Multi-Touch Attribution
A model that credits multiple marketing touchpoints for contributing to a conversion, helping marketers optimize budget across channels.
Definition
Multi-touch attribution distributes conversion credit across all marketing touchpoints in a customer journey rather than giving full credit to just the first or last touch. Models include linear (equal credit), time-decay (more credit to recent touches), and position-based (weighted by position).
Why It Matters
Customer journeys involve multiple touchpoints before conversion. Single-touch attribution undervalues channels that assist conversions. Multi-touch models provide more accurate ROI measurement and budget allocation across channels.
Examples in Practice
A customer sees a display ad, clicks a social post, and converts via email. Linear attribution gives each 33% credit. Time-decay gives 50% to email, 30% to social, 20% to display. This insight reveals display ads assist conversions even without direct clicks.