First touch attribution explained: Pros, cons, and smarter alternatives

Ever wonder which marketing channel first sparked a customer’s interest in your business?

That initial moment a person discovers your brand can reveal a lot about how you introduce yourself to new audiences. This is where first touch attribution comes in. It focuses on the earliest contact a person has with your company and assigns all credit for the final conversion to that initial interaction. It’s a straightforward model that can help marketers understand which top-of-funnel campaigns are driving fresh prospects.

Below, we’ll take a deeper look at first touch attribution, explore its advantages, identify its limitations, and discuss smarter analytical methods – especially those offered by Usermaven– to paint a more detailed picture of marketing impact.

What is first touch attribution model?

First touch attribution model is a measurement technique that gives full credit for a conversion or purchase to the very first interaction people have with your brand. This touchpoint could be an online ad, a social media post, or even discovering your website through a web search.

For example, someone clicks on your LinkedIn ad for the first time. Later, they see a retargeting ad, read a blog post, subscribe to your newsletter, and finally buy your product. In a first touch attribution model, the LinkedIn ad would receive 100% of the credit for that purchase. This perspective values the importance of buyer awareness stages and brand introduction.

First touch attribution tends to be a favorite for teams focused on awareness campaigns. It addresses important questions like:

• Which channels introduce the most new leads into the funnel?
• Where should we invest for greater brand visibility?
• Which top-of-funnel tactics produce the highest volume of first-time visitors?

However, while this model is simple to understand, it can leave out later encounters that might have nurtured the lead. Marketers use it because it’s easy to deploy, but it also has blind spots that we’ll discuss in more detail soon.

Benefits of first touch attribution

First-touch attribution provides valuable insights, especially in the early stages of the customer journey. Here are some of its key benefits:

Simple implementation and analysis

First touch attribution model is easy to set up, which is appealing if your resources are limited. Many marketing platforms and analytics tools support first touch attribution model tracking out of the box. Because it focuses on the earliest contact, you don’t need to dissect a long list of user behavior tracking interactions. The resulting data is fairly uncomplicated and can guide awareness-focused decisions.

Clear top-of-funnel insights

Are you trying to find out which campaigns excel at getting new people to notice you? First touch attribution spotlights your top-performing introduction channels, giving you clear insights about top-of-the-funnel analysis. If a certain ad group or social platform frequently serves as the initial stepping stone, that insight can guide budget allocation for maximum exposure.

Effective for brand awareness measurement

This model is good at gauging brand awareness efforts. If your priority is to get on people’s radar, you can quickly see whether your display ads, blog posts, or social media promotions are successful at capturing the attention of first-time visitors. This reveals which tactics are best at igniting new interest in your offerings.

Limitations and challenges of first touch attribution model

First-touch attribution, while useful for highlighting initial customer interest, has notable limitations that can skew the true value of your marketing efforts. Here are some of the key challenges:

Oversimplification of the customer path

One shortcoming of first touch attribution is that it simplifies a real-world decision-making process, which often includes numerous ads, articles, emails, or personal recommendations. The first interaction is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Giving all recognition to that moment might mask the impact of later touchpoints.

Missing mid-funnel interactions

What if a series of nurturing emails played a major part in converting a lead into a paying customer? The first touch attribution model ignores these medium-stage activities that guide someone from casual interest to genuine intent. Overlooking these steps can cause a skewed reassessment of your marketing strategy.

Privacy and technical constraints

It has become harder to track that initial interaction because of privacy regulations, the decline of cookieless tracking, and restrictions in some browsers. Paths to purchase can also span several months or more, which adds complexity to tracking the earliest recorded action. This limitation can result in gaps in your attribution data.

When to use first touch attribution

Not every business scenario calls for a complicated, data-heavy approach. Sometimes, the first interaction is the most important deciding factor, especially if the sales cycle is short. Consider these cases:

Ideal use cases

• Products or services that customers buy quickly, often after one or two interactions.
• Brand-centric campaigns that are mainly about raising awareness.
• Marketing experiments that focus on gauging the popularity of specific interest hooks.

