Tag: Campaign Tracking

  • Top Linkly alternative of 2025: Linkly vs. Replug 

    Top Linkly alternative of 2025: Linkly vs. Replug 

    As 2025 unfolds, the race to find the ultimate link management tool is more intense than ever. 

    Marketers and businesses are no longer settling for basic link functionalities—they’re on the hunt for stronger solutions that deliver advanced analytics, retargeting, and branding capabilities. 

    If you’ve also been exploring tools like Linkly but feel room for improvement. This comparison will introduce you to Replug—a top Linkly alternative. 

    Both platforms are designed to empower marketers with branded links, redirecting features, and advanced branded management, but how do they truly stack up? 

    In this Linkly vs. Replug blog, we’ll compare these platforms side by side, dissecting their features, pricing, and limitations to help you discover the perfect fit for your link management needs.

    Replug Branded Short Links CTA
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    A complete link management solution
    for marketing professionals & agencies.
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    OverviewLinklyReplug
    DescriptionLinkly– a simple link management tool founded to provide marketers with a straightforward tool for link creation and basic analytics, Linkly has gained traction among businesses looking for a no-frills approach to link management.Replug positions itself as a comprehensive link management and marketing platform. It goes beyond simple URL shortening to offer a suite of tools designed to enhance your marketing efforts across various channels.
    Pricing starts from$34/month$19/month
    Best forLink rotations and retargetingComplete link management 

    Also read: Custom URL shortener: Benefits, purpose, and the best tools

    Feature-by-feature analysis Linkly vs. Replug 

    Feature comparisonLinklyReplug
    Link management 
    Link shortening YesYes
    Custom links YesYes
    SMS links YesYes
    Deep links YesYes
    Custom domainsYes Yes
    UTM tagsYes Yes 
    Link cloakingYes Yes 
    Link disguisingYes Yes 
    Bulk link importYes Yes 
    Bulk link exportYes Yes 
    Link previews Yes Yes 
    Password protect short linkNo Yes 
    Link expiration YesYes 
    Traffic routing and retargeting
    Link rotation Yes Yes 
    Link redirection YesYes 
    Retargeting pixel Yes Yes 
    Redirect by countryYes Yes 
    Redirect by deviceYes Yes 
    A/B test linksNo Yes 
    Campaigns 
    Campaign managementNo Yes 
    Custom CTA’sNoYes 
    3rd-party/ Custom widgetsNoYes 
    Link-in bio No Yes 
    Link shorteningYes Yes 
    Retargeting pixel YesYes 
    Bio links
    Editable templateNoYes 
    Ability to add title, description NoYes 
    RSS feed NoYes 
    Custom theme NoYes 
    Multiple button styleNoYes 
    Verification button NoYes 
    Social links NoYes 
    Cards NoYes 
    Images / Videos NoYes 
    Bio-links previewNo Yes 
    Editable aliasNoYes 
    White-label solution
    White-label dashboard NoYes
    Personalized favicons, colors, domain NoYes
    QR-codes
    Dynamic QR codesYesYes
    Custom colors YesYes
    Multiple download formatsNo – Only PNGYes
    Customizable QR codesYesYes
    Analytics & reporting 
    Link analytics dashboardYesYes
    Shareable analytics dashboardYes Yes 
    Analytics of unique redirectsYesYes
    Real-time analytics YesYes 
    Filter by monthYesYes
    Visitors by countryYesYes
    Unique clicksYesYes
    UTM tracking YesYes
    QR scans NoYes
    Branded domain 404 redirectYesYes
    Data export CSVYesYes 
    Email reports No Yes 
    301 redirect codeYesYes
    Chrome extensionYes Yes 
    Customer support 
    Dedicated supportNoYes 
    Onboarding & call supportNoYes 
    Workspace/ user
    Team/ user dashboardYes Yes 
    Workspace protectionYes No 
    Inviting user via emailYes Yes 
    Team member role – AdminNo Yes 
    Team member role – Guest/ ViewerNo Yes 

    A detailed comparison of Linkly vs. Replug

    Now that we have a basic understanding of Linkly and Replug, the ultimate Linkly alternative. Let’s dive into a detailed comparison of their features, user interface, and other important pointers. This will help you determine which platform aligns best with your specific needs.

    Link management and organization

    Link management involves organizing, tracking, and optimizing URLs across various digital marketing channels. 

    Linkly link management

    • Create branded links with a custom domain: Linkly allows you to use your own branded domain, enhancing brand visibility and trust with custom short links.
    • Offers simple tagging for categorization: Tags help categorize links for quick identification, but they may lack more advanced tagging options.
    • No option to create password-protected links: Unlike other platforms, Linkly doesn’t allow you to add password protection for extra security on short links.
    • Easily delete or disable links: Links can be quickly deleted or disabled from the platform, making it easy to manage active and inactive links.
    • Quick QR codes: Linkly enables you to generate custom QR codes for your links, streamlining access and providing valuable tracking insights.
    • Offers easy link cloaking capabilities: Link cloaking is simple to implement, helping you hide long URLs and protect affiliate commissions.
    • Create custom social media link previews: Customize how your links appear on social media platforms, improving click-through rates and engagement.
    link management

    Replug link management

    • Advance URL shortener: Transform generic links into branded ones and share them with your audience to drive more traffic. Track performance with each click to measure your impact.
    • Provides a clear dashboard for tracking links and campaigns: The dashboard is user-friendly and provides a comprehensive view of your links and their performance.
    • Supports advanced tagging and categorization options: With Replug, you can apply link tags and categories, improving link organization and searchability.
    • Includes a search function to quickly locate specific links: A search feature allows fast access to specific links, ideal for large collections.
    • Allows creation of password-protected links or setting expiry dates: You can protect your links with a password or set an expiration date, adding a layer of security and control.
    • Instantly create dynamic QR codes for your links: Easily generate dynamic QR codes that can be updated without changing the original link, perfect for print and digital media.
    • Deep linking for smooth navigation: Deep linking ensures users are directed to the right content in-app, enhancing their experience and reducing drop-offs.
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    to your favorite platforms.
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    • Add favicons to your links with ease: You can easily add favicons to links, creating a more personalized and professional look for your URLs.
    • Allows easy link cloaking capabilities: Replug also provides simple link cloaking options, ensuring a cleaner and more branded URL for your campaigns.
    • Link previews for social media, SMS, or custom use: Replug lets you customize link previews, making them more appealing on social media, SMS, or other platforms to boost engagement.

