What is the difference between ad tracking and a tag?
This article will walk through the differences between ad tracking and tags. You can trigger a campaign using tags. You can see which subscribers signed up through a particular form using the ad tracking value. You can also use ad tracking to trigger a campaign.
Ad Tracking
The ad tracking value is automatically assigned to your sign up form when it is created. This will be similar to the name you have given the form, with each word separated by an underscore. You can view and change this ad tracking value under the "Advanced Settings" in your form.
For example, let's say you have two different offers which direct subscribers to the same list--one for an eBook, and the other for a branded template. You would be able to assign a specific ad tracking value to each form. Subscribers who sign up through the eBook form would have the eBook ad tracking value while those who sign up through the branded template form would have that specific ad tracking value. Both sets of subscribers would receive the same messages, but you would be able to send a broadcast to each segment individually. You can create the segment from the "Subscribers" page.
You can also trigger a campaign based on the ad tracking value. In order to do this, you have to add a filter to the "on subscribe" trigger.
Tags
Tags can be used similarly to the ad tracking value, but they allow for more flexible options. A tag can be used to trigger a campaign, as well. Tags are more commonly used than ad tracking values to trigger campaigns. You can apply a tag manually from the "Subscribers" page, through a sign up form, through an API integration, or through the campaign itself. Tags can also be updated in bulk on the "Subscribers" page. You can also segment the subscribers based on the tag and send the broadcast directly to that segment.
Using tags provides you with more direct control of what messages your subscriber's receive.
If you would like to provide your eBook subscribers with a dedicated welcome, you would be able to trigger a campaign based on what tag they received upon signing up. After that first message has been received, you also have the option to move these subscribers to another campaign using tags, or continue sending them a specific series of messages based on how they signed up.
Why should I use Tags?
Tags allow you to easily track and target subscribers based on the content they want to receive. For example, if you had a field on your sign up form asking for the subscriber's favorite animal, you could tag them based on that and send them content related to the animal. You can also move them to a more general campaign once they've received the messages about their favorite animal. There are a lot of uses cases for tags.