As Australian SMEs navigate increasingly competitive markets, understanding where your marketing spend delivers the best return is crucial. For too long, businesses have relied on simple ‘last click’ attribution – giving all the credit for a sale to the very last interaction a customer had with your marketing. But customers rarely buy on the first touch. That’s where multi-touch attribution comes in. It’s a more sophisticated way to analyse which marketing activities genuinely influence a purchase, recognising that multiple interactions often contribute to a conversion.

Essentially, multi-touch attribution looks at all the touchpoints a customer has with your business – from seeing an ad on social media, to clicking through from an email, to visiting your website multiple times – and assigns a value to each one based on its contribution to the final sale. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about moving beyond guesswork and making more informed decisions.

Here are a few key insights for Australian businesses considering multi-touch attribution:

• It reveals hidden performers: You might be surprised to learn that a seemingly ‘low-performing’ channel, like a blog post, is actually playing a vital role in the early stages of the customer journey, nurturing leads before they convert.
• Optimise budget allocation: By understanding which channels are truly driving results, we can reallocate your marketing budget to maximise ROI. Stop throwing money at activities that aren’t contributing.
• Improve the customer experience: Analysing touchpoints helps us understand how customers interact with your brand, allowing you to refine messaging and create a smoother, more effective journey.
• It’s not ‘set and forget’: Attribution models need regular review and adjustment. Customer behaviour changes, and your marketing strategy should evolve with it.

Implementing multi-touch attribution doesn’t require a massive overhaul. Many marketing platforms now offer built-in attribution modelling, or integrate with specialist tools. The key is to start small, focus on the channels most important to your business, and gradually refine your approach. Don’t wait until 2026 to get started – the sooner we understand your customer journey, the sooner we can improve your profitability.

If you’re ready to move beyond last-click reporting and unlock the true potential of your marketing spend, let’s discuss how multi-touch attribution can be tailored to your specific business needs. Contact us for a free consultation to explore your options.