You use Formstack for generating YouTube leads, but attributing those leads to a particular ads isn’t possible. Similarly, when they become customers, identifying the exact ad responsible isn’t an option.
If you lack tracking, it becomes difficult to analyze which YouTube ads are driving leads and customers. Consequently, you may continue spending on ads that fail to produce results.
Fortunately, it’s possible to link each lead back to the exact YouTube campaign, ad group, and ad that attracted it.
Let’s break it all down into steps!
How to track YouTube Ads in Formstack
Step 1: Add Leadsources in the head tag of your website
Leadsources simplifies the tracking of the origin of your leads. When connected to your website, it logs up to 7 data points for each lead source.
➡️ Sign up to Leadsources.io for free
➡️ Add the Leadsources tracking code to your site
Step 2: Add the UTM parameters to your YouTube Ads
Add UTM parameters to your ad URL for tracking YouTube campaigns, ad groups, and specific ads. Here’s how you can set it up:
UTM_source=youtubeUTM_campaign=campaign-nameUTM_term=ad-group-nameUTM_content=ad-name
Your final link will look like this:
https://www.yourdomain.com?UTM_source=youtube&UTM_campaign=campaign-name&UTM_term=ad-group-name&UTM_content=ad-nameNote: UTM parameters are optional, as Leadsources automatically collects all lead source data to ensure complete tracking.
Step 3: Add the hidden fields in Formstack
These fields are hidden from users but store crucial information that is sent when the form is submitted.
Upon submission of the Formstack, Leadsources automatically fills in the hidden fields with the relevant YouTube ads data. The data from your YouTube ads is directly stored in your Formstack at the time of submission.
Step 4: Capture the YouTube Ads data in Formstack
As users click on your ads and visit your site, Leadsources captures the YouTube campaign, ad group, ad data (and more).
The YouTube ads data is filled into the hidden fields of Formstack by Leadsources, as seen in the examples.
Upon form submission, the YouTube ad data and lead details are visible in Formstack.
How does Leadsources work?
Each time a user arrives on your site, Leadsources gathers YouTube Ads data and populates the hidden fields in your form. Upon submission, this data and lead details like name and email are sent to Formstack.
Leadsources collects all source data for each generated lead:
| Lead source data | Fetched automatically |
| Channel | ✅ |
| Source | ✅ |
| Campaign | ✅ OR use UTM_campaign for paid ads |
| Content | UTM_content parameter is required |
| Term | UTM_term parameter is required |
| Landing page | ✅ |
| Landing page subfolder | ✅ |
As detailed in the table above, when UTM parameters are absent—like in the case of organic sources like Google search or referrals—Leadsources still collects certain lead source data:
- Channel
- Source
- Campaign
Content(UTM parameter required)Term(UTM parameter required)- Landing page
- Landing page subfolder
Unlike other platforms, Leadsources tracks lead sources across both paid and organic marketing activities.
Pick a channel to access the lead source data that Leadsources adds to your form.
Performance reports: Lead, sales, and revenue by source
Tracking YouTube Ads data inside Formstack helps you create performance reports like:
- Leads, sales, and revenue by channel
- Leads, sales, and revenue by source
- Leads, sales, and revenue by campaign (aka. YouTube campaign)
- Leads, sales, and revenue by term (aka. YouTube ad group)
- Leads, sales, and revenue by content (aka. YouTube ad)
By using this data, you can shift your YouTube budget toward the campaigns, ad groups, and ads that create the most leads, sales, and revenue.
Let’s take a closer look at the reports you can create!
1. Lead source reports
Produce reports that reveal the leads generated by:
- Channel
- Source
- Campaign (aka. YouTube campaign)
- Term (aka. YouTube ad group)
- Content (aka. YouTube ad)
- Landing page
- Landing page subfolder
Example #1: Leads by channel
This report reveals which channel is contributing the most to your lead generation.
Example #2: Leads by YouTube campaign
Now, you’re able to focus on a specific lead source (e.g., YouTube) and monitor how each YouTube campaign generates leads.
Example #3: Leads by YouTube ad
Once you’ve identified the YouTube campaign that brings in the most leads, you can go deeper into the specific ad group or ad responsible for that success.
2. Sales and revenue source reports
With the YouTube campaign, ad group, and ad that generate leads, we must now assess if these leads are converting into actual sales and helping to grow revenue.
Direct your leads to a CRM like GoHighLevel, which allows you to track sales and revenue from different marketing channels, YouTube campaigns, ad groups, ads, and landing pages with subfolders.
This data enables you to refine your YouTube ad strategy, directing your attention to the channels, sources, campaigns, ad groups, and ads that bring in the highest sales and revenue.
You have the option to generate a range of sales and revenue reports, including:
- Sales and revenue by channel
- Sales and revenue by source
- Sales and revenue by campaign (aka. YouTube campaign)
- Sales and revenue by term (aka. YouTube ad group)
- Sales and revenue by content (aka. YouTube 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 |
Following the launch of Google (Search Paid) and YouTube (Social Paid) ads, the first “Leads by Channel” report showed that YouTube ads had higher lead generation than Search Paid ads.
However, when looking at sales and revenue data in your CRM, you found that the Search Paid channel outperformed Social Paid by generating more revenue with fewer leads. As a result, you adjusted your budget to focus more on Search Paid.