Multi-Touch Attribution Models

Multi-touch attribution distributes credit across all touchpoints in the buyer's journey. The question is how to distribute it. Linear models give equal credit to every touchpoint. Time-decay models give more credit to recent touchpoints. Position-based models give the most credit to the first and last touches with the remainder distributed to middle touches. Each model embodies an assumption about which touchpoints matter most.

1. Linear Attribution Every touchpoint gets equal credit. A journey with ten touchpoints assigns 10% to each. The strength: no single channel is systematically favored. The weakness: it assumes all touchpoints are equally important, which is rarely true. The demo request that triggered a meeting is probably more important than the blog post read four months ago.
2. Time-Decay Attribution Recent touchpoints get more credit than earlier ones. A touchpoint one day before conversion gets significantly more credit than a touchpoint 90 days before conversion. The strength: it captures the intuition that recent interactions are more influential. The weakness: it undervalues the brand-building and awareness activities that made the prospect receptive.
3. W-Shaped Attribution Three key moments each receive 30% credit: first touch (how the prospect found you), lead creation (when they first identified themselves), and opportunity creation (when the deal entered the pipeline). The remaining 10% is distributed across other touchpoints. The strength: it credits the moments that matter most in B2B buying. The weakness: it requires accurate tracking of all three key moments.