OBM In a Nutshell: How Does Outcome-Based Marketing (OBM) Work?

Outcome-based marketing (OBM) – you’ve most likely heard of it, but what is the fuss all about? At its core, OBM is a strategy where brands only pay when they achieve specific results, like acquiring a qualified customer or driving a sale. By adding new performance channels to your marketing mix, you can scale your campaigns without disrupting your current strategy. If the prospect of reducing ad waste while boosting conversions sounds appealing, let’s dive into the mechanics of OBM.

What Is Outcome Based Marketing?

Outcome-based marketing allows brands to achieve their desired goals – whether that’s a purchase, lead, install, or other key conversion – while minimizing risk. Marketers only pay for actual results, ensuring every dollar spent directly contributes to growth.

Unlike traditional approaches, OBM doesn’t require launching entirely new strategies. Instead, it works alongside your existing campaigns by adding new performance-driven channels to unlock new customer acquisition opportunities.

With OBM, the financial risk shifts away from the marketer. Your partners – ranging from paid media specialists to listicle experts for example – are incentivized to drive results because their compensation depends on it. If they don’t deliver, you don’t pay.

Outcome-Based Marketing (OBM)’s Key Players

The OBM ecosystem includes several components that seamlessly integrate into your existing marketing stack:

• Marketers: These are the people responsible for driving customer acquisition. Common titles include Growth Manager, Director of User Acquisition, and Director of Partnerships.

• Partners: Partners, also known as affiliates, specialize in driving customer acquisition through optimized campaigns. They use data, insights, and proven strategies to deliver measurable results, ensuring that your investment aligns with your goals.

• Customer Acquisition Solutions: Growth partners like Perform^[cb]‘s Outcome Engine serve as extensions of your internal marketing team. These solutions provide end-to-end support, from campaign buildout to reviewing analytics and optimization, helping you unlock new traffic sources while driving measurable outcomes.

• Tracking Technology: To ensure transparency and accuracy, tracking tools monitor campaign performance across various channels, providing real-time data on conversions, clicks, and ROI. They can be grouped into different categories:
  • SaaS platforms, including Impact, Partnerize, and Partnerstack, which offer analytical features and a vast partner universe.
  • Full-service platforms such as Rakuten, Commission Junction, and AWIN, have features similar to SaaS platforms and offer full program management options.
  • Mobile measurement partners (MMPs) such as Adjust, AppsFlyer, Kochava, and Singular grant access to comprehensive tracking services for measuring campaign performance across various channels.
  • Would add note here about pay per call tracking / Ringba 
  • Would also add note here about how PCB is sort of unlike the rest in that we also have our built-in AI tech and in-house dev team, etc + how we’re integrated with all of the above tracking platforms, even easier to get set up w us and start testing traffic etc 

Learn more about the ecosystem of OBM in Perform^[cb]‘s C-Suite’s Guide to Outcome-Based Marketing today.

Flexible Payment Models for Any Goal

OBM’s pay-for-performance pricing models allow you to scale your campaigns without unnecessary spending. Common pricing models include: 

• CPA (Cost per Action/Acquisition)
• CPI (Cost per Install)
• CPE (Cost per Engagement)
• CPL (Cost per Lead)
• CPS (Cost per Sale)
• CPC (Cost per Click)
• PPC (Pay per Call)

This flexibility empowers brands to select the models that align best with their goals, whether that’s increasing app installs, generating high-quality leads, or driving direct sales – all of which can be incorporated easily into your existing strategies. 

Why Outcome-Based Marketing (OBM) is Worth the Buzz

Outcome-based marketing isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a proven way to scale your business without rewriting your entire strategy or risking wasted ad spend. By focusing on measurable results, OBM ensures that every dollar contributes directly to growth.

If you’re ready to integrate performance-driven channels into your strategy and explore how OBM can amplify your existing efforts, contact our team of experts today.