    Replug’s more advanced organizational features give it an edge, particularly for users managing a large volume of links or complex marketing campaigns.

    Also read: Bitly vs Rebrandly vs Replug: Which is the best link management tool?

    URL shortening and customization

    Linkly URL shortening

    • Slug customization: Linkly provides basic customization for the URL slug, but it lacks advanced options for optimizing links for SEO beyond the basics.
    • Bulk link creation capabilities: Allows users to create multiple short links at once, making it efficient for campaigns requiring numerous URLs.
    • Lack of advanced deep linking: Linkly doesn’t offer deep linking features that direct users to specific in-app pages for a seamless user journey.
    • SEO-friendly URLs: Linkly supports SEO-friendly URLs by allowing the inclusion of relevant keywords in the URL path, improving visibility in search engines.
    url shortening

    Replug URL shortening

    • Dynamic link customization: Replug allows users to create dynamic URLs that can be updated with new destinations without changing the shared link.

    Also read: Dynamic URLs vs. Static URLs

    • Bulk link import functionality: You can import multiple links at once, which saves time when managing large link libraries.
    • Custom domains for branded links: Replug supports the use of custom domains, allowing businesses to create branded short links that help reinforce brand recognition.
    • SEO-friendly URLs: Replug ensures that users can create SEO-friendly URLs by customizing the slug and optimizing the link structure for better search engine performance.
    Replug Branded Short Links CTA
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    Maximize marketing ROI
    by transforming ordinary URLs into
    branded short links that convert.
    Try Replug for free
    • Automated link customization: Replug includes automation features like link tagging, UTM presets, and bulk editing, saving time and effort for SEO optimization.
    • Custom-branded SMS links: Create personalized, branded links for SMS campaigns to boost trust and click-through rates.
    • Mobile-first optimization: Links created in Replug are optimized for mobile users, with options for app deep linking and responsive URLs for better user experience.

    Bio-link pages

    Linkly bio-link

    • Lacks the bio-link feature: Linkly does not provide the option to create customizable bio-link pages to consolidate multiple links like its competitors.
    bio-links

    Replug bio-link

    • Customizable bio-link pages: Replug allows users to create personalized bio-link pages with branded designs matching their brand identity.
    • Add brand name to your bio link: Include your brand name directly in your bio link to strengthen brand visibility and recognition.
    Boost ROI with branded URLs - Replug dashboard showing performance metrics and branded URL creation
    Replug Logo

    Go beyond generic link pages!

    Create custom bio links that truly fit your brand

    With Replug, you can create bio links that are unique, engaging, and built to convert.

    Start free trial
    • Add multiple links to one page: Use a single bio-link page to house multiple URLs, including videos, text, cards, and social links, making it easy for users to navigate to specific content.

    Also read: 7 benefits of bio links you need to know: your ultimate manual

    • RSS feed: Automatically display your latest blog posts or updates on your bio-link page with an integrated RSS feed.
    • Add a tracking pixel to your bio-links: Enhance analytics by embedding tracking pixels to monitor audience engagement with your bio-links.

    Traffic routing and retargeting

    Linkly retargeting and traffic distribution 

    • Simple routing rules: Enables straightforward link rotation setup of routing criteria without requiring technical expertise.
    • Manual traffic distribution: This allows you to control how much traffic is allocated to each variation in your links.
    • Redirect users based on country: This enables you to redirect users to specific URLs based on their country, ensuring they access region-specific content or offers.
    • Robot and spider blocking: Linkly allows you to block bots and search engine spiders from crawling your links, ensuring better control over your traffic and analytics.
    • Device-based routing: Directs users to mobile or desktop-optimized pages depending on the device they are using.
    • Simplified pixel setup: Provides an easy-to-use interface for attaching retargeting pixels to your links without technical hurdles.
    • Limited platform integrations: Offers basic retargeting support but integrates with fewer platforms like Meta, Google Pixel, etc, compared to advanced tools.
    retargeting pixels

    Replug retargeting and traffic distribution 

    • Geo and device-based routing: Replug allows you to route traffic based on location or device type, ensuring a personalized experience for users.
    • A/B testing for campaigns: Test multiple URLs or landing pages to determine the best-performing version for your audience.
    • Custom routing rules: Set advanced rules to direct traffic to specific pages depending on user behavior or preferences.
    • Dynamic link rotator: Easily adjust traffic distribution between URLs during A/B testing based on performance insights.
    • Real-time analytics for optimization: Monitor real-time routing and testing results to tweak campaigns and maximize conversions.
    • Add retargeting pixels to every link: Replug allows users to attach retargeting pixels from social platforms like Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn to any shortened URL, enabling precise audience tracking.
    • Enhance ad relevance: Retarget users with personalized ads based on their previous interactions with your links.
    • Track pixel performance: Monitor how well your retargeting pixels perform directly from Replug’s analytics dashboard, ensuring you can tweak campaigns for better results.

    Call-to-action campaigns

    Linkly CTA campaigns

    • Missing CTA creation feature: Unlike Linkly alternatives, The platform has no option to add tailored call-to-action buttons to your links for enhanced conversion.

    Replug CTA campaigns

    • Customizable call-to-action: Replug allows users to create fully customizable CTAs that align with their branding and campaign goals.
    • Personalized text and links: Customize CTAs with headlines, messages, links, and phone numbers for contact.
    call to action
    • Brand-consistent design: Use your brand’s colors and theme for a seamless, professional look across your campaigns.
    • Multiple CTA Types: Users can create different types of CTAs, such as buttons, banners, or pop-ups, to drive user engagement.
    • Control timing and positioning: Schedule when your CTA appears and adjust its placement for maximum visibility.
    Boost ROI with branded URLs - Replug dashboard showing performance metrics and branded URL creation
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    Boost your conversion rates with irresistable CTAs with

    for your marketing campaigns.

