Five Facts for Marketers About Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager (GTM) isn’t new, but one would think so, considering how many marketers remain unaware of its features and benefits.
That’s backed up by a recent DBD Media survey that found that 80 percent of Google Analytics accounts are used incorrectly often due to poor implementation and setup.
What’s GTM? Simply put, it’s a streamlined, automated tag management system. Introduced in 2012, it has an easy-to-use web interface, and it lets marketing professionals do more of the tagging without putting a call in to the IT department.
Luckily for marketers, GTM works for both mobile websites and native mobile applications. For mobile applications, applications can even be configured after a user has downloaded an app.
In short, it’s an easy tool for implementing Universal Analytics.
Here are five facts marketers should know:
1) It works and it’s free. While GTM is “just a tag” (a snippet of JavaScript, to be exact), once it’s in place, marketers can independently manage many of the marketing technology tags critical to digital marketing. It’s free, and Google has invested in making it user-friendly.
2) It handles most marketing technology tags. GTM has templates for Google and DoubleClick tags (i.e. AdWords, GA, Universal Analytics, DCLK Floodlight, GDN remarketing), as well as others (comScore, Mediaplex, AdRoll, Turn, Marin, ClickTale, Bizo, etc.). Custom tags are also allowed, which makes it possible to copy and paste code from other tags.
3) It’s easy to use. Implementation of GTM is easy. By logging nto the Google account associated with a site, a marketer can go to the GTM homepage and click on the “sign up now” button. At the end of the simple three-step signup process, one has the container (GTM tag) that an IT group needs to add to each page on a site. Once this is in place, the intuitive interface makes it a breeze to add tags.
4) It makes it easier to use Universal Analytics. All Google Analytics accounts will eventually be migrated to Universal Analytics (UA). This is a good thing, as UA offers new and more powerful features such as custom dimensions and metrics. Interestingly enough, Google recommends using GTM to implement UA, since it allows UA users to make changes within the GTM interface.
5) GTM is a pretty powerful tool. While a marketer can add whatever custom HTML desired within the custom tag functionality, it’s a wise idea to solicit input from IT when beginning to use custom tags. Numerous organizations have confined access to GTM to the IT department solely due to problems that can occur with custom tags. Happily, Google’s integrated Debug Console allows of test of tags before launch.
Used correctly, Google Tag Manager is a great tool for marketers. With a modicum of effort, a maximum of tag efficacy can be the result.
For more details on Google’s GTM, click here.
