Definition
First-touch attribution assigns all conversion credit to the first email touchpoint that engaged the subscriber. It rewards the channel that brought the person in.
It is most useful for judging acquisition, but it undervalues later emails that close the deal.
First-touch attribution answers the acquisition question by crediting the first engaging email. It rewards the channel that built the list but undervalues later closing messages. Combining it with other models gives a complete view.
When to Use It
Use it when assessing acquisition and list-building channels.
Pair it with other models for a fuller picture.
Why It Matters
First-touch attribution answers the acquisition question. Understanding it helps you credit the channels that build your list.
Best Practices
- Use it when assessing acquisition channels.
- Pair it with other models to see both ends of the journey.
- Keep it consistent when comparing campaigns.
- Report the model you use.
- Combine with last-touch for a balanced view.
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Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is an automated message sent to customers who added items to their online shopping cart but left without completing the purchase. It is one of the highest-converting email types in ecommerce.
Abuse Complaint
An abuse complaint is a report from a recipient who marks an email as spam, which negatively affects sender reputation and deliverability.
AI Email Summary
An AI email summary is a short, machine-generated overview of an email's key points, shown by Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail before a recipient opens the message. It is reshaping how email marketers think about subject lines, preview text and open rates.
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) is a metric that measures the average revenue generated per email subscriber over a specific period, used to evaluate list value and campaign effectiveness.
Attention Rate
Attention rate is the percentage of email opens that last longer than 5 seconds, distinguishing genuine reads from passive opens, preview-pane views, or Apple MPP auto-loads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crediting conversion to the email that first engaged the subscriber. First-touch attribution answers the acquisition question by crediting the first engaging email.
For judging acquisition and list-building channels. It rewards the channel that built the list but undervalues later closing messages.
It ignores the messages that actually converted. Combining it with other models gives a complete view.
Last-touch credits the final email before conversion. First-touch attribution answers the acquisition question by crediting the first engaging email.
No, pair it with other models. It rewards the channel that built the list but undervalues later closing messages.