    Check

    Higher clicks

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    More leads

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    Better ROI

    Generate free CTAs
    • A/b testing for optimization: Use A/B testing to refine and optimize your CTAs based on real-time performance data.

    Also read: Boost Your ROI with Personalized Call to Action for a Website

    Analytics and tracking capabilities

    Linkly analytics

    • Provides simple data visualization: Linkly offers clean and straightforward data visualization, making it easy to track clicks and key metrics through simple graphs and charts.
    • Limited options for data export: Linkly provides basic data export functionality, but advanced options for exporting analytics may be limited for users needing deeper analysis.
    • Click tracking: Get efficient click tracking, showing data like the number of clicks and the location of users to gauge engagement.
    • Geographic insights: It provides location-based analytics, helping you understand where your audience is coming from.
    • Device and browser tracking: Linkly can track the devices and browsers users are using to click on your links, aiding in more targeted campaigns.
    link analytics

    Replug analytics 

    • Real-time, in-depth analytics: The Linkly alternative – Replug, provides live tracking and detailed insights into link performance, click analytics, and user behavior for immediate campaign optimization.
    • Geographic, device, and referrer insights: Understand where users come from, which devices they use, and what sources drive the most traffic to your links.
    • UTM parameter tracking: Create and measure campaign effectiveness by tracking UTM-tagged links and identifying top-performing traffic sources.
    • Campaign and link-specific tracking: Analyze performance at the campaign level or link level, track retargeting pixel data, QR scans, CTA campaign, and bio-link engagement.
    • Detailed custom link and SMS analytics: Dive deep into custom link or SMS campaign data, including click-through rates, user engagement, and interaction metrics.
    • Comprehensive data export options: Replug provides you a separate dashboard for all your reports. Export analytics data in flexible formats for further analysis, reporting, or integration with external tools.

    Replug consistently offers more advanced and comprehensive options than Linkly in this feature-by-feature comparison. However, the best choice depends on your specific needs and the level of complexity you’re comfortable with in your link management tool.

    Pros & cons comparisons – Linkly vs Replug

    LinklyReplug
    Pros– Strong traffic routing capabilities
    – Simple and straightforward user interface
    – Supports UTM tracking for campaigns
    – Quick and reliable performance
    – Complete link management solutions
    – White-label dashboard- Advanced retargeting features
    – Customizable CTAs and bio-links
    – A/B testing for CTA effectiveness
    – 24/7 customer support
    – Excellent value for money
    Cons– Pricing may feel high for the feature set
    – Limited options for data export
    – Basic visualization tools
    – Lacks advanced customization features
    – No free plan currently available

    Overall performance and user interface 

    When it comes to link management tools, performance and interface are paramount. So consider your team’s technical expertise and the time you’re willing to invest in learning a new tool when deciding.

    Let’s examine how Linkly and Replug measure up in these critical areas.

    User interface

    Linkly offers a clean and minimalistic interface designed for simplicity. It focuses on essential features without overwhelming users, making it an excellent option for teams who need straightforward link management and analytics. 

    Navigating through key functions like creating short links, adding UTMs, and accessing analytics is intuitive, even for those with limited technical experience.

    On the other hand, the Linkly alternative – Replug takes a more feature-rich approach with its user-friendly interface. Despite offering advanced tools like CTA campaigns, bio-link creation, and retargeting options, Replug organizes its dashboard neatly, ensuring a smooth user experience. 

    Boost ROI with branded URLs - Replug dashboard showing performance metrics and branded URL creation
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    Boost ROI with
    branded URLs!

    Enhance your marketing campaigns by creating shareable, trackable, and fully multi-purpose customizable branded URLs.

    Try Replug for free

    You may also like: Top call-to-action tools – Proven CTA tips and tricks

    Its modern design caters to both beginners and experienced marketers, allowing teams to find and utilize features quickly without a steep learning curve.

    Marketing team analyzing link performance data

    Link loading speed

    Linkly focuses on delivering reliable performance with a lightweight tool optimized for quick link creation and tracking. However, it may lack advanced features that growing teams or data-heavy campaigns might require. Besides that, you may notice limited information available on server response times.

    In comparison, the Linkly alternative – Replug offers complex link management tasks while maintaining stability and speed. All while providing capabilities like advanced click analytics, deep links, and traffic redirects. 

    Replug’s customer support offers prompt and reliable assistance, ensuring users get quick solutions to their queries. With responsive support channels and helpful resources, navigating the platform is seamless for all users.

    Linkly vs. Replug: Feedback from real users

    Linkly Replug 
    Reviews “Simple yet powerful link tracker”
    Verified user
    “Powerful URL shortener with advanced features”
    Carlos T.
    “Easy to use”
    Verified user
    “One of the best URL Shortner with Deeplinking”
    Verified user
    Great solution for link shortening specially for “mail:to” events”
    Anthony W.
    “Very convenient platform to create Branded Links with Marketing & Reporting”
    Karen S.
    “Solid team behind Replug”
    Verified user
    Support channels – Live-chat 
    – Email support 
    – Knowledge base
    – Release notes 
    – Request a Linkly feature
    – Basic support
    – Live-chat 
    – Email support 
    – Changelog 
    – Knowledge base 
    – Glossary 
    – Help center
    – Dedicated support
    – Onboarding & call support

    A one-on-one pricing comparison – Linkly vs. Replug

    When choosing a link management tool, pricing is often a crucial factor. Let’s break down the pricing structures of Linkly and Replug to help you determine which offers better value for your investment.

