How can you determine the best attribution model for your content marketing strategy?

1 Last-touch attribution

This is the simplest and most widely used attribution model. It assigns 100% of the credit to the last touchpoint before the conversion. For example, if a customer clicks on an email link and buys your product, the email campaign gets all the credit.

The advantage of this model is that it is easy to implement and understand. The disadvantage is that it ignores all the previous interactions that may have influenced the customer's decision, such as blog posts, social media posts, or webinars. This model may underestimate the value of your content marketing efforts and overvalue your direct response channels.

2 First-touch attribution

This is the opposite of the last-touch attribution model. It assigns 100% of the credit to the first touchpoint that introduced the customer to your brand. For example, if a customer discovers your blog post through a search engine and later buys your product, the blog post gets all the credit.

The advantage of this model is that it highlights the importance of your awareness and acquisition channels. The disadvantage is that it ignores all the subsequent interactions that may have nurtured and persuaded the customer, such as email newsletters, case studies, or testimonials. This model may overestimate the value of your content marketing efforts and undervalue your conversion and retention channels.

3 Linear attribution

This is a more balanced attribution model that assigns equal credit to all the touchpoints along the customer journey. For example, if a customer interacts with five touchpoints before buying your product, each touchpoint gets 20% of the credit.

The advantage of this model is that it recognizes the contribution of every channel and content piece to the conversion. The disadvantage is that it does not differentiate between the impact and relevance of each touchpoint. This model may dilute the value of your content marketing efforts and fail to identify the most effective channels and content pieces.

4 Time-decay attribution

This is a more sophisticated attribution model that assigns more credit to the touchpoints that are closer to the conversion. For example, if a customer interacts with five touchpoints before buying your product, the last touchpoint gets the most credit, followed by the second-last, and so on.

The advantage of this model is that it reflects the recency and urgency of the customer's decision. The disadvantage is that it may overlook the influence of the earlier touchpoints that may have sparked the customer's interest and awareness. This model may favor your conversion and retention channels and devalue your awareness and acquisition channels.

5 Position-based attribution

This is a hybrid attribution model that assigns more credit to the first and last touchpoints and less credit to the middle touchpoints. For example, if a customer interacts with five touchpoints before buying your product, the first and last touchpoints get 40% of the credit each, and the middle three touchpoints get 6.67% of the credit each.

The advantage of this model is that it emphasizes the role of the first and last touchpoints in creating and closing the opportunity. The disadvantage is that it may undervalue the role of the middle touchpoints in educating and engaging the customer. This model may suit your content marketing strategy if you have a strong focus on generating and converting leads.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?