Marketing Lead Tracking: Embracing Imperfections

The marketing landscape has become increasingly complex, making marketing lead tracking more difficult than ever. With hundreds of tools and techniques available, how can you ensure your marketing campaigns and channels perform to your standards?

In this blog post, our marking experts at O|M explore actions and systems you can implement to hold your marketing more accountable and achieve the results you desire. You’ll learn how to track marketing in today’s digital environment, along with strategies for marketing lead tracking.

Accepting Imperfect Marketing Lead Tracking

Here’s the truth — you must accept the impossibility of tracking your marketing results with 100% accuracy. You read that correctly — perfect marketing campaign tracking is impossible. 

With each advancement in tracking, there’s always a new hurdle to overcome, such as pixel blockers, VPNs, privacy modes, or device limitations. Furthermore, people engage with more devices than ever, meaning they can visit your site on one device and convert on another. Something as simple as using two devices muddles your carefully crafted tracking system.

So, what can you do about the reality of imperfect marketing lead tracking? And how can you hold your marketing accountable in this imperfect world? Here are some strategies:

Ask your clients

This marketing campaign tracking tip seems too easy, but it is often overlooked or ignored. Speak with your clientele and inquire, “How did you hear about our company?” Maintain a record of their answers, preferably in your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system or on a file that can be combined into a monthly report. This proven technique provides a backstop for catching leads that may slip through even the most advanced tracking systems.

Building a Marketing Accountability System

Once you have a foundation in place, you can start building a system to hold your marketing efforts accountable. This system will vary depending on the marketing channels you’re using, as different channels require different tracking approaches and key performance indicators (KPIs).

Generally, there are some essential marketing lead tracking elements you should implement for all marketing channels:

Event Tracking

Set up your website with event tracking through a tool like Google Analytics (G4). Identify KPIs, such as online purchases, downloads, location views, and other actions relevant to your organization or business.

Recognizing Traffic Sources

Ensure your website can recognize traffic from different marketing channels and sources. Utilize UTM strings, landing pages, or redirect referral links specific to each channel if needed.

Phone Call Tracking

Implement phone call tracking for traditional advertising mediums like direct mail, TV, and radio. Enhance accuracy by using DNI (dynamic number insertion) on your website, which allows for automatic labeling of leads by acquisition source or medium.

CRM Integration

Implement a CRM that connects to your website, phone system, and lead generation attribution process. A CRM is a valuable tool for long-term client retention, re-engagement marketing, and marketing lead tracking by source and medium, enabling you to hold marketing accountable to ROI and other metrics.

As a business owner or marketing manager, it’s your responsibility to hold your marketing accountable. Embracing the imperfections in tracking and implementing a comprehensive system will help you determine which strategies work, identify the best-performing channels, and optimize your targeting and ad placements. 

By embracing imperfections (and setting clear goals), you’ll achieve greater accountability and more consistent marketing success, ultimately driving the growth of your business or organization.

Improve Your Marketing Lead Tracking With O|M

Are you ready to unlock your business’s growth and success? At O|M, our team of seasoned marketing professionals and industry experts are passionate about delivering tangible results that drive success for our clients. With decades of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, international agencies, and countless global brands, we know the key to a thriving marketing company lies in its people.

Join us to experience the difference of working with a team that truly finds purpose in helping businesses like yours thrive. Connect with O|M now and elevate your marketing game!