    Plan LinklyReplug
    FreeOffers a free tier with 1000 clicks every monthOffers a 14-day free trial 
    BasicUp to 25k clicks – $34/moUp to 10k clicks – $19/mo
    ProUp to 50k clicks – $59/moUp to 50k clicks – $49/mo
    Agency smallUp to 100k clicks – $94/moUnlimited clicks – $79/mo
    Agency mediumUp to 200k clicks – $154/moUnlimited clicks – $149/mo
    Agency LargeUp to 500k clicks – $289/moUnlimited clicks – $299/mo
    Agency EnterpriseUp to 1m click – $499/monthUnlimited clicks – $499/mo
    Custom plans No Yes 

    Note: Replug also offers annual billing with a discount.

    Ultimately, the better value depends on your specific needs and budget. If you’re looking for a simple, no-frills link management tool and have the budget for it, Linkly could be a viable option. However, If you require advanced features, the Linkly alternative – Replug offers them at a more competitive price point.

    Our verdict 

    If you’re looking for a tool that can grow with your marketing needs and integrate seamlessly with your existing workflow, Replug’s advanced features and integrations make it a compelling choice.

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    A complete link management solution
    for marketing professionals & agencies.
    Try Replug for free

    FAQs on Linkly vs. Replug 

    Which URL shortener platform provides better value for money: Linkly or Replug?

    Replug generally offers better value for money due to its more flexible pricing structure and comprehensive feature set, especially for businesses looking for advanced link management capabilities.

    Which link management tool is better for small businesses: Linkly or Replug?

    For small businesses with basic needs, Linkly might be sufficient. However, for small businesses looking to grow and leverage more advanced marketing strategies. The Linkly alternative – Replug’s scalable features and pricing make it a more versatile choice that can adapt to evolving needs.

    What makes someone click on a retargeting ad?

    The best retargeting ads are relevant, timely, and personalized. They resonate with the audience by addressing specific needs or interests, making them more likely to engage. These ads can effectively drive traffic to your website or product pages.

    Why do I see ads for things I’ve already purchased?

    This happens when retargeting campaigns don’t exclude previous buyers from their audience. Updating your audience settings can prevent unnecessary ads for items already purchased.

    You may also like:

    9 best product analytics tools: A comparative analysis

    30+ great SaaS tools in the market today

    14 Best white label marketing tools for agencies in 2024

    11 Best Affiliate Marketing Tools of 2024 – Features, Reviews, Pricing, and More    

  • What are UTM Codes and How Do They Work?

    What are UTM Codes and How Do They Work?

    Marketing can be complex, but measuring its effectiveness doesn’t have to be. UTM codes are your answer to understanding what’s working and what’s not in your campaigns and, more importantly, to pinpoint which campaigns are doing the heavy lifting. This is where UTM codes come into play, offering a simple solution to the challenge of marketing success. So, let’s break it down:

    What are UTM codes?

    UTM codes are essentially strings of text that are added to URLs. These strings contain specific parameters that provide invaluable information about the source, medium, and campaign that led a user to a particular webpage. In other words, UTM codes act as data markers, offering a clearer view of the user’s journey, from the initial interaction to conversion.

    Here’s a breakdown of the key UTM parameters:

    1. Source: 

    This parameter specifies the origin of your traffic. Is it coming from an email, a social media platform, a search engine, or another source? Accurately tagging the source helps you identify which channels are driving the most traffic.

    1. Medium: 

    The medium parameter describes the type of marketing medium used. It could be an email, social, organic search, paid search, or any other medium relevant to your campaign. Categorizing your traffic in this way allows you to determine which marketing avenues are the most effective.

    1. Campaign: 

    The campaign parameter enables you to track a specific marketing campaign or initiative. Whether it’s a product launch, a seasonal promotion, or an event, this parameter helps you differentiate between different efforts within the same source and medium.

    1. Term (optional): 

    This parameter is often used for paid search campaigns to identify the keywords that triggered the ad click. It’s an optional parameter and is mainly relevant to search engine advertising.

    1. Content (optional): 

    Another optional parameter, content can be used to differentiate between different elements of your marketing efforts, such as different ad variations or links within the same campaign.

    Understand with an example:

    Let’s create an example URL with UTM parameters added.

    Original URL:

    https://www.example.com/product-page

    Now, let’s add UTM parameters to track the source, medium, and campaign:

    • Source: Let’s say the traffic is coming from an email newsletter.
    • Medium: The marketing medium is email.
    • Campaign: It’s part of a campaign called “SummerPromo.”

    Now, we’ll add these UTM parameters to the URL:

    https://www.example.com/product-page?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SummerPromo

    With these UTM parameters added, you can track that anyone who clicks on this URL is coming from the source “email,” through the medium “email,” and as part of the “SummerPromo” campaign. This allows you to monitor the performance of this specific link in your marketing efforts.

    How to create UTM tracking codes?

    Creating UTM tracking codes is a pivotal part of monitoring the performance of your online marketing efforts. While it’s technically possible to manually create these codes by adding specific strings to your URLs, it can be complex and time-consuming, especially when you have to manage them at scale. This is where UTM code generators come into play, making the process much more efficient.

    Google Analytics URL builder:

    Google Analytics offers a straightforward UTM code generator, which has become the go-to choice for many businesses. Here’s how you can use it:

    1. Visit Google’s URL Builder tool.
    2. Fill in the required fields for your campaign: the URL of the landing page, source, medium, campaign, term (optional), and content (optional).
    3. Click “Generate URL,” and Google will create the UTM-coded URL for you.
    how-to-create-utm-parameters-url

    Replug – A convenient alternative:

    Replug is another powerful tool for UTM code creation, and here’s why it’s worth considering:

    • Automatic UTM code generation: 

    Replug automates the UTM code creation process, saving you the trouble of manual entry. This means you can gather valuable analytics data as soon as your campaign goes live.

    • Shortened and customized URLs: 

    UTM-coded URLs can become quite lengthy, which can be a problem on platforms like Instagram or when users need to copy and paste links. Replug shortens and customizes these URLs, making them more elegant and user-friendly.

