In email marketing, the Single Touch and Double Touch methods can refer to how marketers attribute the success of a campaign base

1. Single Touch Method in Email Marketing

In email marketing, the?Single Touch?method attributes the success of a campaign to just one email interaction. This can be either the?first email?the lead interacted with or the?last email?they engaged with before taking a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a webinar.

Examples of Single Touch Attribution in Email:

• First-Touch Attribution: The credit for a conversion is given to the first email that a recipient interacted with. For example, if a prospect opens your welcome email and eventually converts, the welcome email gets full credit for the conversion.
• Last-Touch Attribution: The credit for the conversion is assigned to the last email the prospect opened or clicked on before converting. For example, if a prospect converts after receiving a final reminder email for a limited-time offer, that reminder email gets all the credit.

When to Use Single Touch Attribution in Email:

• Campaigns with a single goal: If you're running an email campaign focused on a clear, short-term objective (e.g., promoting an event), single touch can help you identify which email had the biggest impact.
• Simpler customer journeys: When the buying cycle is short and involves only a few email interactions, this method can be effective.
• Easy performance tracking: Single-touch attribution is straightforward, making it easier to see which email campaign generated the most conversions.

Limitations:

• Ignores the full journey: Single touch ignores other important emails in the sequence that might have nurtured the lead or contributed to engagement along the way.
• Oversimplifies engagement: Email marketing often involves multiple touchpoints (reminders, nurturing emails), and giving full credit to just one email may not accurately reflect the process that led to conversion.

2. Double Touch Method in Email Marketing

The?Double Touch?method is a more balanced approach that attributes credit to?two key emails?in the customer’s journey—typically the?first email?and the?last email?in a sequence that led to conversion.

How Double Touch Attribution Works in Email:

• First Touch: This is the first email that the lead interacts with, such as an introductory offer, a welcome email, or a first newsletter that they open or click.
• Last Touch: This is the final email interaction before conversion. For example, it could be the last reminder email in a series or the final promotion that prompted the recipient to take action.

Example of Double Touch in Email:

• A user subscribes to your email list and receives several emails. The first email they interact with is a welcome email that introduces your brand and content. After a series of nurturing emails, they click on a final email offering a special promotion and make a purchase.First-Touch Credit: The welcome email receives partial credit for initiating the relationship.Last-Touch Credit: The final promotional email gets partial credit for sealing the deal.

When to Use Double Touch Attribution in Email:

• Campaigns with nurturing sequences: If you have a longer sales funnel with multiple emails aimed at building engagement (e.g., onboarding series, lead nurturing), double touch attribution helps show which key emails initiated and closed the conversion.
• Balance between acquisition and conversion: If you want to see which email brought the customer in and which email ultimately led them to take action, the double touch method provides a more holistic view.

Limitations:

• Ignores middle emails: Just like single touch, the double touch method still doesn’t account for all the emails in the middle of the sequence that might have played a critical role in nurturing or educating the lead.
• Still simplified: While it's better than single-touch attribution, it may still miss the full picture of engagement across the email series.

Comparison:

CriteriaSingle Touch Method in EmailDouble Touch Method in EmailAttributionFull credit to either the first or last emailCredit is split between the first and last emailUse CaseShort email campaigns or focused goalsLonger email sequences with multiple touchpointsFocusAcquisition or conversionBoth acquisition and conversionBest forSimpler campaigns with fewer emailsNurturing campaigns, drip sequencesLimitationsIgnores middle touchpointsMisses middle touchpoints

When to Use Each Method in Email Marketing:

• Single Touch (First or Last Email): If you want to measure the impact of a specific email in either introducing your brand or closing the sale, single touch attribution is a straightforward way to do so.
• Double Touch (First and Last Email): If you're running a series of emails designed to nurture leads over time, the double-touch method is more effective in showing the combined impact of both initial engagement and final conversion.

Multi-Touch Attribution in Email Marketing:

For businesses with longer customer journeys or more complex email sequences, a?multi-touch attribution model?might be more appropriate. This method assigns credit to multiple emails based on their influence in the lead’s journey. It can track?every touchpoint?and assign proportional credit to each email based on its role in driving conversion, providing a more detailed picture of the overall campaign's effectiveness.

For more information connect with Perfect marketing solution.