UTM is an acronym which means Urchin Tracking Module. UTM is a set of parameters that are added to the end of a URL to to support the capture or recording of data about website traffic and its origins.

UTM originated from Urchin Software Corporation, which was acquired by Google in 2005. The technologies employed by the corporated were then integrated into Google Analytics, and UTMs have become an indispensable tool in digital marketing since then.

1. utm_source: Identifies the website or platform generating the traffic.
2. utm_medium: Specifies the type of marketing medium, such as email or social media.
3. utm_campaign: Names the specific marketing campaign.
4. utm_term: Used primarily for paid search to identify keywords.
5. utm_content: Differentiates between various links within the same campaign.

utmcreate.com is a sophisitcated and easy to use tool that can be used to generate UTMs. This UTM builder can be used to power UTM needs.

UTMs can be described as a marketers best friend, see below a list of whats UTMs can assisting in marketing.

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: The granularity provided by UTMs enables you to make choices based on empirical data rather than intuition.
• Resource Optimization: By understanding the efficacy of various campaigns, you can allocate your financial and human resources more prudently.
• Campaign Evaluation: UTMs allow you to gauge the success of specific marketing campaigns, be they social media promotions, email newsletters, or paid advertisements.
• Customer Segmentation: Knowing where your traffic originates can help you understand your audience better. This, in turn, aids in the creation of more targeted and relevant marketing materials.
• Real-time Adaptability: The ability to monitor performance in real-time enables you to make agile adjustments to your marketing strategies, thereby boosting the chances of meeting or surpassing your objectives.
• Enhanced Attribution: UTMs simplify the process of attributing conversions to specific campaigns, helping you to determine which marketing initiatives are most lucrative.
• Competitive Leverage: Accurate tracking can provide you with insights that afford you a competitive advantage. In a data-driven world, this is invaluable.
• Longitudinal Analysis: Over time, the data collected can provide a longitudinal view of marketing trends, offering deeper insights that can inform future strategic decisions.

It is not recommended to use spaces when generating UTMs. Spaces are usually replaced with &20. The inclusion of spaces can make URLs hard to manage. Which can lead to ambiguities in your analytics data, rendering it less reliable for informed decision-making. Instead, consider using hyphens -, underscores _ , or camelCase to separate words in UTM parameters.
For instance: Instead of utm_campaign=new shirt line launch, consider utm_campaign=new-shirt-line-launch or utm_campaign=new_shirt_line_launch.

A QR Code, or Quick Response Code, is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned using a smartphone camera to quickly direct users to a website, app, or other digital resources.

QR Codes work by encoding information in a pattern of black squares arranged on a white background. When scanned, the encoded data is translated into a string of characters that typically forms a URL or text.