    For example, a long UTM-coded URL might look like this:

    https://replug.io/pages/resources/blogs/influencermarketing?&utm_source=contentdigest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ebook-influencer-marketing&leadchannel=email&leadchanneldetail=contentdigest

    With Replug, it could be as sleek as this: 

    https://rplg.co/Influencer02

    While preserving all the essential UTM data.

    Also read: How to add utm code to the URL using a link shortener?

    • Advanced tracking and analytics: 

    While UTM codes are a solid foundation for analyzing marketing performance, they have limitations. Replug offers an enhanced solution called Campaigns, providing in-depth insights and a more hassle-free tracking experience, especially when managing multiple campaigns across various marketing channels.

    Replug Branded Short Links CTA
    Replug Logo
    A complete link management solution
    for marketing professionals & agencies.
    Try Replug for free

    Elevate Your Brand Performance with Replug

    UTM codes are a fundamental tool for tracking the success of your brand campaigns, links, and platforms. They provide valuable data, but those unwieldy, lengthy links can be a drawback. As your marketing endeavors become more intricate, it’s essential to adopt a system that offers both enhanced power and efficiency.

    This is where Replug steps in as the ideal solution. Replug not only helps you track traffic effectively, even in the most complex marketing landscapes, but it also simplifies the process. With Replug, you obtain concise, stylish links that seamlessly fit into any context. Moreover, it offers an analytics tool that’s user-friendly and excels at managing multichannel marketing campaigns.

    In essence, Replug empowers you to elevate your brand’s performance, making tracking and managing your marketing efforts a smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more successful process.

    You may also like:

    Click Tracking: What It Is and How It Works?

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    How to Shorten a link using a URL shortener?

    What are UTM codes?

    UTM codes are tracking parameters added to URLs to measure marketing performance. They’re vital for data-driven decision-making and proving campaign success.

    How do I create UTM codes for my campaigns?

    You can create UTM codes manually, but it’s easier and error-free to use online UTM code generators like Google’s Campaign URL Builder or Replug’s UTM code builder.

    What is Replug, and how does it work for link tracking?

    Bitly is a URL shortening and link management platform that not only shortens links for sharing but also provides link tracking and analytics to measure click-through rates and engagement.

  • What are tracking pixels & how do they work?

    What are tracking pixels & how do they work?

    What is a tracking pixel?

    A tracking pixel is a pixel tag or code snippet that triggers the tracking system when a visitor lands on a website page after clicking on a specific link or CTA.

    A tracking pixel works by placing it on a website or in an email and tracking the data that helps the marketer or advertiser analyze and track the campaign performances.

    Have you ever noticed how quickly you land on a “thank you” page when you finish the checkout process on an e-commerce site?

    Do you know that the largest websites, such as e-commerce platforms, social media platforms, and web portals, track their website visitors?

    Websites and apps track their users because it helps them navigate in the right direction or understand what they need to accomplish.

    In some cases, a tiny image file is added to the website or app, which usually goes unnoticed by the naked eye. While in some instances, a tracking pixel could also be a piece of code that goes into the website page URL and helps marketers track performance through clickability.

    Adding a tracking pixel on any web or app property is to collect user data to understand their behaviors, actions, and choices.

    Furthermore, it is used to track the activity of users on a website or email campaign to determine the success of the campaign.

    Let’s do this. Shall we?

    Why do you need tracking pixels?

     

    TrackingPixel_Info-
    Source: https://blog.shareasale.com/2016/01/25/tracking-pixels-101/

    Tracking performance is the essence of any marketing campaign, as it helps marketers understand how their marketing efforts will pan out.

    Here are four areas where tracking pixels comes in handy:

    i. Analyzing website traffic: Tracking pixels can gather data on how users interact with a website. This can help website owners understand which pages are most popular, how users navigate through the site, and where they are coming from.

    ii. Measuring the effectiveness of online advertising: Tracking pixels can measure the success of online advertising campaigns by tracking how many users click on an advertisement and then go on to make a purchase or complete some other desired action.

    iii. Targeting users with relevant advertisements: Tracking pixels can be used to track user behavior and interests, which can be used to show targeted advertisements to users that are more likely to be interested in them.

    iv, Email marketing campaign: Tracking pixels can be used to track the success of email marketing campaigns by measuring how many users open the email and click on links within it.

    No doubt, tracking pixels are important for businesses and marketers, as they allow them to gather data on how users interact with their websites and emails regardless of the platform.

    Moreover, it enables marketers and advertisers to use this information to improve their marketing efforts and relaunch their advertising campaigns more effectively.

    What are the different types of tracking pixels?

    There are two main types of tracking pixels used in digital marketing:

    Conversion Pixels

    Conversion pixels play a vital role in tracking conversions on websites and apps. For example, you may have seen “thank you” or “also check these” pages while buying products online. Such pages trigger or direct visitors to specific pages when they notice a conversion. And conversion pixels help perform this action.

    Now a product sale isn’t the only conversion. In fact, a generated lead or downloaded file is also a conversion. It depends on the campaign type and what the marketer or advertiser wants from the audience.

    Retargeting Pixels

    retargeting-pixel

    One of the most popular tracking pixels is the retargeting pixels. It’s used in retargeting campaigns in the digital marketing field. Retargeting is a marketing strategy of targeting the audience that has visited their website or landing page to convert visitors into subscribers or paid users.

    Retargeting is usually done through paid advertising. However, the targeting process begins earlier by adding a tracking parameter to the URL or the website code. Hence, the retargeting pixel collects visitor data and helps marketers reach the same audience through paid ads.

    How does tracking pixels work?

    Tracking pixels are used to track the users’ online behavior, such as the pages they visit, the links they click on, and the products they purchase.

    A tracking pixel is a piece of code that embeds into the website code or URL to track the performance of the page or link.

    In some cases, tracking pixels are tiny, transparent images placed on web pages or emails to track user behavior.

