Custom Attribution Configuration – Custom Weights
Custom Attribution – Purpose
Frequently, customers want to have the option of creating their own Custom Attribution Models. The Attribution Configuration feature allows users to create logic that weights attribution based on custom settings. This allows users to adjust the scoring of the attribution models based on their business goals and objectives, giving them more control over their analytics data.
Custom Attribution – Assumptions
What the Custom Attribution Scoring Models does apply to:
- Only considers campaign variables (i.e. base it on channel or campaign type or campaign name or program.)
- Inbound touches
Inbound touch definition
- Applies to a multi-touch model
Multi-touch attribution scoring model definition
The Custom Attribution Scoring Model does NOT apply to:
- Chain-Based or machine learning models
Chain-based or Machine learning attribution scoring model (CBA) definition
- Single-touch scoring models
Single touch attribution scoring model definition
- Attribution weights do NOT impact your lead or account scoring models. It does not impact the amount of credit a touch gets based on what kind of account or person associated with the lead. This is NOT lead scoring.
What is lead scoring?
Custom Attribution Configuration – Use Case Scenario and Analysis
Q: Why would I want to create a custom attribution model in CaliberMind?
A: Configuring a custom attribution model in CaliberMind allows you to influence where credit is given. For example, if you know that a tradeshow meeting is more influential than a content download, you can use attribution configuration to adjust the amount of credit or points each of those touches gets.
When customizing attribution, it’s also beneficial to exclude low-value touch points. The filter mechanism lets us remove tactics that can bloat marketing’s reported impact on pipeline and bookings, which dillutes our return on advertising spend calculations. By keeping the bar for attribution higher than a web visit or email open, we’re only reporting the most influential interactions.
How to Configure a Custom Attribution Model
How to Configure a Custom Attribution Model – PDF Version
Using the “Otherwise” Statement
- Once you have configured the desired individual values, you may want to add a catch-all statement to allocate some or zero points to the remaining/unspecified categories. To do that, click the button at the bottom labeled “Add Otherwise.”
- Here you can see that the user wants everything else to be awarded 0 attribution dollars. This means any campaign type not listed above will receive $0 of opportunity value.
Attribution Timeframe Tab
The Attribution Timeframes tab allows the user to select if attribution should only include activities before the opportunity was created or if the opportunity should continue to allocate dollars to touches that happen after the opportunity is opened. This section of the setup screen also allows you to select how far back attribution should look (we recommend using at least as many days as it takes to open and close-win an opportunity)
Attribution Timeframe Discussion
Definition – Attribution timeframe is the span of time touches are considered for attribution. Some models look at first-touch to opportunity close while some models only look at “source” information, or what happens prior to opportunity create. This second view is useful if you want to lock in values as soon as the opportunity is created and aren’t as interested in demonstrating the value of campaigns that are helpful in propelling in-flight opportunities forward.
Why should I have the Attribution Timeframe Toggle button on? – A lot of campaigns that are high cost are used by the sales team to engage existing opportunities. Examples of this include trade shows, in-person meetings, and webinars. By not looking at the dollars or opportunities that are propelled forward, we’re not reporting the full value of these tactics and may cut spend on an event that is actually very productive.
Attribution Lookback Discussion
Definition – A look-back window is a the number of days prior to opportunity create that are considered influential in opening the opportunity. For example, if an average won opportunity takes three to six months to close, it may make sense to look back as far as 365 days to figure out how the prospect first heard of our brand and what they did as they researched what to buy. If our sales cycle is less than a month, it makes sense to only look back 90-180 days.
Why should I use the Attribution Lookback feature? Using a lookback window helps other departments feel comfortable with the time frame you’re considering. If you select a very long lookback period, sales may get the impression that marketing is trying to get more “credit” for pipeline and bookings than they think is fair.
How do you calculate a lookback window? – We recommend looking back at least as many days back as the average amount of days it takes from opportunity creation to close (the “sales life cycle”).
As an example – If your sales team averages 12 months from opportunity open to close-won, 365 days or more is a good lookback period.
Attribution Filter Tab
The Filter tab is the most efficient way to exclude certain campaigns, campaign types, or other campaign indicators from your attribution model.
Attribution Filter Discussion
Why should I use the Attribution Filter for my custom model? – With filtering, you can eliminate things that happen too frequently or have a very low barrier to entry. For example, we know that if someone takes the time to reply to an email, fill out a form, or some other “hand raise,” the normal expectation would be that the sales team will follow up. If we stay focused on the most influential touchpoints, other departments won’t feel like marketing is “cheating” and claiming too much credit, and our return on investment calculations will be much more in line with reality.