How Attribution Models Affect Your Affiliate Program (Whitepaper)
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Since the inception of the performance marketing industry, the primary form of affiliate attribution has been Last-Click. This means that the last publisher in the clickstream receives 100% of the commission. Although this an easy and simplistic model that has helped build the industry for years, new technology is opening doors to multiple attribution options.
Up and coming models include:
- Coupon Code Attribution: An exclusive coupon code is tied to a specific affiliate. The unique code will attribute 100% of sales to the affiliate based on that coupon code.
- Preferred Publisher: No matter how many other touchpoints are in the sales funnel, if a Preferred Publisher is one of them, they will get 100% of the attribution.
- Custom Attribution: Unique attribution setup that could be any combination of the other models or something new.
- Linear: Each touchpoint in the conversion path – multiple affiliates or various sources such as Paid Search, Social Network, Email, and Direct channels – would share equal credit for the sale.
- Time Decay: The touchpoints closest in time to the sale or conversion get the credit.
- First Click: The first affiliate touched in the sales funnel gets 100% of the attribution.
Wondering what the pros and cons are for each model? Download the Coupon & Deals Council’s latest paper “How Attribution Models Affect Your Affiliate Program” to compare each one and learn how attribution is evolving.
The download is now free to anyone!
Thanks to the Coupons and Deals Council, led by Larissa Feuerstein of FMTC, for their hard work on this project! Other contributing council members included:
- Andrew Kardon, TopCashBack
- Craig McGlynn, PartnerCentric
- Carolin Wolf, Comprigo
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