    Advertisers often use tracking pixels to track the effectiveness of their online advertising campaigns. They can also be used by website owners to track the traffic to their sites and to understand the demographics of their users.

    The way tracking pixels works is that they are often placed in the HTML code of a web page or in the body of an email. They can be implemented using JavaScript or iFrame.

    Example: Suppose a user visits a website or opens an email that contains a tracking pixel; the pixel sends a request to the server that hosts the pixel.

    This request includes information about the user’s browser, such as the user’s IP address, the type of device they are using, and the type of browser they are using.

    The server then records this information and stores it in a database. This information can be used by the webmaster or by the sender of the email to analyze the user’s behavior and tailor their marketing efforts.

    How to Set Up a Tracking Pixel Using Replug?

    Replug is a powerful URL shortener tool that allows brands and marketers to create short, branded URLs for marketing such as for social media, email marketing, and online advertising.

    Since Replug is a URL shortener that offers UTM embedding, URL tracking, branded URLs, deep links, and other services, it opens up the opportunity to retarget the audience.

    As Replug records data of the users’ behavior on the short links, it makes it possible for marketers and brands to retarget those people through different advertising channels.

    Replug plays an anchor role in setting up a retargeting campaign for brands and advertisers using pixel tracking.

    Here’s how you can set up tracking pixels using Replug:

    Step #1: Create a Replug account

    log-in-to-your-account

    To get started with Replug, you must first create a Replug account. Then, you just need to visit the Replug website and sign-up for a free trial account to start the process.

    Once you’ve created your Replug account, log in to your account to explore the features this URL-shortening tool has to offer.

    After the successful login to your Replug account, you’ll see the Replug dashboard, where the process begins.

    Pay close attention to all the steps for setting up a tracking pixel using Replug before jumping the gun. And more importantly, don’t create a short link right after landing on the dashboard area because you’d have missed out on a few steps.

    Step: #2: Setup your brand in the Replug account

    All the steps are crucial to setting up the retargeting pixel using Replug. Now select the appropriate brand or create a new one, just in case.

    Creating a brand on Replug would only take a few seconds. It’s highly unlikely that most readers have already set up their brands on Replug since most would be new users.

    To create a brand:

    Create a Brand

    1. Go to the “Manage” page from the dashboard header menu and click “Brands.”
    2. Option.”
    3. Click on the “Add Brand” button to get started with creating a brand.

    Once it’s done, click the “next” button to proceed.

    Step #3: Make a new campaign

    The next up is creating a new Replug campaign in line with your retargeting campaign. But first, ensure you’ve set up the brand on Replug properly.

    click campaign

    Now go to the “Manage” drop-down from the top menu and click on the “Campaigns” button, and then select “New Campaign” to get started.

    new campaign

    At this point, you’d have to select an already existing brand or create a new brand. Since you have just created a new brand, continue with the created brand in the Replug account.

    Step #4: Select retargeting as the campaign type

    select-campaign-type

    It’s one of the most important steps in the retargeting campaign because it sets the direction of the campaign. This is the part where you name your campaign and choose its type.

    Provide a name for your campaign and select the custom domain if required in the campaign. Otherwise, you can skip the custom domain section.

    However, make sure that you check the retargeting pixel option before moving on to the next step. Once you choose the retargeting pixel, it becomes crystal clear to the Replug platform that it’s a retargeting campaign.
    Also read: Retargeting Ad Examples That Convert & Drive Growth

    Step #5: Add your retargeting code

    Everything seems quite easy until this point, and I’ll ensure the last step goes as smoothly as possible.

    Now, this is the part where you select the social media platform to run your retargeting ad campaign.

    add-retargeting-pixel

    The way it works is that marketers choose the social media platform, give the pixel a name, and finally enter the pixel ID from the respective social media platform such as Facebook pixel id.

    Once everything is done, you’re all set to launch your retargeting campaign using Replug.

    Also read: How to find my Twitter Pixel ID?

    What are the key differences between a pixel and cookie?

    A pixel is a small piece of code placed on a website or in an email. It is often used to track a user’s activity on the website or email and to send this information back to the company or organization that placed the pixel.

    Pixels are typically used to track website visitors and to understand how they interact with the website.

    A cookie is a tiny chunk of data that is stored on the visitor’s computer by a website. It is used to remember certain information about the user, such as their preferences or login information. In addition, cookies are often used to personalize the user experience and to track a user’s activity on a website.

    There are some key differences between pixels and cookies:

    Purpose/Goal: Pixels are primarily used for tracking and analytics, while cookies are used for personalization and tracking.

    Placement: Pixels are placed on websites or in emails, while cookies are stored on a user’s computer.

    Size: Pixels are typically very small (a few hundred bytes), while cookies can be larger (up to 4KB).

    Duration: Pixels are usually short-lived and expire after a certain period. At the same time, cookies can persist for extended periods, depending on how they are configured.

    Privacy: Pixels can be used to track users across different websites and devices, which has raised privacy concerns. Cookies are generally less controversial, but they can also be used to track users and their activity.

    Also read: How To Utilize Replug for Facebook Retargeting Ads?

    FAQs about tracking pixels

    Is tracking pixel legal?

    Tracking pixels are legal as long as they comply with relevant laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. Therefore, once the users comply with all the legal requirements, there shouldn’t be any problem regarding using tracking pixels.

    Is a tracking pixel a cookie?

    A tracking pixel is a small, transparent image file that is placed on a website or in an email. It is often used for tracking and analysis purposes. A tracking pixel is not the same as a cookie, a small piece of data stored on a user’s device and used for tracking and personalization targeting.

    Does pixel track steps?

    A tracking pixel does not track steps, but it can be used to track a user’s actions on a website or in an email. For example, a tracking pixel can be used to track how many people opened an email or clicked on a link.

    Is tracking pixel free?

    Tracking pixels may or may not be free to use. Some tracking pixels are provided by third-party vendors and may require a subscription or fee to use. However, social media platforms provide pixels for retargeting purposes that are free to use for advertisers.

