“Affiliates can be an incredible sounding board for how a product is perceived, and what a market’s reaction is to a brand. Players are far more likely to react to an affiliate rather than a corporate brand.” such. The better you establish yourself as a credible member of this community, the more likely you will be able to recruit new affiliates from this source. And perhaps one of the best ways to recruit new affiliates is by word of mouth. In this industry, reputation spreads quickly, whether it’s positive or negative. When an affiliate likes the service and the results of an affiliate program, they’ll often talk about it on social platforms like forums, Twitter and Facebook. That can be a real advantage for you if you are dedicated to your affiliate program, and think of it as being relationship-driven. So always keep your reputation top of mind, when structuring your affiliate program—it can often be what makes or breaks you. Once an affiliate has come on board with you, let them feel that they are part of your business, and provide them with the tools and resources to get started with your program straight away.
Acquiring and Retaining Players Typically, affiliate marketing has been strictly thought of as an acquisition channel, however, affiliate programs can contribute to both the acquisition and retention of players. The root of the revenue share commission structure means that it is in an affiliate’s best interest to encourage their players to return time and again to the same casino, so that the affiliate continues to earn commission on that player’s revenues. When affiliates participate in online communities like social media, forums and emailing, it can help to create great brand recognition and value, and does so much for repeat sales, which is about retention. This makes it all the more important that you continually give your affiliates something to talk about. This could be a special promotion for existing players, a reactivation bonus, a new game or incorporating a popular theme within your platform. For affiliates to be truly successful in helping operators to retain players, they need to focus in on making their players feel special. A great way to do this is by providing reviews, exclusive bonuses, playing tips or even solid information regarding different wagering techniques. Affiliates can put together a competitor analysis, outlining the benefits associated
with different gaming platforms, which a good affiliate manager can often assist with. Providing players with a forum where open discussion is encouraged is another fabulous way to create dialogue, drive activity and keep people coming back for more. One strategy we’re seeing more is the promotion of big player wins. This is when players who have hit the jackpot, for example, are highlighted on an affiliate website as a way of attracting other new players. Many operators only see the loss of revenue with big player wins, but it makes good strategic sense to use this loss as an investment in acquiring new players. Bingo programs use this marketing technique all the time, flashing pictures of ‘real people’ who have played, and won—leaving other players with the thought process, ‘If he can win, maybe I can too’. Make sure the win was legitimate, and that you are not promoting a win that has any negative attributions, like sportsbetting arbitrage, for example. Co-branded landing pages speak volumes about an operator-affiliate relationship. When a player visits such a website, it helps to establish a certain element of trust, and emphasizes that the affiliate is serious. Operators may not want to do this for all their affiliates, but providing this kind privilege to top-performing affiliates can help both operators and affiliates acquire and retain players. Affiliates can be an incredible sounding board for how a product is perceived, and what a market’s reaction is to a brand. Players are far more likely to react to an affiliate rather than a corporate brand and voice their feedback, whether positive or negative. Where the operator’s role becomes crucial is establishing a strong communication link with their affiliates, and proactively responding to the needs that arise. An operator who consistently hears from affiliates that players find their platform stagnant, and doesn’t freshen up their product, is playing a dangerous game. Keeping your product fresh and exciting is an important part of retaining players—if players get bored, they’ll simply move on.
Focusing on Your Business’ KPIs Your affiliate marketing software is at the heart of your program. Your statistics and reports can provide you with an overall
picture of your affiliate program, and can give you the most accurate depiction of your program’s successes and shortcomings, and where you need to focus your energy to bring your business to the next level. Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from a software perspective focus on four key areas.
1. Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) NGR is the total amount of revenue generated by a player after deductions (common deductions include bonuses, chargeback and processing fees). The way this is calculated will vary slightly from operator to operator, but is a good indicator of the overall profitability of your program.
2. Number of New Affiliate Sign-ups It is essential to constantly be adding to the pool of affiliates in your program. The more affiliates that are promoting your program, the more exposure your brand is getting, and in turn, the more traffic is referred.
3. New Depositing Player Accounts Quantifying the number of new depositing players is important to your affiliate program as it speaks to the longevity and growth of your affiliate program.
4. Number of Active Player Accounts Equally important is the number of active player accounts. This is a good indicator of the player rentention for your program and should be closely monitored. If you have a high number of new accounts each month but a decreasing number of active player accounts, you should investigate why these players are not returning to play regularly. Remaining focused is your key to a successful affiliate program. Build strong relationships with your affiliates where they feel like valued business partners. Create exciting, fresh games and promotions to acquire players and keep them coming back for more. And maintain a keen eye on your affiliate program’s key performance indicators—always taking the time to re-evaluate your program, to make sure it is still in line with your overall business strategy.
NICKY SENYARD is CEO of Income Access, overseeing their independent iGaming affiliate network, market-leading affiliate software and expert affiliate management services.
iGB Affiliate JUNE/JULY 2010
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