Marketing Channel Groupings in Google Analytics
The following information is specific to marketing materials and communications from the Office of Communications and Marketing. For other communications, use third-party online tools like https://tinyurl.com/ to shorten URLs and https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ to create QR codes.
The following list of channels are used to group UAMS web traffic in Google Analytics according to how users are led to the UAMS web properties. While some traffic is sorted into certain channels without any action taken on our part, the majority of web traffic needs specific URL parameters (text included at or near the end of a URL) which are set when creating marketing redirects and tagged URLs.
Affiliate Marketing
The Affiliate Marketing channel includes advertising in which a company compensates third-party publishers to generate traffic or leads to the company’s products and services. The third-party publishers are affiliates, and the commission fee incentivizes them to find ways to promote the company.
Audio (Organic and Paid)
The Organic Audio channel includes unpaid marketing and communication aired on a radio station or on an audio streaming platform.
The Paid Audio channel includes paid marketing and communication aired on a radio station or on an audio streaming platform.
Collateral
The Collateral channel includes physical media distributed directly to consumers to create brand awareness for UAMS products or services. Collateral can be considered a more specific version of out-of-home marketing. It covers items like brochures, cards, flyers, programs, stickers, guidebooks, tradeshow giveaways and others.
Conversational Marketing
The Conversational Marketing channel includes inbound marketing and communication consisting of direct two-way interaction between businesses and customers on different available channels. This could be achieved via phone calls, face-to-face meetings, live chat, chatbots, voice assistants, email or short messages.
Note: Use the Phone channel for outbound telemarketing, one-way phone interactions or a blend of one-way and two-way phone interactions.
Direct Mail
The Direct Mail channel includes marketing and communication that uses the mail system for delivery.
Display Advertising
The Display Advertising channel includes paid online advertising that consists of text, image and motion ads, which are displayed on websites and apps.
Use the Paid Social channel for similar advertising placed on social media websites.
Email (Organic and Paid)
The Organic Email channel includes unpaid marketing and communication that uses email to promote your business’s products or services.
The Paid Email channel includes paid marketing and communication that uses email to promote your business’s products or services.
Out-of-Home Marketing
The Out-of-Home Marketing channel includes advertising experienced outside of the home. This includes billboards, wallscapes and posters seen while on the go. It also includes place-based media seen in places such as convenience stores, medical centers, salons, and other brick-and-mortar venues.
Use the Collateral channel for physical media distributed directly to consumers.
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America defines four broad categories of out-of-home advertising:
- Billboard Advertising — Large format advertising displays intended for viewing from extended distances, generally more than 50 feet
- Place-Based Advertising — Advertising displays target specific groups of people based on the specific location
- Street Furniture Advertising — Advertising displays positioned near pedestrians for eye-level viewing or at a curbside to impact vehicular traffic
- Transit Advertising — Advertising displays affixed to moving public transportation or are in the common areas of transit terminals and stations
Phone
The Phone channel includes marketing and communication that happens during a phone call. This will cover outbound telemarketing (proactively reaching out to consumers). It also covers one-way communication that occurs when a consumer reaches out to us, such as intro greetings, voicemail and hold messages.
If a single vanity URL is used for both one-way and two-way interactions, use this channel.
Use the Conversational Marketing channel for phone messages involving direct two-way interactions in inbound marketing.
Print Publications
The Print Publications channel includes paid or unpaid marketing and communication placed in a print publication.
Referral
The Referral channel includes links to our web properties from other websites that are not social media or search engines, and are not part of any paid advertising.
Search (Organic and Paid)
The Organic Search channel includes unpaid traffic coming from search engines. This consists of normal search results as well as Google My Business cards.
The Paid Search channel includes sponsored ads that appear at the top of and on the side of search engine results pages to gain more visibility and prominence than the organic results
SMS
The SMS channel includes one-way marketing and communication happening via text message. This will cover automated text notifications.
Use the Conversational Marketing channel for direct two-way interactions.
Social (Organic and Paid)
The Organic Social channel includes unpaid marketing and communication placed on social media.
The Paid Social channel includes paid marketing and communication placed on social media.
Vimeo and YouTube are included in the Organic Video and Paid Video channels even though they can also be considered social media websites.
Video (Organic and Paid)
The Organic Video channel includes unpaid marketing and communication aired on a television station or a video streaming platform.
The Paid Video channel includes paid marketing and communication aired on a television station or a video streaming platform.
This channel also includes Vimeo and YouTube even though they can also be considered social media websites.
Other
The Other channel includes all marketing and communication not covered by any other channel