How to use models in campaign analysis? (guide table)
| Question | Ideal Attribution Model |
|---|---|
| Which channels attract new customers? | First Click |
| Which channels are responsible for final conversion? | Last Click |
| Which paid channels close sales? | Last Click Paid |
| What is the last click ignoring Direct/Organic? | Last Click Non Direct & Organic |
| Which channels contribute at some point in the journey? | Assisted |
| How to distribute credit equally? | Linear |
| How to balance acquisition (start) and closing (end)? | U-Shaped |
| Which channels really make a difference across the journey? | Markov |
When to use each model (quick best practices)
Last Click Paid
Use for: measuring direct performance of paid campaigns; evaluating bottom-of-funnel ads; prioritizing channels with financial return without organic/direct bias.Essential metrics: Attributed Sales/Revenue, ROAS, ROI, CPA.
Last Click Non Direct & Organic
Use for: reducing noise from Direct/Organic visits in final moments; highlighting the last “active” effort from media/channel.Essential metrics: Attributed Sales/Revenue, ROAS, non-organic session conversion rate.
Linear
Use for: measuring collaboration between channels in multi-touch strategies; comparing “share” of influence between touchpoints.Essential metrics: Linear Revenue, % participation per channel, average journeys per conversion.
U-Shaped
Use for: balancing acquisition and closing, valuing awareness + conversion; useful in long funnels with multiple touchpoints.Essential metrics: First/Last Revenue (weighted), middle-of-funnel Revenue, CAC/CPA per stage.
Markov
Use for: understanding real impact of each channel across the entire journey; justifying awareness investments; complementing First/Last analyses.Best practices: combine with First/Last for balanced view; use to explain discrepancies between models.
Practical examples with comparative tables
The following numbers are illustrative to demonstrate readings and decisions.
1) Top of Funnel attracting new customers
Scenario: Beauty e-commerce seeking awareness and qualified traffic.Strategy: Instagram/TikTok for top; Google for active demand; Facebook Remarketing.
| Channel | First Click Revenue | Last Click Revenue | Last Click Paid | Last Click Non Direct & Organic | Assisted Revenue | Linear Revenue | U-Shaped Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Ads | 12,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 | 15,000 | 6,000 | 8,000 |
| TikTok Ads | 8,000 | 1,800 | 1,800 | 1,800 | 10,000 | 4,500 | 5,200 |
| Google Ads | 2,000 | 9,500 | 9,500 | 9,500 | 11,500 | 6,500 | 6,800 |
| Facebook Remarketing | 1,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 9,000 | 11,500 | 6,000 | 7,000 |
- First Click: Instagram/TikTok lead acquisition.
- Last/Last Paid/Non Direct & Organic: Google + Remarketing close.
- Assisted/Linear/U-Shaped: Instagram/TikTok influence the journey; U-Shaped highlights the importance of first and last touch.
2) High investment with low perceived return
Scenario: Electronics store invests $50,000/month in Google, but revenue doesn’t keep up.Objective: Improve ROAS/ROI, reallocate budgets according to real contribution.
| Channel | First Click Revenue | Last Click Revenue | Last Click Paid | Last Click Non Direct & Organic | Assisted Revenue | Linear Revenue | U-Shaped Revenue | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads | 15,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 7,500 | 18,000 | 9,000 | 9,200 | 1.4 |
| Facebook Ads | 8,000 | 18,000 | 18,000 | 17,500 | 22,000 | 11,500 | 12,000 | 3.5 |
| E-mail Marketing | 2,000 | 12,000 | 0 | 0 | 14,000 | 6,500 | 7,000 | 5.0 |
- Google strong in First, weak in Last/Last Paid → generates traffic but doesn’t close.
- Facebook closes more and has higher ROAS.
- E-mail converts, but doesn’t appear in Last Paid (not paid media).
3) Campaign performing well and ready to scale
Scenario: Edtech launched new course; Facebook and Google performing.Objective: Identify scale potential while maintaining efficiency.
| Channel | First Click Revenue | Last Click Revenue | Last Click Paid | Last Click Non Direct & Organic | Assisted Revenue | Linear Revenue | U-Shaped Revenue | ROAS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Ads | 20,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 9,500 | 25,000 | 12,500 | 13,500 | 5.0 |
| Google Ads | 5,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 18,000 | 9,000 | 9,800 | 7.0 |
| YouTube Ads | 12,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 7,500 | 16,000 | 9,000 | 9,200 | 6.0 |
- Facebook drives top and support (Assisted/Linear); Google closes sales (Last/Last Paid/Non Direct & Organic).
- YouTube contributes, but with higher CPA.
Additional cross-analysis tips
- Compare First vs Last/Last Paid/Non Direct & Organic to separate attraction from closing.
- Use Linear and Assisted to measure journey collaboration.
- Use U-Shaped when you want to strategically reflect the weight of discovery and conversion.
- Bring Markov to justify investments and explain discrepancies between rule-based models (First/Last/Linear/U-Shaped) and real impact.
Final Summary (checklist)
- First Click → new customer acquisition.
- Last Click → final conversions.
- Last Click Paid → direct performance of paid media.
- Last Click Non Direct & Organic → removes Direct/Organic noise at last touch.
- Assisted → overall channel contribution.
- Linear → balanced collaboration.
- U-Shaped → balances start and end of journey.
- Markov → real impact across the entire journey.