    How to block tracking pixels?

    You can use a browser extension that blocks tracking systems set by websites to block tracking pixels. Furthermore, you can also adjust your browser settings to block or limit the use of cookies.

    Will users know if I’m using a tracking pixel?

    In most cases, users will not know if a tracking pixel is being used on a website or in an email. This is because tracking pixels are typically small and transparent, and they do not interact with the user in any way. However, as described above, users can use tools to detect and block tracking pixels.

  • Campaign tracking: Data-driven tools for marketers

    Campaign tracking: Data-driven tools for marketers

    What is campaign tracking?

    Campaign tracking is a process of monitoring the performance of the URLs with tracking parameters for marketing campaigns. Marketers use campaign tracking as a tool to evaluate the success of their efforts. It comprises gathering data from several sources, such as website analytics, email campaigns, and social media posts. And then analyzing it to assess the campaign’s effectiveness.

    Digital marketers and SEO experts track campaigns to analyze the quality of the marketing channels, traffic sources, and content strategies.

    Conversion optimization is a vast area to manage and campaign tracking is an important part of it. To track marketing campaigns, most marketers use URL shortening tools with URL tracking and analytics features.

    Why should a company set up campaign tracking?

    Campaign tracking is a vital analytics tool. It allows marketers to see which campaigns are performing well and which ones need improvement. Without campaign tracking, it would be difficult to know which marketing strategies are working and which ones are not. There are several aspects of campaign tracking to consider when tracking URLs that an average Joe doesn’t come across every day. Campaign tracking is a URL tracking system to analyze marketing efforts by keeping an eye on the website traffic through specific URLs. Here are the reasons why a company should set up campaign tracking:

    • To track the clickability and conversion rate of a marketing campaign. When brands and marketers run ad campaigns, they usually add a UTM parameter to the call-to-action button to track clickability and conversion from the specific campaign.
    • To measure the effectiveness of the channel, meaning campaign tracking comes in handy when the user wants to analyze the performance of a traffic medium, for instance, a banner ad on a popular blog.
    • To A/B split test two marketing channels. A/B Testing is crucial to finding the best solution in digital marketing. Therefore, marketers compare different tactics to see what works best for them.
    • To assess the ROI of the marketing campaign, it’s vital to have campaign tracking. It gives brands a deep dive into the quality of the traffic sources.

    What are campaign parameters?

    Campaign parameters are URL slugs that add to the website page URL to track, identify, and analyze the traffic sources and campaign performance.

    A lot of brands start advertising and promotions during the holiday season. Most of these brands use campaign tracking to see where most buyers are coming from during the campaign.

    These campaign parameters help them figure out:

    • The impact of the marketing campaign
    • What are the number of visitors that the campaign brought?
    • How engaged those visitors were?
    • How many visitors converted into paying customers?

    Why are campaign tracking parameters important?

    Most first-timers wonder why campaign parameters are important when they’re setting up a retargeting campaign or an ad campaign on social media.

    The answer is that campaign parameters provide marketers with crucial campaign information that helps them make important decisions going forward.

    Brands usually track their CTAs on the landing pages or short URLs shared on social media to see what’s working for them.

    Here are four reasons why campaign tracking is important in digital marketing:

    • Help track campaign results – whether it’s a social media post that contains a short URL with a slug or an online ad, campaign parameters are included to track campaign results.
    • Separate multiple campaigns and make them identifiable. Otherwise, it won’t be possible to differentiate multiple campaigns in a dashboard.
    • Gather clicks and conversion data, which is crucial to the campaign analysis. It’s impossible to figure out whether or not the campaign was successful if there are clicks and conversion data available.
    • Make performance reporting possible for brands and marketers. A lot of experts use URL shorteners to generate short URLs for social media to ensure that performance reporting becomes possible. Replug is a powerful URL-shortening tool for creating, managing, and tracking vanity URLs for social media, online advertising, and email newsletters.

    Also read: How to add UTM code to the URL using a link shortener?

    Set up campaign tracking URLs with Replug

    Replug is an all-in-one link management tool for marketers, social media experts, influencers, and bloggers. It helps users with URL shortening, branded short links, UTM tracking, bio links, retargeting, and lead generation. You can track various campaigns using it, i.e. :

    • URL campaign tracking
    • UTM tracking
    • CTA campaign tracking
    • Retargeting pixel campaign tracking

    Here’s how you can create a tracking URL with Replug:

    Step #1: Log in to your Replug account

    Sign-in-Replug

    Go to the Replug website and log in to your account. If you haven’t created your Replug account, sign-up for a free trial account and see how this tool works.

    Step #2: Create a brand and campaign

    After logging in to your Replug account, you’ll need to create a brand and then also create a campaign for tracking.

    Shortener-campaign

    Step #3: Create a short branded URL 
    Paste the URL, you want to shorten afterward and click on the create button.

    edit url

    A new window will open where you can edit your URL slug and save the link.

    Step #4: Track URL performance in Replug Analytics

    Real-time Analytics

    Creating a short URL is incomplete with tracking it. Replug allows users to generate and track short URLs.To track your short URLs, go to the Measure section from your Replug dashboard and click on the Analytics option.

    detailed-view

    Select the Replug links and click on the appropriate campaign to find your link analytics. Or you can also click on detail analytics to get a detailed view. For a detailed overview, you need to select the brand, campaign and replug link.
    Detail view highlights click and conversion performance. Furthermore, it shows visitors by country, operating systems, browsers and source.
    You won’t see the metrics such as clicks, conversion, and conversion rate right away since the link is brand new.

    Campaign tracking in Usermaven

    Usermaven-homepage-
    utm tracking

    Marketing campaigns are only beneficial when they are producing the results you aimed for. With Usermaven’s campaign tracking, you can stop guessing your campaigns’ performance and start analyzing it through data to increase ROI. All you have to do is use UTM tags to analyze which source, content or campaign is producing results and then tweak your marketing campaigns to increase conversion and reach your business goals.
    Here’s a preview UTM traffic in Usermaven

    What are Google UTM campaign tracking parameters?

