Automation + Attribution = Campaign Success

Presented by Lee Goldberg, PresidentVector Media Group Inc.

• Full service digital agency, based in NYC

• Specialists in website development and online marketing• Search Engine Optimization• Pay-Per-Click Management• Online Display• Conversion Rate Optimization• Analytics

Introduction to Vector Media Group

• Amazing blend of automation and precise control that drives efficiency for our agency and results for our clients

• Best of Breed campaign automation – Both rules and algorithms

• Unsurpassed campaign attribution management tools

• Incredible team!!!

Why Vector Loves Acquisio

• To highlight different types of campaign automation strategies, so that you can choose which is best for your business and clients

• To explain the concept of attribution management, why it’s so important, and the different types of attribution models that are available

• To illustrate how savvy marketers can combine campaign automation AND attribution management to maximize ROI and drive efficiency of management and ad spend

Goals for Today’s Webinar

CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION

• Campaign automation is a function within the Acquisio platform that allows marketers and campaign managers to automate the bid management function of paid search/social/display

• Two types of campaign automation:• Rules• Algorithms

• Automation of routine bid management tasks saves time on tactical execution… Allowing the campaign manager/agency team to be more strategic

What is Campaign Automation?

Rules vs. Algorithms

Rules

Provides ultimate in control and precision

• Go as granular as you’d like to manage to a CPA, ROI/ROAS goal, avg. position goal

• Can be applied globally or to specific campaigns/ad groups

• Requires time and thought to set up properly

Algorithms

• Perfect for hitting pre-defined goals that are easy to measure and quantify

• Limited transparency, but easy to measure the impact

• Can easily be applied globally or to specific campaigns/ad groups

• Quick to set up and execute

A Closer Look at Rules

• Wait until you have enough data to have a real feel for what’s going on in your account and across your campaigns before setting up automated rules

• Leverage different rules for search vs display, branding vs performance campaigns, etc.

• Review rule performance in “suggestion” mode after implementing strategies to understand what is happening

• Set an appropriate “lookback” period so that you can be sure that you are relying on statistically significant data to make changes

• Don’t be afraid to tweak rules once you have a feel for their impact on performance

• Rules alone will not yield true success.. Don’t forget about keyword strategy, messaging, landing pages, etc.

Best Practices for Using Rules

A Closer Look at Algorithms

A Closer Look at Algorithms (continued)

• Be cautious at the beginning – Get a feel for how they look!

• Leverage the fact that Acquisio allows algorithms to run in suggestion mode

• Go for small gains in performance first – And then get more aggressive so that you don’t “shock” your campaigns

• Set different algorithms for different objectives

Best Practices for Using Algorithms

ATTRIBUTION MODELING

• TRUTH: Customers and prospects go thru a decision making process befoe squeezing the trigger – Not everyone is ready to take the leap today!

• Attribution Modeling is the process of allocating credit for a conversion across each of the different touchpoints and channels that lead up to the ultimate success event

• Traditional web analytics (i.e. Google Analytics) have (until very recently) completed ignored the issue of attribution, leading to a lack of understanding of how campaigns interact together

What is Attribution Modeling?

Why is Attribution So Important?

• Ignoring the fact that some keywords/campaigns/channels exist in the upper funnel compels marketers to bid down and reduce spend on introducers and influencers

• Channel management depends on attribution data. Using attribution data can lead you to:• Reallocating budget to campaigns along the most profitable spot in the

conversion cycle• Adjusting affiliate payouts, based on the true value that the affiliate provides in

the conversion cycle• Revising your CPA targets to be more closely aligned to the true contribution of

your marketing to the entire process• Change timing of campaign types• Adjusting landing pages and messaging to be more closely aligned to where

the visitor for the campaign is in the conversion cycle

Why is Attribution Management So Crucial?

Channel Management

Source: eConsultancy/Google, http://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/marketing_attribution_whitepaper.pdf

• There are 4 Main Types of Attribution Models:• Last Click• First Click • Linear • Custom

• Acquisio lets you define your own models, and splits up data into 3 easy-to-digest buckets:• Introducers = Plays an initial role in the conversion process• Influencers = Assists other keywords/channels in conversion process• Closers = Seal the deal!

Most Common Attribution Models

Attribution Models

First Click

• Attributes 100% of the conversion value to the first channel with which the customer interacted

• Useful when you run ads or campaigns to create initial awareness, and are looking to place a premium on the channels that first exposed customers to your brand

Last Click

• Attributed 100% of the conversion value to the last channel with which the customer interacted before conversion

• Useful when your ads/campaigns are designed to attract people at the moment of purchase, or if your business has a very short sales cycle… But overall, very limiting!

Attribution Models

Linear

• Attributes credit equally to each channel interaction on the conversion path

• Useful when your campaigns are crafted to maintain contact and awareness throughout the entire cycle. Each touchpoint is equally important

Custom

• YOU define the rules – Can be time decay, profit decay, etc

• Useful when you have a deep understanding of the conversion cycle, and want to truly optimize value across each point

Custom Attribution Models in Acquisio

COMBINING ATTRIBUTION MODELING AND CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION

• Acquisio’s Score Revenue metric is a marketer’s best friend!• Score revenue is the ACTUAL value that each keyword/ad

group/campaign/channel has contributed to your business, based on the attribution model that you’ve defined

• Score revenue tabulates value across each of the different conversion types that you’ve defined in Acquisio

• Score Revenue and attribution metrics are selectable in Acquisio’s rule builders

Score Revenue

1. Leverage Score Revenue: Use score revenue in your automated rules to influence bids based on total attributed value

2. Structure campaigns around the buying cycle, and set up rules and algorithms to optimize appropriately: Rather than maximizing closers for each campaign (as is typical), set rules and algorithms to maximize assists, assisted, introducers, influencers, and closers based on how each campaign fits into the buying cycle

Example:Category Terms (Shoes, Men’s Shoes, etc) = Maximize assists; introducer revenueProduct Terms (Nike Shoes, Nike Air Jordans) = Maximize influencer revenueBrand Name Terms (YourCompany.com) = Maximize closer revenue; assisted conversions

Best Practices = Combine Automation & Attribution

3. Use Algorithms and Rules Appropriately: Use algorithms with attribution revenue metrics for high-level ROI/CPA goals; Use rules for precise and exact control when looking to optimize at each step

4. Remember to use all conversion types: Don’t just focus on the final step in your conversion funnel. Set up attribution-based rules and algorithms to maximize macro conversions (sales, leads) as well as microconversions (email signups, whitepaper downloads, views of key page, etc)

Best Practices = Combine Automation & Attribution

Questions?

Lee GoldbergVector Media Group Inc.www.VectorMediaGroup.comLee@VectorMediaGroup.com

Thank You!