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WHITE PAPERBEST PRACTICES FOR B2B MARKETING ATTRIBUTIONCreated to concisely help B2B marketers understand both the complexity and benet of marketing attributionI. Purpose.pg. 3II. Choosing the Right Metrics.pg. 4a. Goalsb. IndicatorsIII. Tracking Touchpoints.pg. 5a. Acquiring Touchpoint Datai. UTM Parametersii. Technology Integrationsiii. CRM Campaignsiv. Custom Channelsb. Treating Touchpoint Datai. Touchpoint Positionii. Touchpoint Deletion and SuppressionIV. Account-Based Attribution.pg. 9V. Attribution Models.pg. 10a. Attributing Leadsb. Attributing Opportunities and Pipeline Revenuec. Attributing RevenueVI. Reporting.pg. 13a. Cross-Channel Reportingb. Demand Reportingc. Content Reportingd. Adding FiltersVII. Forecasting.pg. 15a. Using Historical Datab. Leveraging Machine LearningTABLE OF CONTENTSBEST PRACTICES FOR B2B MARKETING ATTRIBUTIONI. PURPOSEB2B marketing attribution is an increasingly critical component of the B2B marketing technology stack. Because its function is to connect marketing to down-funnel sales data, including revenue, its necessary to eectively execute a full-funnel marketing strategy.This white paper outlines best practices for B2B marketing attribution, from what metrics should be prioritized to tracking touchpoints to reporting and forecasting using attribution data.BEST PRACTICES FOR B2B MARKETING ATTRIBUTION3II. CHOOSING THE RIGHT METRICSThere are dozens of metrics available to B2B marketers. Marketers can track clicks, pageviews, form submissions, leads, qualied leads, sales opportunities, customers, revenue, and more, not to mention the many cost-based metrics or other ratios that can be calculated.a. GoalsWhen measuring marketing performance, B2B marketers should prioritize their key metrics by identifying which metric is the ultimate goal of their eorts and which metrics are indicators of that goal.For sophisticated marketing organizations, revenue should be the ultimate goal. Other organizations, however, treat pipeline revenue or sales opportunities as marketings ultimate goal. B2B marketers should identify which is true in their organization and use that as their key metric.b. IndicatorsThe next step is to identify several key indicators of that goal, ideally spread throughout the buyers journey. This allows marketers to measure funnel health at key stagesthe top of the funnel (TOFU), the middle of the funnel (MOFU), and the bottom of the funnel (BOFU). Marketers must keep in mind that these are merely indicators of the ultimate goal, revenue (or pipeline).III. TRACKING TOUCHPOINTSMarketing attribution data is reliant on touchpoint data. Touchpoints are interactions or engagements between prospects and the marketers company. The data attached to touchpoints (touchpoint data) can vary, but typically includes:- Date/time- Marketing channel- Source- Landing page- Ad campaign (when applicable)- Keyword (when applicable)- Type (web visit or web visit plus form submission)a. Acquiring Touchpoint DataMarketing attribution software acquires this touchpoint data several dierent ways: UTM parameters, native integrations, and through CRM campaigns. In conjunction with JavaScript which tracks on-site user behavior, touchpoints are created with the relevant data.i. UTM ParametersUTM parameters are a standard web tracking mechanism that relay critical information to analytics programs. Marketing attribution should be able to read UTM parameters and create touchpoint data based on them. The downside of UTM parameters is that they are prone to user error, as they typically are manually appended to URLs.ii. Technology IntegrationsNative technology integrations are a more precise and accurate way that marketing attribution creates touchpoint data. Through integrations with ad networks, the relevant touchpoint data is automatically passed. Furthermore, integrations with ad networks can automatically pass cost data, allowing for easier calculations of cost-based metrics (e.g. ROI). These integrations are dependent on relationships between marketing attribution providers and the ad networks.iii. CRM CampaignsFinally, touchpoint data can be created through CRM campaigns. Many B2B marketers track performance of certain campaigns through list uploads to the CRM. These eorts include registrations from events and conferences (e.g. badge scans) and lead list sharing (e.g. co-marketing eorts, content syndication). Once these lists are uploaded to the CRM, marketers should customize the campaign setup, where possible, to update the touchpoint data for the campaign members.iv. Custom ChannelsThe last practice that marketers should do to ensure accurate and useful touchpoint data is to customize their marketing channels and route their data accordingly, when possible. Most attribution providers have a default set