Overview
Attribution models are essential tools for marketers to understand the effectiveness of various channels and campaigns. Knowing which ads or channels to credit for sales helps you refine your marketing strategy. Triple Whale’s detailed tracking and flexible attribution windows ensure you get the insights you need to make smart decisions. This way, you can focus your efforts on what’s really working and make the most out of your marketing budget.
What is Attribution
Attribution is all about giving credit to an ad or channel for helping lead to a customer’s purchase. It’s a key part of marketing analysis that lets you see which of your marketing efforts are really paying off.
With Triple Whale’s Triple Pixel, every touchpoint in your customer’s journey is tracked, so you can see exactly how each interaction contributes to the final purchase. This means you can assign credit to the right ad clicks and understand their true impact.
Attribution Windows
An attribution window is the time frame during which events are tracked and credited to an ad. Different businesses need different windows. For some, crediting an ad from a month ago might be too long, but for others with longer sales cycles (such as furniture or luxury goods), even a month might be too short.
Triple Whale gives you flexibility here. You can choose from several attribution windows: 1 Day, 7 Days, 14 Days, 28 Days, or even Lifetime (which covers the entire customer journey, no matter how long). This means you can pick the window that best fits your business. The default is set to 28 days, but you can change it to whatever makes the most sense for you.
Attribution Models
An attribution model is a framework that helps determine which touchpoints or interactions in a customer’s journey should receive credit for a conversion or purchase. Essentially, it’s about figuring out how much each marketing effort—whether it’s an ad, email, social media post, or any other touchpoint—contributes to the final sale.
Triple Whale offers several attribution models, each designed to provide unique insights and help optimize marketing strategies. Here’s a guide on how and when to use these different models based on their specific advantages and focus areas.
Total Impact Attribution Model
The Total Impact (TI) attribution model provides a comprehensive view of all interactions a customer has before making a purchase. It leverages first-party, zero-party data, and a proprietary algorithm to offer a holistic perspective on the entire customer journey. This model is particularly beneficial for understanding the overall effectiveness of your marketing efforts across various channels.
Learn more: The Total Impact Attribution Model
When to Use
For a broad view of the customer journey and the cumulative impact of all marketing touchpoints.
Ideal for products with longer sales cycles and multiple touchpoints.
Suitable for assessing the overall performance of complex, multi-channel marketing strategies.
Advantages
Captures a wide range of data points, including survey data, website visits, and email interactions.
Provides a holistic understanding of the customer journey, highlighting the success of various marketing tactics.
Example
Suppose a customer clicks on a Pinterest ad but doesn’t buy. They then click on a Facebook ad, visit your website but leave without purchasing. Finally, they click on a Google search ad and make a purchase. With the Total Impact model, credit is distributed across all touchpoints (Pinterest ad, Facebook ad, and Google search ad), reflecting the cumulative effect of all interactions on the customer’s decision to purchase.
Triple Attribution Model
The Triple Attribution (TA) model focuses on understanding the value of click-based revenue attributed to each channel. It is particularly useful for day-to-day decision-making regarding ads and for reviewing the order overlap between channels. This model assigns credit to the final ad interaction on each platform before a conversion, making it effective for analyzing multi-platform campaigns.
When to Use
For understanding the effectiveness of ads across different platforms.
Useful for identifying which channels and specific ads are most effective in driving conversions.
Best for day-to-day campaign optimization and decisions.
Advantages
Offers a nuanced view of cross-platform advertising effectiveness.
Helps in optimizing ads based on their final interaction impact.
Example
Consider a customer who clicks on a YouTube ad, later clicks on a display ad on a news site, and then clicks on a Twitter ad but doesn’t purchase. They receive a retargeting email and finally make a purchase after clicking on a Google search ad. The Triple Attribution model gives credit to the final interaction on each platform. So, the YouTube ad, display ad, and Twitter ad each receive full credit for their final interactions before the conversion.
Note: when viewing your attribution reports on the Ads >All Channel page, using either of the "Triple Attribution" models may result in the bottom-line revenue appearing higher than your Shopify sales data, due to the duplicated attribution. As such, we wouldn't want to use this model on the All Channels page for understanding our total attributed revenue, because the total revenue would be duplicated.
Linear Attribution Model
The Linear Attribution model gives equal credit to every touchpoint along the customer’s journey by dividing the attributable revenue amongst all touchpoints. This model is ideal for analyzing how various marketing efforts collectively contribute to conversions without overemphasizing any single touchpoint.
Triple Whale provides two versions of linear attribution.
