As an affiliate marketer, the best way to accurately track and measure your campaign performance is to use tracking links and postback URLs. By leveraging these tracking capabilities, the CAKE platform enables you to track a consumer’s click and conversion on a digital marketing campaign and attribute it back to the traffic source. But what happens when you can’t use click tracking, such as social media posts connected with influencer marketing campaigns and offline channels like podcasts? In these cases, you can use clickless tracking through voucher codes, whereas the attribution is determined by properties on the conversion, not the click.

Using voucher codes for clickless tracking

Voucher codes are also known as coupon codes, promo (promotion) codes, vanity codes, discount codes, or referral codes. And they’re the most effective way for affiliate networks to track influencer marketing campaigns on media buying platforms (e.g. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.) or offline channels (podcasts, radio, TV) that don’t allow click tracking.

On Instagram, for instance, when an influencer uses a voucher code, the brand they are promoting can tie conversions back to their post. The code will typically include the influencer’s name or a shortened version of their name in addition to the discount percentage that will be applied to the purchase, like “Use code: MONA20” or “Enter promo code: SARA30.”

This enables you to easily track the number of sales attributed to that code and measure the overall success of the influencer’s campaign.

In the CAKE platform, you can create voucher codes for partners, and partners can request codes via the affiliate portal. You can also manage the attribution settings for the use of a voucher code. For example, if a consumer had previously clicked on a campaign tracking link, you can decide whether you want to pay out the affiliate (influencer) that had the voucher code or the affiliate that generated a click on a different advertisement. To limit the use of a voucher code, you can also set expiration dates on them or set a maximum amount of uses (e.g. first 1,000 users.)

3 benefits of using voucher codes

Using voucher codes to accurately track your performance marketing campaigns will also provide additional benefits to the advertiser.

1. Increase conversion rates: Voucher codes drive shoppers to try new products and brands, help convince them to finalize a purchase, and have been shown to lead online shoppers to return to an abandoned shopping cart.

2. Increase order value: When customers save money through an offer, many will increase the amount of their purchase, oftentimes far beyond the value of their original order. 40 percent of consumers say they’d spend more overall and 28 percent of consumers will purchase a more expensive product with an exclusive offer. To encourage larger purchases, you can restrict the use of the voucher code to a certain dollar amount (e.g. “Use code FREESHIP50” for free shipping on any order of $50 or more), which will motivate customers to spend more to get access to a certain discount or benefit.

3. Increase brand loyalty: One great way to show your customers you care and earn their business is to treat them to a special offer. Special codes make customers feel like they’re part of the insiders’ club or in the VIP suite. And when they feel like they’re a valued customer, they will be more loyal to your brand: 68 percent of consumers say digital coupons help generate brand loyalty. They will also be more likely to share a voucher code in their network. And that word-of-mouth marketing has a positive impact on the reputation of your brand as a quality retailer.

Bonus: Use voucher codes to optimize A/B testing

A/B testing should be part of every campaign and when you use a different voucher code for different offers, channels, or campaign elements, you can easily identify which ads and channels are performing the best.

Experiment by creating unique voucher codes for:

• The same offer sent out via different channels;
• Different ads on the same web page;
• Different email formats;
• Emails with different messaging; and
• Different offer amounts (e.g. 10% off $50 order, 15% off $150 order, 20% off $200 order).

The goal: Increased visibility and accuracy

Voucher codes are a great option to accurately measure your campaign performance, especially for offline media and influencer marketing campaigns. With CAKE’s clickless tracking through voucher codes, you can easily track all media buys in a single platform, increasing visibility, and accuracy around attribution and performance measurement.

How to get started

If you’re a CAKE customer, please contact your CAKE Account Manager or Technical Support today to learn more about using voucher codes to accomplish clickless tracking within CAKE.

If you’re looking to learn more about CAKE and our measurement solutions, contact us here.

Other content you might be interested in:

• Blog: How to Attribute Conversions Using CAKE’s Fingerprint Tracking
• Using Direct Linking to Measure Google and Facebook Ad Performance
• Stepping Up Your Promo Code Game – The Power of The Right Affiliate Marketing Technology