Stop chasing the click: Rethinking performance marketing on social

Opinion

In a changing social landscape, brands must reassess how they view “performance”, moving from focusing on the bottom of the funnel to creating full-funnel strategies.

Last click attribution has long been performance marketing’s shtick, but its misgivings are well-documented and argued about within the industry.

Even aside from last click, many performance-focused tactics that may have worked previously to prove return on adspend are becoming less and less effective for advertisers. From changing consumer behaviour to online privacy regulations, the rules of the game are changing.

So it’s imperative on brands to reassess how they view “performance”, moving from focusing on the bottom of the funnel to creating full-funnel strategies.

TikTok measurement head: industry needs weaning off ‘last-click attribution’

Online worlds

“I need to prove the effectiveness of my spending”, I hear you cry!

It can be hard to avoid the siren call of metrics that show high value and low CPA. But we see that the sales path is less linear than ever and understanding the full customer journey takes a much deeper approach that will protect your performance budget in the long term.

Digital platforms are more than just ad channels — they are community hubs where friends, family and creators play a critical role in shaping buying decisions. For digitally native consumers, digital platforms are where they find entertainment, consume news, shop, talk to friends and absorb content from people who inspire them.

As a recent report from Archrival on Vogue Business states: “Consumption today is an infinite loop of inspiration, exploration, community and loyalty.”

On Snapchat, for example, someone might discover a brand they like through an influencer recommendation, try it on virtually via augmented reality like a virtual changing room and share images with friends to get their immediate feedback. These layers of influence on someone’s purchasing decisions occurring within the platform could never be quantified by traditional performance metrics.

Subscriptions, search and shoppability: Social challengers go beyond the long tail

Gen Z consumers, in particular, are changing the game for performance marketers. They are attracted to brands that build communities and commit themselves to authenticity. According to research from Sprout Social, nearly 90% of Gen Z say a brand’s presence on digital platforms has a larger impact on whether or not they trust the brand compared with 2023. And, of course, trust is a huge driver of purchasing, with brand trust making 87% of shoppers pay more for products.

What’s more, they trust us to serve them what they actually want to see. From discovering the latest fashion trends to making considered purchases, consumers are increasingly turning to digital platforms for recommendations before they ever reach a search engine.

The research from Archrival found that 49% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials trust their algorithms to serve them the content/products they want. Spending time and money upfront to create content for the inspiration phase is key, with each interaction boosting discovery and feeding your lower funnel with highly engaged consumers.

Furthermore, investing in brand and performance on digital platforms can create real commercial results.

Cider brand Old Mout, for example, ran a multi-product campaign on Snapchat featuring Snap Ads, Commercials, AR Lenses and influencer-led content, as well as a custom AR x OOH experience and a competition-led Lens. It delivered a 4.9% sales uplift compared with a 2% benchmark and £445k in incremental sales.

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Measurement journeys

So linear performance marketing strategies aren’t reflective of the true journey of a consumer. How do we prove success overall?

Solutions like Fospha are able to give a more holistic overview of how consumers interact with brands beyond the “last click”. They tap into the API of the digital platforms while taking into account the final conversion interaction, letting advertisers in on the full life cycle of a brand’s campaign and its impact.

Jaded London, for example, had paused spend on Snapchat due to a lack of measurable results under its previous click-based attribution model. In the first half of 2024, Google Analytics attributed only 12% of conversions to Snapchat, but Fospha was able to reveal that its activity had actually driven eight times more conversions than reported.

The most recent AA/Warc Expenditure Report showed growth in channels like search (+12.6%) and online display (+15.2%). This is all very well until over-investment in one tactical element of the sales journey — ie. putting all your eggs in one basket and neglecting the inspiration phase at the start — reduces the effectiveness of your spend overall.

It’s time to ditch the old playbook — combine creativity, community and smart measurement strategies to not just chase the click, but to build connections that keep customers coming back for more.

Aidan Rouse is head of mid-market, UK and Nordics, at Snap