    Google has provided advertisers and publishers with loads of information on running ads and monetizing websites.

    As far as campaign tracking is concerned, Google recommends a tool called Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder. You can also check out Google’s support thread on this topic.

    The benefit of using this tool is that users can add campaign parameters to URLs and measure custom campaigns in Google Analytics.

    The following are the parameters to be entered to generate a campaign tracking URL:

      • UTM-Information
        Website URL: The website or page URL that needs to be tracked. Provide the full URL address including HTTPS.
      • Campaign ID: This is where the ad campaign ID goes. Most ad networks provide advertisers with campaign IDs to track or identify certain campaigns.
      • Campaign source: Enter the referral platform, such as a Facebook ad or newsletter.
      • Campaign medium: Provide the campaign medium, meaning what the marketing medium is for the campaign, for instance, direct ad, sponsored email, or PPC ads.
      • Campaign name: Give your campaign a name for identification purposes, for instance, holiday-sales or Christmas-offer, etc.
      • Campaign term: Mostly used for paid search.
      • Campaign content: It’s used for A/B testing and content-targeted ads.

    Let’s look at the steps involved in tracking a custom campaign through Google Analytics.

    How to track a custom campaign using the Campaign Builder tool?

    Search-for-Campaign-Builder

    Go to the campaign URL builder
    Access the Campaign URL builder to generate the campaign tracking URL. Make sure you have selected the web version instead of the play. Don’t panic if you haven’t done this before because it’s quite a simple process.

    Opt for the GA4

    Toggle from UA or GA4 using the button on the (left) sidebar. Don’t opt for UA (older Google Analytics edition) will no longer be available after July 2023.

    Fill in the campaign builder form

    Newyear-blog-campaign

    Fill out the form. Go through the explanation of the parameters written in the previous sub-heading of this very article.

    Grab the generated URL

    Copy the generated code

    When you fill up the form, the custom campaign tracking URL will be ready to use. You could also shorten the URL using the shortener button at the bottom.

    Track via Google Analytics

    The last step is to track the campaign URL in Google Analytics. Start with logging in to your Google Analytics account. Go to the Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition > Source/Medium.

    A screen like this would appear:

    Now you should look out for the campaign after selecting the session source/medium. The campaign source would be a referral, since the traffic would be clicking on your campaign URL and landing on the website.

    How to view your URL campaigns in Google Analytics?

    google-analytics4

    Creating any link or CTA is worthless if there is no tracking available to find out the number of clicks and the conversion.

    No wonder all major URL shorteners or email marketing services have analytics sections for users to analyze the data.


    Also read: Create a Perfect Call-To-Action (CTA) for Maximum Conversion

    If you have been playing around with custom short URLs, then you must have thought about viewing the URL campaigns in Google Analytics at some point.

    There is a possibility that some marketers have no idea how to capitalize on URL tracking. Therefore, it’s our duty to put some light on every aspect of short-link management and campaign tracking.

    Here are the steps involved in retrieving the URL campaigns in Google Analytics to see how they’re doing:
    Log in to your Google Analytics account

    GA4

    First things first, log in to your Google Analytics account to get started with the viewing process. Make sure that you’re logging in to the correct Google Analytics account.

    Go to the reports section

    Once you’ve logged in, go to the reports section. It is the area where you see the site performance through reports. If you can’t find the reports option, hover your cursor on the left sidebar or click on the second option from the left – you’ll find the report button.

    Open the acquisition area

    Go to the Acquisition section from the reports area in the Google Analytics dashboard. It’s the section that provides users with all the information about how a site acquires visitors. The next step will further explain the process.

    Access the traffic acquisition

    After clicking on the Acquisition option, look out for the Traffic Acquisition option underneath the Acquisition option. It’s the third one under the Acquisition.

    Select the campaign source

    The source selection is crucial to the whole process. Click on the session drop-down menu right above the data table on the Traffic Acquisition page and choose source/medium.

    Search the campaign URL

    Provide the campaign URL in the search section right above the session drop-down menu. Once you paste the campaign URL, hit enter and let Google Analytics process your request. It’ll only take a couple of seconds to retrieve the data.

    This is how you can view campaign URLs in your Google Analytics account.

    Also Read: UTM Tracking Through Replug

    Let’s conclude: URL campaign tracking summary

    This article is written around the importance of campaign tracking, which is essential in digital marketing.

    If you haven’t had a chance to learn about campaign tracking, then here’s a quick recap for you: it’s a process of analyzing the performance of the URLs using the tracking parameters that are added to the URLs.

    UTM tracking system plays a vital role in tracking URL performance. Replug is a URL shortener and my go-to tool for link tracking along with generating short URLs.

    Furthermore, this article goes deep into converting website or blog post URLs into traceable URLs using Campaign URL builder. Plus, I also covered how you can track those campaign URLs using Google Analytics.

    Moreover, I cracked open how you can utilize Replug to create tracking URLs for your marketing campaigns. The step-by-step process of creating tracking URLs using Replug would help many readers, especially the beginners.

    Digital marketers, social media experts, and content marketers rely heavily on organic traffic, email marketing, and social media marketing.

    Therefore, it is essential for them to track campaigns to figure out what is working for them.

    Campaign tracking could be a game-changer for gurus and experts trying to understand which medium is getting the most attention. That is why campaign tracking is crucial to the conversion optimization process.

    FAQs

    How do you track campaign performance?

    Tracking campaign performance involves monitoring and analyzing the key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to the specific campaign goals.

    What are campaign tracking codes?/h3>

    Campaign tracking codes, also known as UTM parameters or tags, are snippets of code that you add to the end of a URL to help you track the performance of a specific marketing campaign. These codes can provide you with information about where your traffic is coming from, which campaigns are driving the most clicks or conversions,

    What is UTM campaign term?

    UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) campaign term is one of the parameters used in UTM tracking codes to identify the specific keywords or terms associated with a marketing campaign.