Personalizing landing pages with RightMessage based on UTM parameters for better ad ROI

If you’re pouring money into ads but sending everyone to the same generic landing page, you’re leaving money on the table. This guide is for marketers, founders, and anyone tired of seeing “meh” results from paid campaigns. I’ll walk you through how to use RightMessage to personalize your landing pages based on UTM parameters—no fluff, no empty promises, just what actually works.

Why bother personalizing with UTM parameters?

UTM parameters are just little bits of text you tack onto your URLs—stuff like utm_source=facebook or utm_campaign=spring-sale. They tell you where a click comes from, but most people stop at just tracking, not acting.

Here’s the simple truth: Showing a Facebook ad clicker the same page as a Google search visitor is lazy marketing. With even small tweaks—like changing headlines or images to match the ad—they’ll feel like they’re in the right place, and you’ll see more leads and sales. Nothing fancy; just being less generic.

What’s RightMessage (and what’s it not)?

RightMessage is a SaaS tool that lets you change your website content on the fly, based on who’s visiting. It doesn’t replace your email platform or ad tools—it just sits on top of your site and swaps out text, images, or calls to action based on rules you set.

It’s not magic. It won’t save a bad offer or write better copy for you. But if you already have something that converts OK, it can help you squeeze out more ROI from your ad spend.

Step 1: Get your tracking house in order

Before you try to personalize anything, make sure you’re actually using UTM parameters correctly in your ads:

  • Don’t just use the defaults: Tag every ad with clear, human-friendly UTMs. Example: utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=productlaunch&utm_content=video1
  • Be consistent: “Fb” and “Facebook” aren’t the same; pick one and stick to it.
  • Test your links: Click your ads and see if the UTM codes show up in the address bar.

If your UTMs are a mess, fix them first. Personalizing based on garbage data is a waste of time.

Step 2: Install RightMessage on your site

  • Sign up for a RightMessage account.
  • They’ll give you a JavaScript snippet—copy it.
  • Paste it into your site’s <head> tag, or use your CMS’s code injection feature.

Pro tip: If you use Google Tag Manager, you can drop it in there. Just make sure it loads on every page you want to personalize.

Step 3: Decide what you’ll actually personalize

Don’t try to rewrite your whole page for every UTM. That’s a fast track to burnout. Start small:

  • Headline: A headline that mirrors the ad campaign (“Welcome, [Source] visitors!”) can work wonders.
  • Hero image or CTA button: If your Facebook ad shows a blue product, show the same image on the page.
  • Testimonials: Swap in testimonials relevant to the ad (e.g., if your ad targets agencies, show an agency quote).

What to skip: Don’t bother personalizing stuff below the fold or in your footer (at least not at first). Focus on what visitors see first.

Step 4: Set up your personalization rules in RightMessage

Here’s where RightMessage shines. You’ll create “segments” based on UTM parameters, then set rules for what changes for each segment.

Example: Personalizing for Facebook vs. Google Ads

Let’s say you’re running ads on Facebook and Google, and your URLs look like:

  • yourdomain.com/landing-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=april-sale
  • yourdomain.com/landing-page?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=april-sale

In RightMessage:

  1. Create Segments:

    • Segment 1: utm_source equals “facebook”
    • Segment 2: utm_source equals “google”

  2. Set Personalizations:

    • For Facebook: Change the headline to “Hey Facebook friend, this sale’s for you.”
    • For Google: Headline becomes “Searching for a deal? You found it.”

  3. Preview and test: RightMessage lets you simulate these segments. Use the preview to make sure your changes show up for the right people.

Pro tip: You can stack rules. Want to get more granular? Try combining utm_source and utm_campaign to tailor for specific ads.

Avoid rookie mistakes

  • Don’t over-personalize: Too many variations = a nightmare to maintain. Start with two or three, max.
  • Keep a fallback: Not every visitor has a UTM. Make sure your default version still works.
  • Watch for loading glitches: Sometimes personalization scripts cause flashes of unstyled content (“FOUC”). Keep your changes above-the-fold and minimal to reduce this.

Step 5: Measure the right things

Personalization is only worth it if it moves the needle. Don’t just look at vanity metrics like “time on page.” Track:

  • Conversion rate by UTM source: Are Facebook visitors converting more when personalized?
  • Bounce rate: Did personalizing help keep people on the page?
  • Form fills or sales: The only metric that actually pays the bills.

Use Google Analytics or your ad platform to segment results by UTM. If you’re not seeing improvement after a couple hundred visits, rethink your approach.

What actually works (and what’s just hype)?

What works

  • Mirroring ad copy: When your landing page headline echoes the ad, people trust they’re in the right place.
  • Relevance above all: Swapping in the right testimonial or offer for the audience can make a noticeable difference.
  • Iterating: Test, tweak, repeat. Personalization isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing.

Overhyped or not worth your time

  • Overly complex personalization: Trying to create 20+ versions for every UTM combo is a waste. It’s not scalable unless you have a dev team and a lot of traffic.
  • Personalizing for the sake of it: If your ad and landing page already match well, don’t force weird changes just because you can.
  • Heavy-handed “creepy” personalization: Don’t call out users too directly (“Hey, Bob from Facebook!”) unless you really know your audience.

Troubleshooting: Common issues and real fixes

  • Personalizations not showing up? Double-check your UTM rules—typos are common. Make sure your ad URLs are built right.
  • Page loads slow or flashes weird? Try moving your personalization above the fold only, or reduce the amount of stuff you’re swapping.
  • Testing confusion? Use RightMessage’s preview or open pages in incognito with the right UTM codes to see real user experience.

Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it honest

Personalizing landing pages with UTM parameters using RightMessage isn’t rocket science, but it does take some upfront work and a bit of restraint. Start small, focus on relevance, and don’t get sucked into creating endless versions. Your goal is a smoother, more natural path from ad click to conversion—not a Frankenstein’s monster of landing pages.

Iterate, watch your numbers, and if something’s not working, don’t be afraid to roll it back. Simple beats fancy every time.