Build a Better Program: Segmentation, Attribution & Motivation
1. Segmentation, Attribution, and
Motivation
Brian Littleton
Founder/CEO ShareASale
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
2. Attribution is a popular word!
Overheard at every Industry Conference,
every Board Room and every Vendor
pitch.
Let’s start by looking at the
main problem identified.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
3. The “Last Minute” Click
AVG TIME
Click to Commission
VS. TO COMPLETE ORDER
10 Minutes
3 Minutes
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
4. The Turtle is in position to earn a commission
as last click and is trumped by the Parrott at
the last second.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
5. How to correct?
Major lines of thinking
include
•Remove Affiliates
•First Click
•Pay Per View Models
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
6. Remove Affiliates
Masks the problem
Leaves revenue on the table
“Head in Sand” technique
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
7. First Click Reward
Often utilized by Merchants.
On the surface, it looks like a good way to
reward the first person to send traffic.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
8. First one in, keeps everyone else out.
Encourages spam and click stuffing
behaviour.
Can result in simply random sale ownership.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
9. What about View Tracking
•Touted as a way to reward content sites who
are othewise difficult to engage.
•Activates on any view of the site as opposed to
the user taking any action.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
10. •Essentially is encouraged cookie-stuffing
•Merchant has no real idea why / how a
consumer came through this relationship.
•Random sale ownership.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
11. So what’s a better idea?
•Let’s create a solution that is fair
•Go back to history to remember the
benefits…
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
12. Early Affiliate Marketing
•One size fits all
•Scale achieved by giving all people the exact same
product thereby limiting the workload of an AM.
•Not the reality of today.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
13. Segmentation
•Critical in developing a complex commission
structure.
•Track trends and manages
positives/negatives
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
14. Attribution
•Use behaviour and rules to determine
commission
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
15. Examples:
The “Last Minute” Click
AVG TIME
Click to Commission
VS. TO COMPLETE ORDER
10 Minutes
3 Minutes
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
16. The Turtle is in position to earn a commission
as last click and is trumped by the Parrott at
the last second.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
17. Scenario Building
Coupons v. Content
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
18. Scenario Building
Coupons v. Coupons
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
19. Things to look out for
Contiguous clicks
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
20. Build the Rules
“LeapFrog”
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
21. Build the Rules
“Big Sale”
Encourage an Affiliate to play to
their individual strengths.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
22. Scenario Building
Not all about the Coupons!
•2% Bonus from a certain recruitment source
•Add $50 for a sale over $500
•Double commission for a new customer
•Generate full commission for an affiliate tagged as
“Coupon” utilizing a specific creative
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE
23. You’ve created a Modern
Affiliate Program
•Uses real data to determine complex commission
structure
•No “blanket” decisions such as paying all coupon
affiliates 2% or removing from the program.
•Incentives affiliates to encourage the behaviour that you
want.
•Scales using technology and rules – not just
because one size fits all.
SEGMENTATION, ATTRIBUTION AND MOTIVATION – BRIAN LITTLETON FOUNDER/CEO
SHAREASALE