Attribution
UTM campaign
Also called utm_campaign.
UTM campaign is the parameter that names the specific marketing effort on an inbound link. It is written utm_campaign in the address.
How it is measured
The value is read from the landing address and attached to the session. All sessions with the same value are grouped as one campaign in reports. The case and spelling must be exact to group.
Use a pattern, such as a short effort name plus the month, and keep it lowercase. Check the campaign report for near-duplicates.
Worked example
A community theatre sends a season-launch email, two posts, and a poster QR code. The links use utm_campaign values 'season-launch-oct', 'Season-Launch-Oct', and 'seasonlaunch'.
The report shows three rows with 880, 410, and 190 sessions. After merging them to the first form, the theatre sees 1,480 sessions and 96 ticket orders and can compare the effort with the previous season.
How it differs
A UTM campaign is one tag on the link. A campaign is the real-world effort that tag represents. You can have a campaign without the tag, but the reports will not see it.
Common errors
Using different spellings. Putting dates in inconsistent formats. Reusing names. Adding spaces and special characters. Naming it after the tool instead of the effort.
In practice
Pick a naming pattern and list live campaign names in one sheet. Use a link builder to avoid typing errors. Check the campaign report for near-duplicates after each send.