Attribution modelling is an incredible tool for learning about the buying journey of your customers.
But it’s not the whole story. No matter how sophisticated your attribution model, no matter how well integrated your data sources – if you’re running a multi-channel or omnichannel marketing campaign, you’re going to have missing touchpoints.
There are things, both offline and online, that attribution data simply can’t tell you. What sort of things? Well, an offline example would be word-of-mouth recommendations. Real-world advice from a friend or colleague is still one of the most powerful influences on consumer behaviour and is estimated to drive around 13% of all consumer sales.
And an online example? SERP impressions. Just because people haven’t clicked doesn’t mean they haven’t noticed.
If you’re only relying on your attribution data, your understanding of the buying journey – and your audience – is going to be narrow and superficial. Here’s how you can ensure that you keep your chosen attribution model in context, and create a marketing strategy that meets the needs of your customers at every touchpoint.
Understand your customer’s decision criteria
Know your place. Understanding the role your product plays in your customer’s life will help you understand their buying journey.
Is your product essential to their everyday life? Is it a status symbol? Is it something they buy every week, or every five years? Are they likely to ever have conversations about your product, and if so, who with?
A person choosing a scouring pad will use a different set of criteria when they are buying a holiday or a car.
Understanding their decision criteria will keep your marketing efforts aligned with what your customer needs from you – and ensure you don’t waste your breath talking to them when they don’t want to listen.
Getting this in place at the very start of your marketing strategy planning is critical. It will inform your choice of marketing channel, as well as your approach.
Invest in market research
If decision criteria are about understanding your customer’s relationship with your product, then market research is the same thing, but at scale.
There are ways to obtain some of the insights you need for free. Tools like Google’s ‘Grow My Store’ and ‘Market Finder’ have their uses (although they’re no replacement for the sadly missed ‘Google Consumer Barometer’), and there are often industry reports that provide some of the information for a relatively low cost.
However, market research is most effective when you invest the time and money required to consistently understand the dynamics of your audience. While it’s not cheap to outsource your market research (Experian offer an entry-level package for £8,000, AC Neilsen will complete a full-month study for £5,000) the data yielded by this approach will be far more reliable than generic industry reports and will provide greater insight when combined with your own customer surveys and questionnaires.
Call tracking and call analytics solutions are an essential supplement for both your attribution modelling and your wider understanding of your market. Call 360’s powerful AI will automatically categorise the intent, outcome, of sentiment of your customer’s calls, and you can track a range of customer experience metrics for a real-time understanding of your customers’ behaviour and relationship with your product, services, and brand.
Get in touch today for a free 14-day trial of Call 360.
