an introduction to affiliate marketing for the igaming industry

Complete Affiliate Marketing SolutionsComplete Affiliate Marketing Solutions

INTRODUCTION TO AFFILIATE MARKETING INTRODUCTION TO AFFILIATE MARKETING FOR NEW AFFILIATESFOR NEW AFFILIATES

Affiliate Marketing 101Affiliate Marketing 101

Benchmarks for SuccessBenchmarks for Success

Becoming a successful affiliateBecoming a successful affiliateis all about:is all about:

o Creating strong relationships o Communicationo Developing a long-term revenue streamo Watching the ‘vertical’

The Goal: Win/WinThe Goal: Win/Win

o Seek long-term partnershipsSeek long-term partnerships

o Familiarise yourself with:Familiarise yourself with:

• The market• Other successful affiliates• Current events

Traits of a “Super Affiliate”Traits of a “Super Affiliate”

A successful affiliate has:A successful affiliate has:

o A business plan/approacho A strong work ethicoThe ability to see “The Big Picture”

Affiliate Considerations 101Affiliate Considerations 101

o Who is in the market?• Competitor Analysis

o Your needs as an affiliate• Conversions, commissions, promotions, retention,

payments, communication

o What will you be paid? • Affiliate Compensation

Affiliate Considerations 101Affiliate Considerations 101

o What are the rules? • Programme Terms and Conditions

o What are your resources?• Affiliate Marketing Materials

o How reliable is the affiliate software? • Reporting & Tracking

Competitor AnalysisCompetitor Analysis

Analyze the options in the marketplaceAnalyze the options in the marketplace oSite

• branding, navigation and content• Brand Credibility = Conversions

oProduct• packaging, price and value proposition

oAffiliate programme

Your NeedsYour Needs

What you need to be looking for:What you need to be looking for:

o Conversions•What is a new player costing me?

o Commissions•What am I being paid for my efforts?

o Promotions (for players and affiliates)•How am I (my players) being rewarded?

Your NeedsYour Needs

What you need to be looking for:What you need to be looking for:

o Retention•What is the site doing to get my player back? •How long are they staying? •How much will I be making with this

programme in the long term?

Your NeedsYour Needs

What you need to be looking for:What you need to be looking for: o Communication (Affiliate Management)

•Are my inquiries responded to? •Does the program take my needs into

consideration? •Am I provided information that I need to

successfully promote?

Researching Affiliate ProgrammesResearching Affiliate Programmes

o Ask for recommendations Ask for recommendations o Explore industry forumsExplore industry forums

•PAW•CAP•GPWA•APCW

Options to Earn Money Options to Earn Money

What options do you have?What options do you have?

o Lifetime value of playero Revenue shareo Cost per Acquisition (CPA)o Combination of revenue share and CPAo Special bonus – extra payment for achieved activityo Sliding scales – more sales lead to higher commissions

Considerations when choosingConsiderations when choosingCPA vs. MGRCPA vs. MGR

o Overall Player Value

o How are you acquiring your players each month? (word of mouth, paid advertising, search engines)

o Do these players = a win/win for you and the website

Payment considerationsPayment considerations

o Thresholds• Are they achievable?

o Options• Are there alternative payment options?

o Timing• Are payments issued in a timely manner?

Terms & ConditionsTerms & Conditions

Legal document outlining affiliate programmesLegal document outlining affiliate programmes

o Items to evaluate:• Affiliate compensation• Payments• Cookie duration• Definition of “lifetime players”• Pay per click policy (if appropriate)

What do you need to have access to:What do you need to have access to:

oText linksoReviewsoData feedsoLanding pagesoVariety of banners

Marketing MaterialsMarketing Materials

Things for new affiliates to avoidThings for new affiliates to avoid

o Spam of any kind (email, forums)

o SEO black hat techniques

o Poaching players from another site or affiliate

o CPA fraud

o Promoting too many, or too few affiliate programmes

Consistent InvolvementConsistent Involvement

o Answering regular affiliate questions • Answered in 24 hrs, during business hours

o Affiliate Updates • Important announcements are made in a timely

and informative manner

o Affiliate Newsletter• At least one a month

Consistent InvolvementConsistent Involvement

o Proactively Monitoring Your Activity • Suggest improvements to site content &

creative display• Shows interest in your marketing efforts

o Marketing Tool Development• Constantly introducing fresh and new materials

Reporting and TrackingReporting and Tracking

oAccurate & reliable

oTimely

oTrustworthy

o In-depth

• How detailed are the reports?

Gauge of Professionalism –Gauge of Professionalism –Industry InvolvementIndustry Involvement

o Monitoring & participating in industry discussion forums, blogs and news

o Participating in trade shows and industry events

Facts to ConsiderFacts to Consider

o You are running your own business and need to expect to make money from the partnership you have with different affiliate programmes

o You need to be naturally weary of new sites and new brands – longevity and consistency are important, because they have a direct impact on you financially

o You need to know your traffic and what will work on your site

o High performing affiliates are in demand and have well-established relationships with affiliate managers

o Once you have signed and displayed a banner for a programme this does not mean that you will automatically attract players and generate revenue

Facts to ConsiderFacts to Consider

In ConclusionIn Conclusion

Content and Relationships are KEY to Content and Relationships are KEY to being a successful affiliate!being a successful affiliate!