Attribution Models
Customers often interact with multiple ads before making a purchase. But which ad should receive credit for the sale? That's where attribution models come in.
Thunder lets you choose from different attribution models to determine how credit is distributed across your ads.
Here are the attribution models available in Thunder and how each one works.
Last Click (Paid)
Assigns 100% of the credit to the last paid ad a customer clicked before making a purchase.
Example 1
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, then an Instagram ad, and finally a TikTok ad before making a purchase.
TikTok receives 100% of the credit because it was the last ad clicked.
Example 2
A customer clicks on three different Snapchat ads before making a purchase.
Snapchat Ad 3 receives 100% of the credit because it was the last ad clicked.
Last Click may give too much credit to search engines like Google, which often act as supporting channels in the customer's journey.
First Click (Paid)
Assigns 100% of the credit to the first paid ad a customer clicked in their journey.
Example 1
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, then an Instagram ad, and finally a TikTok ad before making a purchase.
Snapchat receives 100% of the credit because it was the first ad clicked.
Example 2
A customer clicks on three different Snapchat ads before making a purchase.
Snapchat Ad 1 receives 100% of the credit because it was the first ad clicked.
Last Click Before Google
Assigns 100% of the credit to the last paid ad clicked, excluding Google Ads.
This model is useful when Google acts as a supporting channel, such as when customers discover your store through other ads but return through Google before purchasing.
Example
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, then an Instagram ad, and finally a Google ad before making a purchase.
Instagram receives 100% of the credit because it was the last ad clicked before Google.
If Google Ads is the only paid advertising channel in the customer's journey, Google receives 100% of the credit.
Linear (Paid)
Splits credit equally across all paid ads a customer clicked before making a purchase.
This is Thunder's default attribution model, providing a broader view of the customer's journey by giving equal credit to every paid ad the customer interacted with.
Example 1
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, then an Instagram ad, and finally a TikTok ad before making a purchase worth SAR 150.
Each ad receives SAR 50 in attributed revenue and one-third of the purchase credit.
Example 2
A customer clicks on three different Snapchat ads before making a purchase worth SAR 300.
Each Snapchat ad receives SAR 100 in attributed revenue and one-third of the purchase credit.
Linear (All)
Splits credit equally across all marketing touchpoints in the customer's journey, including paid ads and organic channels.
Example
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, finds your store through Google organic search, visits through your Instagram bio link, and finally clicks on a TikTok ad before making a purchase worth SAR 200.
Each touchpoint receives SAR 50 in attributed revenue and 25% of the purchase credit.
Influencer Priority
Assigns 100% of the credit to an influencer if the customer's journey includes an influencer link, even if the customer clicks on other ads before purchasing.
This model is useful when working with influencers, as customers may visit through an influencer's link but return through other ads before making a purchase.
Example 1
A customer visits your store through an influencer's link, then clicks on a Snapchat ad and a TikTok ad before making a purchase.
The influencer receives 100% of the credit, even though the customer clicked on other ads afterward.
Example 2
A customer clicks on a Snapchat ad, then an Instagram ad, and finally a TikTok ad before making a purchase, without visiting through an influencer link.
TikTok receives 100% of the credit because no influencer was involved in the customer's journey.
If no influencer link is found in the customer's journey, Thunder uses Last Click. If multiple influencers are involved, the last influencer receives the credit.