Tracking Your Success: How to Use UTM Parameters for Affiliate Links

To optimize your strategy, you need data. You need to know which of your promotional activities are working. UTM parameters are the key.

What are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are short text codes added to a URL to track campaigns. They look like: ?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

The 3 Most Important Parameters

1. utm_source (The 'Where'): Identifies the traffic source. Ex: google, facebook, newsletter.
2. utm_medium (The 'How'): Identifies the marketing medium. Ex: social, email, blog_post.
3. utm_campaign (The 'Why'): Identifies the specific campaign. Ex: winter_sale, product_review.

How to Build Your Tracking URL

Start with your base affiliate link: https://.../?ref=yourname

Now, add your UTM parameters: https://.../?ref=yourname&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=portal_review

How to See the Data

Many affiliate dashboards, including the one for the Business Portal, can read these parameters. In your referrals report, you'll often see new columns for 'Source', 'Medium', and 'Campaign', showing you exactly which links are driving sales.

By using UTMs, you can stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions to focus your efforts for maximum results.