Business scenarios

• E-commerce brands launching new items and monitoring the channels that spark initial curiosity.
• B2B organizations are looking to see which platforms draw the freshest leads.
• Media outlets that want to understand which referral sources deliver first-time visitors.

Industry applications

• Retail: Pinpointing whether an online ad or a sponsored Instagram post grabs the most new eyeballs.
• SaaS: Determining which webinar or blog content encourages customer acquisition funnel sign-ups for free trial accounts.
• Real estate: Checking which property listings or paid ads lead to initial inquiries from potential buyers.

Alternative attribution models

While first touch attribution can be helpful, it’s wise to pair it with other methods for a more complete view of conversions.

Last touch attribution

Last touch attribution gives 100% credit to the final interaction before someone takes action. This is useful to see which channel seals the deal. Like first touch attribution model, it’s easy to implement but skimps on insight into stages that happen mid-funnel.

Multi-touch attribution

Multi-touch attribution attempts to distribute credit across multiple parts of the marketing path. Several styles exist:

• Linear attribution model: Assigns equal credit to each contact.
• Time decay attribution model: Gives more weight to interactions closer to the final conversion.
• U-shaped attribution model: Provides the most weight to first and last contacts while distributing the rest among middle stages.

These models acknowledge that multiple encounters often shape a customer’s decision. They can reveal the nurturing content or retargeting ads that help transform first-time visitors into purchasers.

Data-driven attribution

Data-driven approaches rely on algorithms to parse your data and identify which touchpoints hold the most significance for conversions. It’s the most specialized method, but it also requires higher data volume and technical skills. When executed well, it delivers precise insights into attribution and can adapt to shifting consumer habits.

Which attribution model should we track?

Choosing the right attribution model depends on your business goals, the complexity of your customer journey, and the type of data you want to gather. Each model has its own strengths, and the best one for you will depend on how you want to understand and optimize your marketing efforts.

The right model for the right scenario

• Linear attribution model: Ideal for campaigns where each touchpoint plays an equal role. This model distributes credit equally across interactions, making it great for understanding the collective impact of your marketing efforts.
• First-touch attribution: Perfect for campaigns focused on building brand awareness and reaching new audiences. The first interaction is crucial in sparking customer interest and setting the stage for the journey ahead.
• Last-touch attribution: Best suited for tracking which efforts directly lead to conversions, focusing on the final touchpoint before a purchase is made.
• Time decay attribution: Works well for longer sales cycles, giving more credit to touchpoints closer to the conversion as they play a more significant role in driving final actions.
• Position-based attribution: A balanced approach, giving credit to both the first and last touchpoints while still acknowledging the value of intermediate interactions.

There’s no one-size-fits-all attribution model. Many businesses use tools that allow tracking multiple models in one place. Multi-touch attribution tools give you a comprehensive understanding of how all touchpoints contribute to conversions, while first-touch models offer insights into which channels are best at initiating customer engagement.

Usermaven: Simplifying attribution for you

Usermaven’s multi-touch attribution tools empower marketers to track and compare different attribution models, providing a clear, holistic view of how marketing efforts are performing. Whether you prefer multi-touch attribution or a simpler approach, our platform gives you the flexibility to explore multiple models – all in one place. With Usermaven, you can make smarter, data-driven decisions that align with your business goals.

The main attribution features in Usermaven

Seven attribution models

Usermaven offers seven flexible attribution models, including first touch attribution and multi-channel attribution models, enabling you to choose the best approach for analyzing your data. Whether you want to distribute credit across all touchpoints or focus on key interactions, our platform provides the flexibility to experiment and find the best fit for your business.

Lookback window

With Usermaven, you can set a customizable lookback window to suit your business needs. Whether tracking short sales cycles (30 days) or long, complex journeys (180 days), this feature helps you capture key touchpoints over a tailored period – ideal for industries like e-commerce or luxury services.

