Definition
Influencer attribution connects the results of creator marketing, such as installs, sign-ups and purchases, to the individual creator who generated them. Without it, a creator's audience tends to appear as unexplained organic growth.
Common Methods
- Unique tracking links. Each creator gets a distinct attribution link. Taps are recorded, and the install and later events are credited back to that creator. Pairing the link with deferred deep linking takes new users to the content the creator promoted.
- Promo or referral codes. The follower enters a code at sign-up or checkout. This works where links are impractical, and mirrors how a referral link credits a person.
- QR codes. Useful for video and offline placements, see QR code attribution.
- Social-to-app journeys. Links from social profiles into the app are covered under social-to-app.
Limits to Plan For
- Links only record people who tap them. Followers who search the store afterwards appear as organic.
- Codes depend on memory and effort, and can spread beyond the creator's audience.
- In-app browsers and link previews can interrupt the click path on some platforms.
- Fraudulent or low-quality traffic can sit behind a creator's reported reach, so check install quality, not only volume.
Because of these gaps, read link and code figures as a floor, and compare them with changes in organic installs around each post.
Influencer Attribution in Linkrunner
Linkrunner lets teams create a trackable link per creator and read installs, events and revenue by link. It also carries a referral code passed in a link's referrer parameter through install and reports those referral clicks and installs under a Referrals channel. See Deep Linking for Influencer and Affiliate Campaigns for a full walkthrough.