UTM Parameters: Track direct mail & marketing campaigns

Direct mail without tracking is expensive guesswork. UTM parameters are short snippets of text added to your URLs that turn every postcard, QR code, and personalized link into a measurable touchpoint, so you can see which campaigns are driving traffic, conversions, and revenue.

This guide covers what UTM parameters are, how to build them, where to use them (especially in direct mail), and how to track results so you can measure ROI and optimize campaigns with real data.

What UTM parameters are

UTM parameters are snippets of text added to the end of a URL that tell your analytics platform where your traffic came from. Think of them as digital breadcrumbs that connect each site visit back to the specific campaign, email, ad, or postcard that drove it.

When someone clicks a UTM tagged link, your analytics tool captures those parameters automatically. Instead of seeing traffic lumped into generic buckets like “direct” or “referral,” you get clearer answers about which channel and campaign drove the visit.

Why you need UTM parameters

UTM parameters turn guesswork into data. They let you track which campaigns are driving results so you can invest more in what works and cut what does not.

Here is what they unlock:

• Channel attribution: Know whether a sale came from email, social, paid search, or a postcard you sent last week.
• Campaign performance: Compare campaigns side by side to see which offers, messages, and creative variations drive engagement.
• Budget decisions: Shift spend toward tactics that deliver ROI instead of the ones that only feel effective.
• Omnichannel visibility: See how offline and online efforts work together when you run campaigns that blend direct mail with digital touchpoints.

For direct mail, UTMs are especially useful because they bridge physical mail and digital behavior. When you embed a UTM tagged URL in a QR code or personalized URL, you can measure whether your postcards and letters are driving traffic and conversions.

The five standard UTM parameters

Every UTM tagged URL is built from five possible parameters. Three are essential, two are optional, but all five give you more control over how you track and report on campaigns.

• utm_source: Identifies the platform or channel sending the traffic (like google, facebook, or direct_mail).
• utm_medium: Describes the type of marketing channel (like email, postcard, cpc, or social).
• utm_campaign: Names the specific promotion or initiative (like spring_sale, q4_reactivation, or new_launch).
• utm_term: Tracks a keyword or audience segment, typically used in paid search.
• utm_content: Differentiates between similar links in the same campaign, useful for A/B testing.

You will use source, medium, and campaign in nearly every link. Term and content come into play when you are running tests or want more detail about what is driving clicks within a single campaign.

How to build a UTM tagged link

Start with your destination URL, then add the parameters you want to track. The most common setup includes source, medium, and campaign.

You can build UTM links manually, or you can use Google’s Campaign URL Builder to generate them automatically.

Pro tip: If you are sending high volume direct mail with Lob, you can automate UTM tagging at scale using dynamic variables tied to your customer data.

Best practices for UTM parameters

UTM parameters only work if you use them consistently. A messy naming convention creates duplicate sources, conflicting campaign names, and reporting you cannot trust.

Follow these rules to keep tracking clean:

• Use lowercase only: Direct_Mail and direct_mail will show up as separate sources.
• Replace spaces with underscores or hyphens: Use spring_sale or spring-sale, not spring sale.
• Be specific but concise: postcard is better than mail, and q1_acquisition is better than campaign1.
• Document your naming conventions: Create a shared guide so everyone tags campaigns the same way.
• Avoid special characters: Stick to letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens.

Where to use UTM tagged links

UTM parameters work anywhere you are driving traffic from one place to another. That includes digital channels and, with the right setup, offline ones too.

Common places UTMs make sense:

• QR codes on postcards, letters, and self mailers that route to campaign specific landing pages
• Email CTAs to track which messages and which links drive engagement
• Social media posts to see which platforms convert
• Paid ads to differentiate between channels and audiences
• Affiliate and partner links to measure partner performance
• SMS and push notifications to track mobile engagement

One place you do not want UTMs is internal links on your own website. Adding them can override attribution and make it harder to see where users originally came from.

Use UTMs in your direct mail campaigns

Direct mail and UTM parameters are a strong match. When you embed a UTM tagged URL in a QR code or personalized URL, you turn a physical mailpiece into a trackable digital touchpoint.

Build UTMs into QR codes and PURLs

QR codes are the easiest way to bridge direct mail and digital tracking. Generate a UTM tagged URL, convert it into a QR code using a QR generator, and place it on your postcard or letter. When someone scans it, the UTM parameters pass through automatically.

Personalized URLs take things a step further. Instead of sending everyone to the same landing page, you create unique URLs for each recipient and tag them with UTMs that reflect the campaign, audience, or creative variation. This helps you track engagement more granularly and support landing experiences that feel more personal.

See where direct mail fits in your omnichannel campaign

UTM parameters help you understand how direct mail interacts with the rest of your marketing mix. When you tag every channel consistently, you can compare performance across email, paid ads, social, and mail to see which combinations are driving the strongest results.

For example, you might discover that direct mail works best as a follow up to email, not a standalone tactic. Or you might find direct mail performs better when paired with retargeting because the channels reinforce the same message across multiple touchpoints.

Track your direct mail results

Once your UTM tagged links are live, tracking performance is straightforward. Your analytics platform will surface the parameters you have tagged, so you can filter, segment, and report on performance.

Here is what to look for:

• Traffic by source and medium: See how much traffic came from direct_mail versus email or paid_search.
• Campaign level performance: Compare results across campaigns to identify your strongest offers and creative approaches.
• Conversion rates: Track which campaigns drive sign ups, purchases, or other goal completions.
• Assisted conversions: Understand how direct mail contributes to conversions even when it is not the final touchpoint before someone buys.

If you are using Lob, you also get delivery visibility, so you can line up site activity with in home timing and understand response windows more clearly.

Ready to automate your direct mail tracking? Book a demo to see how Lob helps you build, send, and measure UTM tagged campaigns at scale.

Common UTM mistakes to avoid

Even experienced marketers mess up UTM tagging. Here are common mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Inconsistent naming: Using email, Email, and e-mail across campaigns splits your data into separate buckets. Pick one format and stick to it.
2. Overcomplicating parameters: You do not have to track every variable. Focus on parameters that inform decisions and help you optimize.
3. Forgetting to shorten URLs: UTM tagged URLs can get long. Consider a link shortener for print materials where space is limited.
4. Not testing links before launch: A single typo can break tracking for an entire campaign. Always test links before you send.
5. Using UTMs on internal links: UTMs on your own site can overwrite original source data and make attribution harder to trust.

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