Days to convert analysis

Track how long it takes customers to convert after their first interaction. Usermaven’s analysis helps you assess the effectiveness of various channels at different stages of the conversion process, providing valuable insights into which touchpoints accelerate or slow down your sales cycle.

Conversion path visualization

Understand the exact sequence of touchpoints leading to a sale. With Usermaven’s conversion path analysis, you can see which interactions boost conversion rates and optimize your marketing strategies to encourage more multi-touch engagement.

Detailed source/channel analysis

Track the performance of each marketing channel at different stages of the customer journey. Usermaven’s detailed content/channel analysis shows which channels are most effective for awareness, lead nurturing, and conversion, enabling you to fine-tune your content strategy.

AI-driven recommendations

Usermaven’s AI capabilities go beyond data analysis. The platform identifies patterns and offers actionable insights, helping you optimize your marketing strategy and make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Custom channel mapping

Create custom channel groups to track and analyze your marketing efforts more precisely. This allows you to separate campaigns like paid ads, organic social media, or influencer marketing, providing a more detailed view of their individual impact on conversions.

Content attribution

Measure how your content – such as blog posts, videos, and podcasts – contributes to conversions. Usermaven’s content attribution feature allows you to track the impact of content at various stages, optimizing your content strategy to focus on what delivers the most value.

Paid ad attribution

Usermaven enables you to track the performance of paid ads across platforms like Facebook. By using multi-touch attribution, you can identify which ads drive the best ROI, allowing you to adjust your budget allocation for maximum impact.

With Usermaven, you’re not just tracking sales; you’re gaining deep insights into your marketing strategy. Our platform helps you understand how each marketing channel contributes to conversions using flexible attribution models. Whether optimizing for ROI or analyzing the customer journey, Usermaven empowers you to make informed decisions, improve strategies, and increase profitability.

In summary, with Usermaven’s powerful multi-channel attribution tools, you can track every step of your customer’s journey, uncover new opportunities, and scale strategies that work.

Conclusion

First touch attribution is convenient if you need a quick snapshot of which channels are attracting new faces. It’s often the first stop for businesses checking the success of brand-building efforts. However, it doesn’t show you the full story. Giving 100% credit to the introduction can obscure the importance of ongoing touchpoints that further guide prospects.

If you want deeper and more accurate data, consider pairing first touch with alternative attribution models or embed it within a full-featured platform like Usermaven. By analyzing multiple contact points, you can see a broader range of interactions that nudge people toward a purchase or signup. This balanced approach will help you make wiser marketing choices that reflect how buyers actually behave.

Faqs about first touch attribution

1. How is first touch attribution different from last touch attribution?
   Last touch attribution credits the final interaction before a conversion, while first touch looks only at the earliest click or view. Both focus on a single moment in the conversion path and can leave out the role of other interactions.
2. What tools can I use to track first touch attribution?
   Several analytics platforms, such as Google Analytics, support first touch attribution. However, Usermaven provides a more encompassing approach by offering multiple attribution models in one interface, helping you compare and contrast performance across channels.
3. Is first touch attribution still relevant in 2024?
   Yes. If your goal is to gauge the performance of awareness-level activities, first touch remains helpful. Yet, combining it with multi-touch or data-driven models in Usermaven provides a more accurate reading of which campaigns nurture leads and seal conversions.
4. How accurate is first touch attribution?
   It’s accurate for showing which channel brought in a new visitor, but it misses the impact of anything that occurs afterward. Early interactions are important, but relying on that alone can produce a limited view of your marketing effectiveness.
5. Can first touch attribution work with offline marketing?
   It can, provided you track that initial encounter meticulously. You might use unique phone numbers, coupon codes, or specialized landing pages in offline materials so that when people reach you, the source is logged. An advanced platform like Usermaven can integrate these signals into a complete dataset for a better overview.