What is Mobile Attribution

Mobile attribution is closely correlated with conversion attribution, but it is specific to mobile devices and has to deal and overcome some problems specific to these types of devices.

How it works

Mobile attribution works by tracking and attributing user actions to the specific marketing campaigns or touchpoints that influenced those actions. It relies on various tracking mechanisms, including unique identifiers like tracking pixels, SDKs (Software Development Kits), and deep linking, to connect the dots between user interactions and marketing efforts.

Common problems

1. Cross-Device Tracking: With users switching between multiple devices throughout their customer journey, accurately attributing actions across these devices can be complex. Mobile attribution solutions must employ sophisticated cross-device tracking methods to ensure accurate data collection.

2. User Privacy and Regulation: Privacy concerns and stringent data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, have made it more challenging to collect and share user data for attribution purposes. Balancing the need for data privacy with effective attribution is an ongoing challenge for the industry.

3. Ad Fraud: Ad fraud remains a persistent problem in the digital advertising space. Mobile attribution platforms must continually refine their fraud detection algorithms to identify and mitigate fraudulent activities that can skew attribution results.

4. Attribution Modeling: Choosing the right attribution model can be tricky, as different models may yield different results. Businesses need to carefully select and configure their attribution models to align with their unique goals and user behavior patterns.

5. Data Accuracy: Mobile attribution relies on accurate data, and discrepancies can arise due to various reasons, including technical issues and discrepancies between attribution partners. Ongoing data validation and reconciliation processes are essential to ensure data accuracy.

Mobile attribution models

Attribution modeling involves selecting and configuring the rules and algorithms that determine how credit is assigned to different touchpoints in a user’s journey. It allows businesses to tailor attribution to their specific goals and strategies.

Click-Through Attribution:

This attribution model assigns credit for a user’s action (e.g., app download) to the last ad the user clicked before taking the action. It’s widely used in performance marketing and is simple to implement.

View-Through Attribution:

View-through attribution attributes conversions to users who saw, but did not necessarily interact with, an ad before taking a specific action. It’s particularly relevant for display advertising and brand awareness campaigns.

Multi-Touch Attribution:

Unlike single-touch attribution models, multi-touch attribution considers the multiple touchpoints or interactions a user has with different ads or channels before converting. It provides a more holistic view of a user’s journey.

Post-Click and Post-View Attribution:

These attribution models consider both click-through and view-through interactions in the attribution process, offering a more comprehensive assessment of ad effectiveness.

Mobile Attribution/Measurement Partners

An attribution partner is a third-party service or platform that specializes in tracking and attributing user actions to advertising campaigns. Common examples include Adjust, AppsFlyer, and Kochava.

Final thoughts

Understanding these mobile attribution terms is essential for businesses looking to maximize the return on their mobile marketing investments. By leveraging mobile attribution data effectively, companies can refine their marketing strategies, allocate budgets wisely, and drive growth in the competitive world of mobile apps.