Marketing attribution
Know where bookings come from
UTM parameters are the lightweight way to tag every link you put out + see in goldenhour’s analytics which channel actually drives revenue. Most artists guess. You’ll measure.
What a UTM is
UTM = Urchin Tracking Module (a Google Analytics legacy name). It’s a set of URL query parameters that don’t change page behavior : they just identify the link’s origin so analytics can group bookings by source.
Four parameters matter:
utm_source: the platform (instagram, google, tiktok, facebook, flyer)utm_medium: the format (bio, story, cpc, qr, email)utm_campaign: optional, for A/B testing (summer_promo, mothers_day)utm_content: optional, for variant tracking (creative_a, creative_b)
Channel tagging cheat-sheet
Copy-paste tags for the 8 channels you’ll use
Instagram bio link
UTM parameters
?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bioExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bioSingle highest-volume channel for most solo artists. Set this on your link-in-bio tool (Linktree, beacons, manual bio link).
Instagram story sticker
UTM parameters
?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=summer_promoExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=summer_promoUse utm_campaign to differentiate by post / week. The link goes in your IG story 'Link' sticker.
Google Business Profile
UTM parameters
?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gbpExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gbpThe link from your Google Business Profile 'Book' button. Bookings here are usually highest-intent (the customer searched for you).
Google Reserve (paid placement)
UTM parameters
?utm_source=google&utm_medium=reserveExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=reserveIf you're set up with Reserve with Google. Higher CPL but very high conversion. See /help/reserve-with-google.
Facebook ads
UTM parameters
?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=launchExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=launchUse Meta Ads Manager's UTM-builder tool to auto-append. utm_term + utm_content optional for A/B testing creative.
TikTok organic
UTM parameters
?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=bioExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=tiktok&utm_medium=bioSet in your TikTok bio. TikTok-driven bookings skew Gen Z; pair with a vibey landing page.
Print flyer / QR
UTM parameters
?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=salon_qrExample
https://book.sobetan.com/?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=salon_qrGoldenhour's QR code generator (/api/qr/{tenant}?utm_source=flyer) auto-appends. Use distinct campaigns for distinct flyer batches to A/B test creative.
Direct (no UTM)
UTM parameters
(no parameters)Example
https://book.sobetan.com/Customers who typed your URL or got it word-of-mouth. Counts as 'direct' in attribution. Goal: this should be a large %, not 0%.
Where to see the data
Goldenhour’s booking analytics (Dashboard → Analytics → Attribution) groups bookings by source + medium. You see:
- Total bookings by source (last 30 / 90 days)
- Revenue by source (some channels skew toward cheaper services)
- Conversion rate (page-view to booking) per source
- Repeat-rate by acquisition source: IG clients tend to repeat at different rates than Google clients
What to do with the data
Attribution is only valuable if it changes behavior. Two common patterns:
- Double down on the winner.If 60% of bookings come from IG, that’s where your next hour of content goes. The 20% from TikTok might be worth diverting attention to if conversion is high but volume low.
- Kill the laggards.Paid ads with negative ROAS (cost > revenue at LTV-discounted attribution) should be paused. UTM data makes this decision objective rather than gut.