As you build the amount of traffic you are driving to your website then it is important to be able to compare campaigns to figure out what is working.

​The way to do this is to start using tracking parameters in the links you use to your site. These are codes that you add to the end of each link to tell Google Analytics where the visit has come from. The most basic of these are:

• utm_source= the top level marketing channel of your link;
• utm_medium= the sub-channel; and
• utm_campaign= specific campaign details.

With these parameters your URL will look something like this: www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=welcome&utm_campaign=welcome_v1.

Once you start to use these parameters you'll be able to tailor your reporting to look at specific channels / campaigns, and compare them against each other. The most basic form of this can be found under Acquisition > All Traffic > Source / Medium. You can also add the parameters as 'advanced' filters on many reports or use them to build a segment.

Complete consistency in the parameter information format you use is the most important thing to remember. In fact, it is best to think these out before you start so that you'll be able to report using the same parameters over time.
Ask yourself these questions and then base the tracking you use on it:

• What kind of campaigns are you running? Make sure to have a parameter set out for each type.
• How detailed do you want your reporting? I.e. Do you want to know the date of each campaign, or is there a type of campaign that is more relevant?

​
​You should only have a few sources, a handful of mediums and many more campaigns. Here are some examples:

1. Email
   www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=welcome&utm_campaign=welcome_v1
   www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=template1_020418www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=template1_300418
2. Instagram
   www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=stories&utm_campaign=keyword_020418
   www.mywebsite.com?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=profile&utm_campaign=adifferentkeyword02-090418

If you are new to using Google Analytics tracking parameters then their URL builder is a really helpful tool to ensure you’re adding the parameters correctly. You can find this here: https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/

And with that I'll sign off with a fun (?!) fact; UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, a legacy from the platform Google Analytics is built from; Urchin WebAnalytics Software.

*Please comment or message me with any questions or feedback. Thanks!*

The question I get asked the most by small businesses using Instagram is how to use hashtags correctly. It is one of the most important things to grow your reach, but like anything in digital marketing, the answer is constantly evolving (pesky algorithms).

However, there are some simple guidelines to follow:

1. Keep hashtags relevant - Don't stick in lots of hashtags to try and gain reach, but that have no affinity to what you are talking about. You will be penalised by the algorithm for that.
   
   
2. Change the hashtags you use every time - This follows on from keeping hashtags relevant; none of your posts are the same and your hashtags shouldn't be either. 
   
   
3. Do your research on which hashtags to use - Spend time playing with different hashtags' search results and looking at hashtags your competitors and, most importantly, your target audience. What appears on these hashtags and does your content match it.
   
   
4. Include a mixture of highly and less used hashtags - When you are checking your hashtags you can see how popular it is. Hugely popular will mean lots of eyes are on it, but you will quickly get lost. Less popular will mean you are more likely to be found by users who are really interested.

And here are my top tips for making your hashtagging life a little easier:

• Keep a list of your most used hashtags to paste into your post every time and then edit around; deleting some, adding others. That way hashtagging doesn't have to become a time consuming blackhole.
  
  
• Click into a hashtag to check that the content being posted on it is relevant to you and then you will see ideas of other hashtags related to it, make sure to include these in your research.
  
  
• Use the hashtag finder when you are typing your caption to look for alternative spellings and variations of your chosen hashtags.
  
  
• Instagram will let you see the hashtags your audience follow; go to the profiles of your highest engaged audience members, click into 'Following' and select hashtags. Checking these is a must to make sure you haven't missed something.
  
  
• Remember that Instagram does ban some hashtags - and these can be popular i.e. #valentinesday - steer clear of these to avoid being penalised. You will notice if a hashtag you are looking at is banned because there is a notice when you click into it, or have a quick Google for hashtags to avoid.​