As ad blockers, privacy tools, and third-party cookie deprecation become the norm, the traditional methods of affiliate tracking are proving to be less effective on their own.
Using comprehensive tracking solutions ensures that you and your publishers’ tracking, monitoring, and performance measurement aren’t hindered by these challenges. Luckily, CJ has robust solutions for concurrent tracking that ensure your marketing efforts are not only sustained but thrive.
What is concurrent tracking? Why does it matter?
Think of concurrent tracking like taking a road trip equipped with both a GPS and a good ol' paper map. While your GPS (browser-side tracking) offers real-time navigation, your paper map (server-side tracking) ensures you’ll still reach your destination even if the satellite signal fails. Similarly, CJ’s concurrent tracking technology ensures that none of your affiliate data is lost amidst the growing restrictions of the digital landscape.
Concurrent tracking involves the use of CJ's cutting-edge browser tracking solutions alongside powerful backend tracking from an advertiser's servers. This redundancy is crucial in today’s environment where any single method might be partially blocked or fail due to external factors.
Why prioritize concurrent tracking?
Here are four reasons why you should have backup tracking in place:
- Mitigate tracking loss: As the digital world evolves, so do the challenges that come with data privacy and browser restrictions. Traditional tracking methods are increasingly unreliable on their own. CJ’s concurrent tracking provides a fail-safe, ensuring you capture every piece of valuable data.
- Ensure channel measurement integrity: In a multi-channel marketing strategy, the integrity of your channel measurement is paramount. Concurrent tracking allows you to guarantee that you’re accurately measuring the true impact of your brand and the effectiveness of your affiliate partnerships.
- Access valuable and reliable insights: With concurrent tracking, the insights you gain are based on comprehensive data, giving you a fuller, more reliable picture of customer, campaign, and channel performance. These insights are crucial for making informed decisions.
- Increase your value to publishers: Publishers place a high value on tracking integrity. Many will place tests before a campaign and missing transactions can cause delays with promotions, making it harder to grow partnerships.
CJ’s Options for Concurrent Tracking
CJ offers several methods for implementing concurrent backup tracking, tailored to different technical needs and organizational capacities. It’s important to consider how your brand is currently sharing relevant first-party data with vendors, and the level of effort for each backup method. You can streamline and ensure seamless concurrent tracking integration with CJ-approved partners listed below:
Advertiser Tracking API (GraphQL): Ideal for direct, real-time data integration. This approach is best for brands looking to utilize an API hub or CDP that offers connectors, such as CJ’s API connector from Tealium EventStream.
New Orders Data File Import: An approach for those currently using (or who prefer to use) data exports and SFTP to share data with service providers.
Server-to-Server Post Back: A tried and true method that reliably sends server-to-server communication to vendors like CJ. If you’re using Google Tag Manager, whether web or server containers, CJ partners Stape and Addingwell simplify the server-to-server integration process with their suite of services and solutions.
Implementation Considerations
The shift to concurrent tracking isn’t just a technical upgrade—it's a strategic imperative in the modern affiliate landscape. By embracing this advanced tracking method, advertisers can safeguard their data, enhance their campaign and channel accuracy, and ultimately, drive better results.
Before proceeding with concurrent tracking integration, brands should assess their technical capabilities and allocate dedicated resources. Sample documentation is readily available for understanding the scope of work and determining the right solution to adopt at the right time. CJ provides comprehensive support throughout the implementation process.
Ready to future-proof your affiliate marketing efforts? Here are the next steps:
- Review technical documentation with your developers.
- Secure the necessary internal resources to complete this update.
- Ask a question via CJ’s Support Center to receive the specifications for your affiliate program.
- Implement concurrent tracking partners in collaboration with CJ. For Clients using Google Tag Manager: CJ partners Stape and AddingWell offer server-side Google Tag Manager hosting capabilities to streamline your integration process and unlock the full potential of concurrent tracking.
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Add concurrent tracking today to start your journey toward more reliable, insightful, and effective marketing campaigns!
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