How are conversions measured on Impact Radius?
The Impact Radius Affiliate network (Impact for short), like most affiliates platforms, is based on a click attribution model. This model attributes the conversion to clicks that were sent by Impact publishers. Commissions can be paid in different manners, depending on the attribution model the advertiser is running. First-click and last-click commissions are the most common. The big problem with models like this is those previous marketing touchpoints that happened on other channels (like ads, emails, etc.) aren’t weighted and rewarded by this model. Only the network of Impact counts when conversions are being distributed. It’s easy to understand that this can lead to a misunderstanding about the true conversions that are being generated by Impact. What can marketers do to accurately pinpoint Impact driven conversions?
What can marketers do to understand their customer journey?
Because not only Impact, Google Analytics (GA) also runs a click attribution model, specifically the last-click attribution model. Meaning that all the online conversions that are being shown in GA are based on the last traffic source that led to that conversion. Although the multi-channel funnel tab in GA can give some insights into which traffic sources are assisting the overall conversions, it is still not what marketers need to understand what channels and campaigns are generating conversions. The solution is quite simple; an attribution model. An attribution model that combines traffic sources from different channels can give the insight required to determine if it is worth running an affiliate strategy.
Which attribution options are out there?
There are only some attribution models that are effective and being applied by marketers. Odyssey believes in multi-touch attribution, due to its effectiveness and simplicity. The Odyssey platform gives all your traffic sources, publishers, campaigns, etc. an Incrementality index, based on multi-touch attribution. This index grants a percentage based on the value of that particular touchpoint in the context of the complete range of conversion possibilities, so in other words, in comparison to all the other customer journeys. The Incrementality can be calculated with a few valid multi-touch methods, please see below:
- First Click Linear
- Linear
- Last Click Linear
- U-Shaped
- Custom model
So what about affiliate as a strategy with Impact Radius?
Because Impact and Google Analytics both run on a click attribution model, the results will not vary alarmingly. Odyssey distributes conversions and revenue based on the complete journey, this automatically shapes a different picture when looking at Impact results. Generally speaking, revenue driven by Impact affiliates is up to 70% less than is typically shown in Google Analytics. The discrepancy in results between Google Analytics and Odyssey is usually lower when the affiliate strategy is more focused on content than on conversions.
So, Google Analytics is overvaluing the performance of Impact. But that doesn’t mean that Impact affiliates have no real marketing value. On the contrary, Impact proves to work for most businesses, just not as much as Impact would like you to believe. When understanding the number of real conversions and revenue that are driven by your Awin publishers, you will be able to select publisher collaborations better and handle your affiliate strategy most optimal.
Curious about how to start with multi-touch attribution?
Odyssey connects seamlessly with Google Analytics and offers direct multi-touch attribution insights. Integration with ad platforms empowers Odyssey with the right data to offer razor-sharp spend recommendations. Odyssey not only allows Impact data to be included in the platform but all your marketing platforms are complementary to the Odyssey dashboard. It’s even possible to get Odyssey’s attribution into your current marketing dashboard, compatible with environments like Google Data Studio or Klipfolio and many others. See more of this in our Destinations section.
