News & Information

Measuring the impact of media relations hasn’t always been easy. With the advancement of PR tools, more metrics are accessible now than ever before (think sentiment, share of voice, engagement on the media side). But, to unlock even more data from your media campaigns, the simple addition of a UTM can help track traffic to site, additional engagement and several other data points. While UTMs are not new, they have been more commonly used in advertising or marketing campaigns, so the idea of using them in press releases may be slightly newer.

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What is a UTM?

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An Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) is a line of text added to the end of a URL that enables measurement of inbound traffic to a site specific to the use of that URL. For example, in the case of a press release, using a UTM as a CTA in turn enables traffic to a web page to be traced back to the press release.

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When to use a UTM

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UTMs can be included in all press releases. Even better, they can be tied to an overarching campaign, such as a product launch that also includes customer eBlasts, advertising, blogs, influencer marketing and other tactics.

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Where to use a UTM

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The most common use of a UTM in a press release is toward the end, when directing the reader to a site to get more information related to the announcement. However, UTMs can be used throughout the press release when linking back to other resources, such as a product page, white paper, research materials, etc.

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And Most Importantly, Why Use a UTM

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UTMs ultimately provide metrics that can’t be attained through PR software tools such as MuckRack and Cision, since they offer tracking specific to a company’s website. There are several reasons to use them, including:

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1. Detailed Tracking: UTMs allow you to identify the exact source of your web traffic. Using UTM parameters in your press release links enables you to view the sources (e.g., media outlets, social media platforms) that are driving the highest amount of traffic to your site.

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2. Performance Analysis: With access to the source of web traffic, you can now that data and determine which press releases are performing well and which aren’t. You can track metrics such as clicks, conversions, and bounce rates to better understand how engaging and effective 

your press release content is.

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3. Optimizing Strategies: Now that you understand which press releases are most successful (and likely, why), you can refine and optimize your PR strategies. For example, if you find that press releases distributed through certain channels or with specific headlines perform better, you can adjust subsequent releases for improved performance.

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4. Campaign Comparison: By using UTMs, you can compare the effectiveness of different press releases or campaigns. This comparative analysis helps in understanding what works best and where you should focus your efforts in the future.

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5. Cross-Channel Analysis: UTMs allow you to track how your press releases perform across different channels. This can be useful to understand the impact of various marketing activities and their combined effect on your audience when a campaign is involved.

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6. Enhanced Reporting: The data collected through UTM parameters can be integrated into analytics tools like Google Analytics, giving you a comprehensive view of your marketing performance. This can be useful for generating reports and presenting results to stakeholders.

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Generating a UTM can be accomplished by an in-house analytics team, with an agency partner or through an online tool such as Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder. And, the data can supplement metrics available through PR software tools to provide an even more comprehensive overview 

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