As you bring leads from Instagram to ActiveCampaign CRM, there’s no solution to connect each one to a specific ad. Additionally, once leads become customers, you won’t be able to identify the exact Instagram campaign that generated them.
The absence of tracking complicates evaluating your Instagram ads success, making it impossible to determine which ads yield leads and customers. This may lead to ad spending with no understanding of their return.
Fortunately, a solution exists to connect every lead to its originating Instagram campaign, ad set, and ad.
We’ll cover the process one step at a time!
How to Track Instagram Ads in ActiveCampaign CRM
Step 1: Add Leadsources in the head tag of your website
Step 2: Add the UTM parameters to your Instagram ads
To obtain Instagram ad data, add UTM parameters to your ad URL that cover the campaign, ad set, and ad specifics. Use the following structure:
UTM_medium=paidsocialUTM_source=instagramUTM_campaign=campaign-nameUTM_term=ad-set-nameUTM_content=ad-name
The final URL must appear in this way:
https://www.yourdomain.com/?UTM_medium=paidsocial&UTM_source=instagram&UTM_campaign=campaign-name&UTM_term=ad-set-name&UTM_content=ad-nameNote: Regardless of UTM parameter usage, Leadsources collects all lead source data, ensuring comprehensive tracking for every lead.
Step 3: Add the hidden fields in your form
Though users cannot see hidden fields in forms, these fields still collect and preserve the data that has been submitted.
Within your form, Leadsources holds lead source information in hidden fields. When a lead submits the form, those fields are automatically filled with data from Instagram ads.
Leadsources is built to work with all leading form builders. For comprehensive instructions on how to incorporate hidden fields into your form, refer to this guide.
Step 4: Capture the Instagram ads data in ActiveCampaign CRM
When users select your ads and arrive at your webpage, Leadsources gathers data from the Instagram campaign, ad set, ad, and other related details.
Your form’s hidden fields are populated with Instagram ads data collected by Leadsources.
Consequently, after the form is submitted, you can access the Instagram ad data and lead information in ActiveCampaign CRM (this requires establishing a link between your form and ActiveCampaign CRM).
How does Leadsources work?
When a visitor reaches your site, Leadsources pulls Instagram ad data and places it into the hidden fields of your form. After they submit the form, this information is sent to ActiveCampaign CRM, including the lead data you’ve recorded (like name and email).
Leadsources logs every detail of the lead source information connected to each lead:
| Lead source data | Fetched automatically |
| Channel | ✅ |
| Source | ✅ |
| Campaign | ✅ OR use UTM_campaign |
| Content | UTM_content parameter is required |
| Term | UTM_term parameter is required |
| Landing page | ✅ |
| Landing page subfolder | ✅ |
The table above highlights that in cases where UTM parameters can’t be employed—like organic sources such as Google search or Instagram bio links—Leadsources effectively pulls in certain lead source data:
- Channel
- Source
- Campaign
- Landing page
- Landing page subfolder
Unlike its competitors, Leadsources is equipped to track lead sources through every marketing channel, both organic and paid.
Pick a channel to discover the lead source data that Leadsources embeds within your form.
Performance reports: Lead, sales, and revenue by source
Observing Instagram ads data through ActiveCampaign CRM provides the ability to create performance reports, like:
- Leads, sales, and revenue by channel
- Leads, sales, and revenue by source
- Leads, sales, and revenue by campaign (aka. Instagram campaign)
- Leads, sales, and revenue by term (aka. Instagram ad set)
- Leads, sales, and revenue by content (aka. Instagram ad)
This helps you modify your Instagram budget based on which campaigns, ad sets, and ads produce the highest leads, sales, and revenue.
Let’s review the various reports that you have the ability to create:
1. Lead source reports
Create performance reports that present the number of leads generated from:
- Channel
- Source
- Campaign (aka. Instagram campaign)
- Term (aka. Instagram ad set)
- Content (aka. Instagram ad)
- Landing page
- Landing page subfolder
Example #1: Leads by channel
This report highlights which channel is responsible for the largest number of leads.
Example #2: Leads by Instagram campaign
Now you have the opportunity to target a specific lead source (e.g., Instagram) and analyze the lead generation from each Instagram campaign.
Example #3: Leads by Instagram ad
After recognizing the Instagram campaign that brings in the most leads, you can investigate which particular ad group or ad is creating those leads.
2. Sales and revenue source reports
Once we determine the Instagram campaign, ad set, and ad that generate our leads, we need to examine if these leads are turning into sales and revenue.
To simplify this process, connect your leads to a CRM like ActiveCampaign CRM. This connection enables you to track sales and revenue across various channels, sources, Instagram campaigns, ad sets, ads, landing pages, and their associated subfolders.
This data gives you the opportunity to transform your Instagram ad strategy, directing your efforts toward the channels, sources, campaigns, ad sets, and ads that result in the highest sales and revenue.
You have the option to generate several sales and revenue reports, including:
- Sales and revenue by channel
- Sales and revenue by source
- Sales and revenue by campaign
- Sales and revenue by term (e.g., Instagram ad set)
- Sales and revenue by content (e.g., Instagram ad)
- Sales and revenue by landing page
- Sales and revenue by landing page subfolder
Example Scenario:
| Channel | Search Paid | Social Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Leads | 50 | 75 |
| Sales | 5 | 6 |
| Average Order Value | $150 | $100 |
| Revenue | $750 | $600 |
Upon launching ads on Google and Instagram, the initial “Leads by Channel” report demonstrated that Social Paid ads (Instagram) led to more leads compared to Search Paid ads.
Nevertheless, after investigating the sales and revenue data in ActiveCampaign CRM, you found that the Search Paid channel brought in more revenue, even with a lower lead count compared to the Social Paid channel. Therefore, you changed your budget to provide more funding to the Search Paid channel.