Requirements for Successful Marketing Attribution: Resources

Summary

In the second installment of the series, dive into the person resources necessary for successful marketing attribution. Attribution isn't a set it and forget it type of thing. You need the right people with the right skills to manage it.

By Brenna Lofquist, Senior Marketing Consultant / Client Services Operations at Heinz Marketing

In the next installment of my series about requirements for successful marketing attribution, the next topic is resources.

Check out the initial post that sparked the inspiration for the series: Select the right attribution model for your business.

The first post in the series highlights data as a key requirement for successful attribution. If you want to read them in order, start here.

Now lets get into it!

Resources

Resources can mean a handful of things however, when it comes to attribution I’m mainly taking about people resources. I’ll touch on tools/tech resources towards the end but the main focus will be on what people resources you need for successful attribution.

Why are people resources important for attribution?

First, you need someone in your organization that can help setup attribution whether that’s using attribution software or working with the tools and tech you have. This person needs to be familiar with the systems being used or at least be willing to learn them, if you don’t have someone readily available.

Second, attribution isn’t a set it and forget type thing. Ideally you’d have a person responsible for analyzing the data. At the very minimum you would have a person that “owns” the attribution software or manual setup, that can answer questions, help troubleshoot, and make changes to the software or model.

Who is the right person?

The answer is: it depends. However, I can provide some insights that should help you figure out who the right person(s) are for the job. There are factors that might dictate the numbers of resources you need such as the size and complexity of your organization. For example, a smaller company may combine roles, whereas a larger Enterprise company may have dedicated teams or roles for each function – keep that in mind!

If you could only have or hire one person for attribution I’d have to say it should be a Marketing Analyst or a Marketer that has an analyst skill set or background. Ideally a Marketing Analyst would be responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to uncover insights and trends. This person would have expertise in marketing analytics tools and methodologies, which would allow them to design and implement attribution models effectively.

Although, I would argue (with myself) that a Marketing Analyst isn’t the only role that can take on this job. Lets look at it another way and breakdown the skills or expertise you should look for in the ideal role.

1. Data Analysis: Marketing attribution relies heavily on data analysis to understand the impact of various marketing channels and touchpoints. You need someone who is familiar analyzing data, identifying patterns, and can derive actionable insights.
2. Attribution Model Development: Attribution models (in some cases) determine how credit is assigned to marketing channels and activities. You need someone who develop and fine-tune these models based on data analysis and business requirements.
3. Measurement and Reporting: The ability to set up reports and measurement frameworks to track and report on marketing performance. You want someone who can help establish key performance indicators (KPIs), used to monitor the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and initiatives.
4. Insights and Optimization: Provide valuable insights into the performance of marketing channels and campaigns and identify areas for optimization. You need someone who can not only pull together the information but also someone who can take turn that into valuable information used to make key business decisions.

It’s important to note that attribution is a multidisciplinary effort. Collaboration across various roles and teams is crucial for success.

You might have a Marketing Operations person who is highly knowledgeable about the systems and technology being used however, they lack experience pulling and analyzing data. In that case, you’ll need to bring in multiple people to manage attribution.

Supporting resources

Again, this can depend on the size and nature or complexity of your organization – just a reminder. These resources can/should be there to support the main resource responsible for the attribution model and reporting. For most companies I would imagine all the responsibility is not left to one person. In that case, here are some ideas of supporting resources to look for. This list can also be useful to determine if you have an existing person that might be able to play the main role. They might need additional guidance or lack in some areas but that’s better than starting from scratch!

Also, I’ve noticed in browsing LinkedIn from time to time that there’s absolutely no standard when it comes job titles and roles/responsibilities. So at the very minimum, hopefully this gives you a starting point if you are in fact hiring for a role like this.

• Data Scientist
• Marketing Operations Manager
• IT/Technology Specialist
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Marketing Manager/Specialist

Other supporting resources that can’t play the main role include:

• Sales/Sales team
• Executive Management
• External Partners/Agencies

The three supporting resources listed above should work collaboratively with the main resource. They should provide feedback, insight, etc. to ensure that everyone is on the same page and getting what they need out of the attribution model.

The bottom line

You need a dedicated resource to at least manage your attribution software/model. It doesn’t need to be their only responsibility but if no one is responsible, your organization will suffer. We’ve seen it before and it makes it very difficult to get the data and information necessary to understand performance and make important business decisions.

 

I am always happy to chat attribution if you have any questions or thoughts on the post you can reach out to me directly at brenna@heinzmarketing.com. Stay tuned for next month’s installment of this series!