospects vs. customers).
Example: Swap a "Book a Demo" CTA for a "See What's New" link for existing customers.
Repeat the cycle:
Conduct regular A/B tests and refine campaigns quarterly or as needed.
Treat iteration as an ongoing process, not a one-time activity.
Tips for iterating:
Document changes to track what works and what doesn’t over time.
Use insights to inform future campaigns and build internal benchmarks for performance.
Combine quantitative data (like analytics) with qualitative input (like user feedback) for a well-rounded approach.
Conclusion
Each UTM tracking code use case in marketing, from measuring performance to attributing conversions, provides a clearer picture of campaign effectiveness. This helps marketers drive meaningful results for their email signature marketing.
By adding UTM parameters to your email signature marketing links, you’ll gain valuable insights into where your traffic comes from, how users interact with your content, and which campaigns drive results.
When used effectively, UTM links in email signatures empower you to make data-driven decisions, optimize your marketing strategies, and maximize ROI. Whether you’re tracking clicks on a banner, social media icons, or website links, this level of visibility means no opportunity gets missed.
As with any strategy, success lies in consistent execution. Follow best practices for naming UTM codes, integrate them into your email signatures, and regularly analyze campaign performance to identify areas for improvement. Over time, this approach will help you refine your efforts, drive better outcomes, and fully unlock the potential of email signature marketing.
Ready to maximize the impact of your email signatures?
Start exploring email signature marketing today and see the difference for yourself.