Multi-Touch Attribution

Multi-touch attribution is a way to measure every step a customer takes before they buy. It treats each email, ad, or click as one part of the story. Instead of giving all the credit to one touch, it spreads it across the whole journey. That gives you a more honest view of what actually moved someone to purchase.

For email marketing, this matters because email often supports the sale instead of closing it. Your welcome series, product updates, and reminders might not get the final click, but they keep people warm and ready to buy. With multi-touch attribution, you can see how often email appears in winning paths alongside paid ads or search. That helps you defend budget, plan stronger journeys, and cut work that does not move the needle.

A simple way to start is to tag every email link with clear UTM parameters and track how often those sessions appear in winning journeys. Look for patterns like customers who open two or three emails before buying compared to those who never open. Use those insights to adjust your sequences, timing, and offers. Small changes based on real paths usually beat guesses.