of marketing channels out of the box, such as Paid Search, Organic Search, Paid Social, Organic Social, Email, Referral, and Direct. As B2B marketing organizations mature, they develop more varied channel setups that are specic to their organization and audience, such as a partner marketing channel, a PR channel, or an outbound sales development channel.b. Treating Touchpoint DataTouchpoint data tells marketers about prospect behaviorwhat they did, when they did it, and where they came from. However, not all prospect behaviors are the same, nor are they of the same importance. Some touchpoints are merely web visits (e.g. the prospect read a blog post). Other touchpoints include form submissions (e.g. downloaded an ebook or registered for a webinar). Even then, not all form submissions are of equal importance typically, organizations value the rst form submission (lead creation), more than subsequent form submissions.Marketing attribution should acknowledge the touchpoint typeweb visit versus form submissionand it should also acknowledge the stage in the buyer journey in which the touchpoint took place.i. Touchpoint PositionThere are several key stages in the B2B buyer journey and these can vary by organization. In general, marketing organizations place an emphasis on the rst touchpoint, the lead creation touch, and the opportunity creation touch. Some organizations may also care about stages after opportunity creation, such as the touchpoint that led to a closed-won deal, or stages in between, like the touchpoint that led to a demo appointment. Marketing organizations should identify which stages are important to them and congure their marketing attribution to acknowledge these touchpoints as more valuable touchpoints. What stage the touchpoint takes place is called the touchpoint position.ii. Touchpoint Deletion and SuppressionThere are an additional two considerations as to how marketing attribution should treat touchpoints: deletion and suppression. Because the B2B marketing buyer journey is long and complex, it is often benecial to have the ability to delete or pro-actively suppress touchpoint creation in either a manual or rule-based process. For example, if a prospect has gone through the buying cycle, is marked as closed-lost, recycled, and then goes through the buying cycle again, it may be useful to delete the touchpoints from the rst buying cycle because it allows the credit to be given to the touchpoints in the most recent buying cycle.Marketing organizations may also decide that they dont care about touchpoints from a particular source or touchpoints at a particular stage, or a combination of the two. In this instance, marketers should congure their marketing attribution to suppress touchpoint creation based on these parameters. For example, a marketing organization may choose to suppress touchpoint creation for touchpoints from Direct that lead to a closed-deal. Attributing credit to the Direct channel gives neither the marketing nor sales team actionable information. In this case, a marketer may choose to suppress that touchpoint and give the credit, instead, to the prior touchpoint.IMPRESSIONSCLICKSVISITSLEADSQUALIFIED LEADSDEMOSSALESOPPORTUNITIES(CLOSED-WON)REVENUEBEST PRACTICES FOR B2B MARKETING ATTRIBUTION4III. TRACKING TOUCHPOINTSMarketing attribution data is reliant on touchpoint data. Touchpoints are interactions or engagements between prospects and the marketers company. The data attached to touchpoints (touchpoint data) can vary, but typically includes:- Date/time- Marketing channel- Source- Landing page- Ad campaign (when applicable)- Keyword (when applicable)- Type (web visit or web visit plus form submission)a. Acquiring Touchpoint DataMarketing attribution software acquires this touchpoint data several dierent ways: UTM parameters, native integrations, and through CRM campaigns. In conjunction with JavaScript which tracks on-site user behavior, touchpoints are created with the relevant data.i. UTM ParametersUTM parameters are a standard web tracking mechanism that relay critical information to analytics programs. Marketing attribution should be able to read UTM parameters and create touchpoint data based on them. The downside of UTM parameters is that they are prone to user error, as they typically are manually appended to URLs.ii. Technology IntegrationsNative technology integrations are a more precise and accurate way that marketing attribution creates touchpoint data. Through integrations with ad networks, the relevant touchpoint data is automatically passed. Furthermore, integrations with ad networks can automatically pass cost data, allowing for easier calculations of cost-based metrics (e.g. ROI). These integrations are dependent on relationships between marketing attribution providers and the ad networks.iii. CRM CampaignsFinally, touchpoint