How does the tracking of marketing campaigns work?

Marketing campaigns can be tracked with AT Internet thanks to a specific tag. However, this also works with several configuration options. This article aims to clarify the tracking possibilities offered by AT Internet to follow marketing campaigns.

Campaign management options

1. Declare campaigns

   If none of the automatic campaign declaration options are enabled, it is necessary to declare campaigns manually in our interfaces.

   The declaration is made under Settings > Settings > Marketing Campaigns, and by choosing the type of campaign you want to declare.

   Once the campaign has been declared, it is linked to its type, thanks to a prefix and to an identifier, which form the basis of the xtor parameter required for tagging. For example: SEC-1.

   A new campaign declaration is taken into account within one hour.

2. Use dynamic campaigns

   Dynamic campaigns are a configurable option under Settings > Settings > Marketing Campaigns > Campaign Automation.

   They make it possible to define a range of campaign identifiers, which can be used directly in the tracking (tag first approach).

   This eliminates the need to manually declare the campaign for all identifiers within that range.

   
   

   The campaigns are then declared with the identifier and label indicated in the tag.
   This option is working alongside the manual campaign declaration.

   For sections 1 and 2 above, campaign identifiers are unique and cannot be reused on a given level 1 site. It is also not possible to use the same identifier for two different types of campaigns.

3. Automatic declaration of campaigns

   For a simplified approach to campaign management, it is possible to request the free activation of a contract-based option, called Automatic Campaign Declaration.

   This option completely replaces the manual campaign declaration system on which dynamic campaigns were based. The tracking of campaigns is then entirely based on the configuration of the tag.

   Once the option is activated, it will no longer be possible:
   
   • to manually declare campaigns.
   • to use dynamic campaigns.
   • to use Data Manager to modify the tracking of an automatically-declared campaign.

   On the other hand, campaigns that already have an identifier, i. e. that have been declared before the option was activated, can continue to be tracked with their identifier.

4. Custom marketing sources

   Custom marketing sources must in all cases be declared before the creation of a campaign.

Tagging a marketing campaign

There are two versions of the tag to track marketing campaigns.

The choice of using either version depends on the version of the library (smarttag.js or xtcore.js) used on your site. For all libraries with a version prior to version 5.17.0, only the first version of the tag will be available. Beyond that, it is possible to use either version as desired.

The developer documentation is available below and lists all available campaign parameters:

• V1: https://developers.atinternet-solutions.com/javascript-en/campaigns-javascript-en/marketing-campaigns-javascript-en/ 
• V2: https://developers.atinternet-solutions.com/javascript-en/campaigns-javascript-en/marketing-campaigns-v2/ 

The Campaign Creator tool can also help you build your links.

Tagging examples

1. Tagging of a manually declared marketing campaign

   The tagging of a manually declared campaign is based on the campaign type and identifier provided in the interface at the time of the campaign declaration.

   In V1, xtor the parameter is then built as follows:

   ?xtor=SEC-1-GOO

   The campaign type is placed first, followed by the campaign ID. The different parameters are separated by dashes.

   In V2, the parameters at_medium and at_campaign represent the type of the campaign and then the identifier respectively.
   The above xtor becomes:

   ?at_medium=sl&at_campaign=1&at_platform=google

2. Tagging of a marketing campaign using dynamic campaigns

   The tagging of dynamic campaigns is similar to the tagging of manually declared campaigns, only the identifier is attached to the label of the campaign.

   In V1, xtor the parameter is then built as follows:

   ?xtor=SEC-1[My_campaign]-GOO

   The campaign type is placed first, followed by the campaign identifier and, within square brackets, the label. The different parameters are separated by dashes.

   In V2, the parameters at_medium and at_campaign represent respectively the type of campaign and the identifier associated to the campaign label (in square brackets).
   The above xtor becomes:

   ?at_medium=sl&at_campaign=1[My_campaign]&at_platform=google

3.  Tagging of a marketing campaign using the option Automatic Campaign Declaration

   Tagging marketing campaigns once the Automatic Campaign Declaration option is activated works under a tag first approach. The campaign identifier is therefore abandoned in favour of a label, unique for each type of campaign.

   In V1, xtor the parameter is then built as follows:
   

   ?xtor=SEC-[My_campaign]-GOO

   The campaign type is placed first, followed by the label of the campaign in square brackets. The different parameters are separated by dashes.
   
   In V2, the parameters at_medium and at_campaign represent the type of campaign and the campaign label respectively.
   The above xtor becomes:

   ?at_medium=sl&at_campaign=Ma_campagne&at_platform=google

Migration of a running campaign from a V1 to V2 tag

The use of a smarttag.js library superior to version 5.17.0 allows you to use the V2 tag. If you want to modify the tracking of a campaign currently running from a V1 to V2 tag, it is necessary to use the existing identifier of your campaign and not its label.

You will therefore find yourself in the 1st tagging example.

If you have, for example, a campaign SEC-12 "Blackfriday", it will be necessary to use the following tag:

?at_medium=sl&at_campaign=12

Management of persistent campaigns on a domain linked to several level 1 sites

By default, a persistent campaign is attached to the site domain. When the same domain is tagged using multiple level 1 site numbers, then it may be necessary to link the campaign to the level 1 site rather than the domain.

This is done via the configuration of the Campaigns plug-in within the smarttag.js file. It is necessary to uncheck the option "Link campaign data to the site domain", which is enabled by default.