Linear (All) distributes credit amongst all traffic sources, including organic and non-paid traffic. It provides a balanced view of all marketing efforts by recognizing the contribution of each interaction a customer has with your brand.
Linear (Paid) only assigns equal credit to paid interactions (i.e. marketing channels) along the customer’s journey. By excluding organic interactions, Linear (Paid) helps you understand how your investment in paid marketing channels contributes to conversions.
When to Use
When you want a balanced view of the contribution of each marketing touchpoint.
Suitable for campaigns where every interaction plays a significant role in the conversion process.
Advantages
Provides an equitable analysis of all marketing efforts.
Ensures that no single channel or interaction is over or under-valued.
Example
Imagine a customer who clicks on a Twitter ad, followed by a blog post link in a marketing email. They then click on a retargeting ad on Facebook. Finally, they click on a Google search ad and make a purchase. In the Linear (All) model, credit is equally distributed among all touchpoints (Twitter ad, blog post link, Facebook retargeting ad, and Google search ad), showing that each interaction played a part in the conversion. In the Linear (Paid) model, credit is equally distributed among all paid touchpoints (Twitter ads, Facebook retargeting ad, and Google search ad).
First Click and Last Click Models
The First Click (FC) model attributes all credit to the initial touchpoint, while the Last Click (LC) model gives all credit to the final touchpoint before a conversion. These models offer insights into the initial engagement and final conversion phases of the customer journey, respectively.
When to Use
First Click: To identify which channels or ads initiate customer interest and generate awareness.
Last Click: To understand which channels or ads are most effective at converting prospects into customers.
Advantages
First Click: Highlights the effectiveness of top-of-the-funnel marketing efforts.
Last Click: Focuses on the touchpoints that seal the deal, aiding in optimizing lower-funnel activities.
Example
Imagine a customer who first sees a Facebook ad and clicks on it but doesn't make a purchase. Two weeks later, they receive an email from your brand, click on it, and still don’t buy. Finally, they see a Google search ad, click on it, and decide to make a purchase. In the First Click model, the Facebook ad receives all the credit because it was the initial touchpoint that started the customer's journey. In the Last Click model, the Google search ad would receive all the credit.
Triple Attribution + Meta Views
The Triple Attribution + Meta Views model combines Triple Pixel attributed orders with view-through conversions and conversion values provided by the Meta API. This model is tailored specifically for analyzing the effectiveness of Meta Ads.
Meta models attribution using both click-through as well as view-through data -- meaning, conversions intuited from an ad view (what Meta calls 1-day views). This model will layer Meta's reported view-through attribution on top of Triple Pixel's ad click attribution.
When to Use
For a comprehensive understanding of Facebook Ads’ impact, including both direct clicks and view-through conversions.
Useful for optimizing Facebook advertising strategies based on both direct and indirect interactions.
Advantages
Provides a detailed insight into Facebook’s advertising effectiveness.
Combines direct interactions and indirect views for a full picture of ad performance.
Example
Suppose a customer views a Facebook ad but doesn’t click on it. Later, they click on a Twitter ad and visit the website but don’t buy. They see another Facebook ad, click on it, and finally make a purchase after receiving an email. In the Triple Attribution + Facebook Views model, credit is given not only to the direct clicks (Twitter ad, Facebook ad, and email) but also takes into account the view-through conversions from the Facebook ads.
Practical Applications
Choosing the appropriate attribution model is crucial for aligning your marketing analysis with your specific goals. Doing so ensures that you maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns and gain meaningful insights into your marketing efforts.
Awareness Campaigns: The First Click model is ideal for identifying and optimizing channels that drive initial interest and generate brand awareness.
Conversion-Focused Campaigns: The Last Click model helps pinpoint and enhance the touchpoints that convert prospects into customers, making it perfect for campaigns focused on driving sales.
Comprehensive Insights: The Total Impact model is best for obtaining an overarching view of all marketing efforts, especially for products with longer sales cycles and multiple touchpoints.
Balanced View: The Linear Attribution model is suited for campaigns where every interaction is significant. It provides an equitable analysis of all touchpoints, ensuring a balanced understanding of their collective contribution to conversions.
Platform-Specific Analysis: The Triple Attribution model is beneficial for multi-platform campaigns, offering detailed insights into cross-platform advertising effectiveness. The Triple Attribution + Facebook Views combines direct interactions and indirect views for a comprehensive understanding of Facebook ad performance.
By understanding and utilizing the right attribution model in Triple Whale for each use case, you will gain accurate insights into campaign performance, empowering you to make informed decisions and optimize your marketing strategies.