data can be created through CRM campaigns. Many B2B marketers track performance of certain campaigns through list uploads to the CRM. These eorts include registrations from events and conferences (e.g. badge scans) and lead list sharing (e.g. co-marketing eorts, content syndication). Once these lists are uploaded to the CRM, marketers should customize the campaign setup, where possible, to update the touchpoint data for the campaign members.iv. Custom ChannelsThe last practice that marketers should do to ensure accurate and useful touchpoint data is to customize their marketing channels and route their data accordingly, when possible. Most attribution providers have a default set of marketing channels out of the box, such as Paid Search, Organic Search, Paid Social, Organic Social, Email, Referral, and Direct. As B2B marketing organizations mature, they develop more varied channel setups that are specic to their organization and audience, such as a partner marketing channel, a PR channel, or an outbound sales development channel.b. Treating Touchpoint DataTouchpoint data tells marketers about prospect behaviorwhat they did, when they did it, and where they came from. However, not all prospect behaviors are the same, nor are they of the same importance. Some touchpoints are merely web visits (e.g. the prospect read a blog post). Other touchpoints include form submissions (e.g. downloaded an ebook or registered for a webinar). Even then, not all form submissions are of equal importance typically, organizations value the rst form submission (lead creation), more than subsequent form submissions.Marketing attribution should acknowledge the touchpoint typeweb visit versus form submissionand it should also acknowledge the stage in the buyer journey in which the touchpoint took place.i. Touchpoint PositionThere are several key stages in the B2B buyer journey and these can vary by organization. In general, marketing organizations place an emphasis on the rst touchpoint, the lead creation touch, and the opportunity creation touch. Some organizations may also care about stages after opportunity creation, such as the touchpoint that led to a closed-won deal, or stages in between, like the touchpoint that led to a demo appointment. Marketing organizations should identify which stages are important to them and congure their marketing attribution to acknowledge these touchpoints as more valuable touchpoints. What stage the touchpoint takes place is called the touchpoint position.ii. Touchpoint Deletion and SuppressionThere are an additional two considerations as to how marketing attribution should treat touchpoints: deletion and suppression. Because the B2B marketing buyer journey is long and complex, it is often benecial to have the ability to delete or pro-actively suppress touchpoint creation in either a manual or rule-based process. For example, if a prospect has gone through the buying cycle, is marked as closed-lost, recycled, and then goes through the buying cycle again, it may be useful to delete the touchpoints from the rst buying cycle because it allows the credit to be given to the touchpoints in the most recent buying cycle.Marketing organizations may also decide that they dont care about touchpoints from a particular source or touchpoints at a particular stage, or a combination of the two. In this instance, marketers should congure their marketing attribution to suppress touchpoint creation based on these parameters. For example, a marketing organization may choose to suppress touchpoint creation for touchpoints from Direct that lead to a closed-deal. Attributing credit to the Direct channel gives neither the marketing nor sales team actionable information. In this case, a marketer may choose to suppress that touchpoint and give the credit, instead, to the prior touchpoint.BEST PRACTICES FOR B2B MARKETING ATTRIBUTION5III. TRACKING TOUCHPOINTSMarketing attribution data is reliant on touchpoint data. Touchpoints are interactions or engagements between prospects and the marketers company. The data attached to touchpoints (touchpoint data) can vary, but typically includes:- Date/time- Marketing channel- Source- Landing page- Ad campaign (when applicable)- Keyword (when applicable)- Type (web visit or web visit plus form submission)a. Acquiring Touchpoint DataMarketing attribution software acquires this touchpoint data several dierent ways: UTM parameters, native integrations, and through CRM campaigns. In conjunction with JavaScript which tracks on-site user behavior, touchpoints are created with the relevant data.i. UTM ParametersUTM parameters are a standard web tracking mechanism that relay critical information to analytics programs. Marketing attribution should be able to read UTM parameters and create touchpoin
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