Mobile attribution is the process of attributing a mobile user’s actions or conversions, such as a purchase or signup, to a specific marketing campaign or source.

Precise attribution is especially important when it comes to affiliate marketing, where proper commission allocation is critical.

What is mobile attribution in partner marketing?

Basically, it means the same thing. In partner marketing, mobile attribution refers to attributing a mobile user’s actions or conversions to a particular affiliate marketing campaign or traffic source. 

This allows businesses to track the effectiveness of their mobile marketing efforts and determine which channels and campaigns are driving the most value for their business. Mobile attribution can be done using a variety of methods, such as tracking unique URLs or mobile device IDs and can help businesses make data-driven decisions about their mobile marketing strategy.

Attribution models for mobile apps

Why are there so many different attribution models? And, what factors influence your decision?

An advertiser must identify which channels are the most profitable and which traffic sources are producing the most conversions. 

Advertisers can use any model to determine the worth of various marketing channels and how to further optimize their marketing strategy.

These models are concerned with the numerous “clicks” that a user will make. Typically, a person will not convert immediately after seeing and clicking on the first ad. That is why advertisers opt to communicate messages via numerous platforms.

For example, Scaleo is a partner tracking platform allowing you to connect mobile channels with other channels, such as banner ads that promote the mobile app. This allows for a smooth and easy attribution.

Mobile attribution and Scaleo partner software

Scaleo, a market-leading partner management software is an excellent supplement to any business that runs a marketing campaign that tracks in-app engagements.

Why should you employ both? 

To begin with, as an advertiser, you should meticulously track each channel. You can compare them thoroughly and take actions to enhance your advertising by having them all on one platform. Avoid jumping from platform to platform. Scaleo allows you to unify your marketing efforts and track your marketing campaigns in one fantastically looking dashboard.

Scaleo - affiliate markting without cookie stuffing guaranteed

While mobile attribution can tell you what people do in a particularly tracked app, it cannot track data from all channels. Mobile attribution cannot track data if you advertise your mobile app through numerous channels. 

As a result, if you’re linked it with Scaleo, you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly which publishers are producing the best results, regardless of the channel they advertised at.

Scaleo provides over 30 various data points so you can slice around your statistics and make data-driven decisions.

App tracking and attribution data privacy

Now, everyone is talking about privacy or lack thereof. Advertisers confront increasing hurdles as most internet companies adopt more privacy-friendly rules. For starters, as most advertisers are aware, Apple’s new privacy guidelines, which were implemented with iOS14 in the spring of 2021, represent a significant barrier.

The short story is that Apple has been asking users to allow monitoring since iOS 14 – and the majority of customers refuse. This prevents access to IDFAs (IDs for advertisers). This made attribution more difficult, it’s difficult to say which click resulted in which conversion because there’s no method to identify users.  However, tracking platforms like Scaleo can bypass it easily.

Remember: Only campaign IDs can be used for attribution. 

While this new version severely limits mobile attribution – with more sure to come – you can always rely on some form of solution if you have the backing of mobile analytics or affiliate tracking software in place.

Because most of the time, there is a workaround for these privacy restrictions, and usually, industry-leading platforms such as Scaleo are the ones to pioneer these solutions.

How Will Mobile Attribution Change in 2024?

It is difficult to predict exactly how mobile data attribution will change in the future, as it will depend on a number of factors, such as technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. 

However, mobile data attribution will likely continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, allowing businesses to gain greater insights into the effectiveness of their mobile marketing efforts. This may involve the use of new technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to automate and improve the accuracy of mobile attribution. 

Additionally, there may be an increased focus on privacy and data security in mobile data attribution as consumers become more concerned about their personal information being used for marketing purposes. Overall, the future of mobile data attribution is likely to involve a combination of new technologies and best practices to help businesses better understand and optimize their mobile marketing efforts.

Conclusion

Mobile Attribution might be challenging. However, it is also necessary for efficient online advertising.

With 90% of the worldwide internet population now utilizing a mobile device, there’s no denying that mobile advertising is a safe investment. However, without mobile app attribution, your advertising dollars may be wasted. So, invest your time and effort in accurate mobile attribution software now to set your advertising up for future success in 2024.

Looking for the perfect integration between your mobile business and partner marketing? Schedule a demo call today with our representatives, or start a 14-day free trial right away.

Mobile Attribution - How Will it Change & Affect Your Business in 2024? - mobile attribution

What is mobile attribution tracking?

Mobile attribution tracking is the process of attributing marketing efforts (such as digital ads) to successful events (generally in the mobile app) such as downloads, purchases, sign-ups.

Last Updated on April 10, 2024

Author

Elizabeth is a Senior Content Manager at Scaleo. Currently enjoying the life in Prague and sharing professional affiliate marketing tips. She's been in the online marketing business since 2006 and gladly shares all her insights and ideas on this blog.