ATTRIBUTION REPORTING
DEVELOP A PROCESS TO TRACK LEADS
The implementation of attribution reporting requires involvement of all people, processes and technologies that impact the funnel. If these elements are not leveraged and teams are not motivated, they may become an obstacle to the acquisition and usage of accurate data. For this reason, it is essential to re-examine the scope of the organization’s entire funnel to ensure that attribution reporting will be set up for success.
TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN OWNING THE MAJORITY OF YOUR ATTRIBUTION REPORTING, MARKOPS MUST:
Provide a transparent, efficient and accountable view of the funnel and Marketing’s role within it;
Work to increase Marketing efficiency and organizational agility; and
Define what process and technology MarkOps is responsible for.
Process: Connect People with Execution
For attribution reporting to provide accurate information, the lead must be tracked all the way through the funnel. Process codifies how the teams should work together, clarifying what role each person and team that touches a lead must perform so attribution reporting can function. Developing a process for tracking leads keeps teams accountable and enables execution. Figure 1 illustrates some of the processes used to set up attribution reporting.
Key ACTIONS required for attribution reporting to function:
Share the big picture vision of an Attribution Reporting framework with all stakeholders so they understand the role they will play in optimizing the marketing and sales funnel. Some of these stakeholders may be agencies, web team, demand generation, internal sales, sales ops, and field sales.
Map out every stage in the buyer journey, as well as every step of campaign development. This will help you visualize the alignment of the key teams and technologies involved. Document how your company will tag and follow a lead at each stage.
Figure 1: Diagram of Process for Tracking Leads
Key ACTIONS required for attribution reporting to function (continued):
Be clear about what specific actions are required from each team, for every campaign and initiative. Document these expectations. For example, every ad must have an attribution ID stamped into the link, every form must be able to capture that ID and pass it along to your Marketing Automation system, and so on.
Use Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to guarantee prompt execution and to ensure that campaigns can launch on schedule. The length of time it takes to schedule and execute defined actions needs to be codified and committed to. Execution timelines also must be built into the campaign launch process.
Use a structured rollout with an emphasis on training and enablement. Prioritize change management to solidify each new process and promote adoption across your organization.
Continuously monitor process effectiveness with regular committee meetings and reviews focused on improving and refining the system.
Carrying out these key processes and recommended actions via a phased rollout is critical to the success of an attribution reporting initiative.
When implementation is complete, you should have the processes in place to support an attribution reporting framework that keeps tactics, teams, and tools accountable, allowing for ongoing monitoring and improvement.
