Building your Online Marketing Presence

By Nicky Senyard, Income Access CEO

About Income Access

• Established in 2002

• First independent affiliate software provider & network in online gaming industry

• Preferred affiliate software provider for over 200 gaming brands

• Integrated with the leading iGaming software suppliers

• Award-winning solutions and team members

• Active in all iGaming verticals: poker, casino, sportsbook, bingo, mobile, soft games and more

Building your Online Marketing Presence

• Here’s what we’ll explore in this PPT:

– Affiliate marketing as part of a larger marketing mix

• The pros and cons of some of the most popular mktg. channels

– Measuring your ROI

– Leveraging your campaign information to:

• Tweak!

• Drop!

• Repeat!

– Considerations for a successful affiliate programme

– Evaluating your current affiliate programme

What is Affiliate Marketing?

• Affiliate marketing is a partnership between a merchant/operator (advertiser) and a network of affiliates (website publishers)

• An affiliate promotes an operator with a banner, link or other creative on their website, and earns a commission from resulting depositing/active players

AND, affiliate marketing is part of a BIGGER marketing strategy, which includes:

• Pay per Click (PPC)

• Media Buys

• Social Media

• SEO (Organic Search)

• Email Marketing

What is Pay per Click? Pay per click (PPC) is an advertising model wherein a website pays a set amount (bid price) whenever someone clicks on their ad.

Positives:

– Speed: advertisement campaigns can be employed quickly!

– Measurable: results can be analysed, and improvements can be made

– Lucrative: using the right key words can be rewarding

Negatives:

– Costly: bidding on top keywords can be pricey, and the payout is long-term

– Temporary: as soon as you stop paying for PPC, the benefits stop

What is Media Buying? A media buy is the purchase of advertising space in a media venue, such as a newspaper, TV, radio, video or website (banner, ad).

Positives:

– Targeted: you can direct your media buys at your niche market

– Brand Awareness: your presence in different venues helps promote your brand

– Traffic: having media on the right venue can generate traffic

Negatives:

– Expensive: media buys can be expensive, especially if the location is wrong and the ROI is slim

What is Social Media? Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, forums etc., allow you to interact with your affiliates and players, share information & build relationships.

Positives:

– Immediate: contact your market instantly, and access a broader reach

– Communication: increase communication between you and your partners

– Improve Branding: with multiple platforms and sharing options, enhance image and branding

Negatives:

– Time Consuming: resources are required for participation & moderating online presence

What is SEO? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the use of various techniques to improve a website's ranking in the search engines and ultimately attract more visitors.

Positives:

– Low cost: the financial investment for SEO is low, other than time

– Permanence: SEO results, once gained, have long-lasting effects

Negatives:

– Time: it may take months or even years to attain a good position

– Vulnerable: changes in search engine algorithms can have negative impact

What is Email Marketing? Email marketing involves sending your affiliates and players a direct, personalised communication, with their specific needs in mind.

Positives:

– Simple: emails are easy!

– Low Cost: there is very little investment required

– Valuable: sending relevant communications produce solid responses

Negatives:

– Follow the rules, otherwise could be categorised as spam and be blacklisted from influential email servers

Invest in a Varied Marketing Mix

• Income Access experience has shown, to: – Avoid putting all your (marketing) eggs in one basket

– Ensure your reach goes online and offline

– Vary your mix

– Segment your target market so you can cater to unique needs

Measurability = Profitability

• Your success is based on your ability to leverage information and work your findings

• Information allows you to build your business from a point of strength

• What is the ROI of your marketing efforts?

– Look at your online and offline campaigns as a macrocosm

– Break down your campaigns by medium, landing page, bonus code

– See what works for you, what doesn’t

– Focus on what you KNOW gives you a profitable ROI

Leverage your Information

• Remember to always be tracking and testing so you can:

– Tweak! (what can be improved)

– Drop! (what has no return/potential)

– Repeat! (what works)

What’s the Goal?

• Avoid costly mistakes

• Invest your time/team/resources wisely

• Demonstrate a strong track record

• Develop new partnerships/business opportunities

• Understand how your marketing endeavors affect the kind of client

(player/affiliate) that you attract

• Target and recruit more effectively

Considerations for a Successful Affiliate Programme

• Affiliate Programs: The Facts

• Your Affiliate Partners

• Affiliate Needs

• Relationships & Service

Considerations for a Successful Affiliate Programme

• Tracking & Reporting

• Marketing Tools & Exclusive Promotions

• Knowing your Affiliates

• Player Retention

Affiliate Programmes: The Facts

Affiliate Programmes:

• Need to be part of a bigger marketing strategy

• Need to be managed by experienced people

• Need attention and resources

• Are a long-term marketing option and take 4-6 months to show results

• Need stability

Your Affiliate Partners

Income Access’ experience has shown that GOOD affiliates:

• Are business people and entrepreneurs

• Expect to make money working with you

• Are wary of new sites and new brands

• Know what will work for their traffic

• Are in high demand & have relationships with your competitors

Affiliate Needs

• A strong brand to promote

• Competitive commission rate

• Good relationships and service

• Confidence in tracking and reporting

• Marketing tools and exclusive promotions

Relationships & Service

• Effective and frequent communications

• Demonstrate know-how and ability

• Be consistent

• Be responsive

• Pay on time

Tracking & Reporting

• Accurate stats

• Frequently updated stats

• Ability for deep-level data mining

• Transparent reporting

• Easy to use/familiar interface

• Browser compatibility

Marketing Tools & Exclusive Promotions

• Exclusive bonus with branded bonus code

• Merchandise

• Personal incentives for affiliates

• Fast custom banner development

• Fresh content

• Promotions: for the affiliate; for the player

Knowing your Affiliates

• Who are they?

• How long have they been affiliates?

• What do they market?

• Who do they market?

• How do they market?

• What resources do they need to enhance results?

• What affiliate communities are active?

Player Retention • One of the key factors that affiliates need and evaluate is retention

effectiveness

• What are you doing to ensure you are keeping players?

• Do you know them well?

o What are their favourite games?

o How often do they play?

o If they haven’t been back for a while, why not?

• Quality CRM makes players feel valuable and connected

• Send mailers, provide incentives and build your presence offline

Next Step: Evaluating your Current Affiliate Programme

• How many affiliates are in your programme?

• How many of your affiliates are active?

• How are these affiliates promoting?

• What impression do affiliates have of your programme?

Next Step: Evaluating your Current Affiliate Programme

• Do you know your affiliates’ promotional schedule?

• What percentage of players are coming from your affiliate program

vs. other forms of online marketing?

• Do you know where your affiliates are signing up from?

• Do you know your affiliate programme’s level of participation in the forums—and which forums and why?

Next Step: Evaluating your Current Affiliate Programme

• Is your commission structure competitive?

• Is your affiliate traffic profitable?

• Do you know how recognised your brand is within the affiliate community?

• What is generating the most for you in terms of types of affiliates or creative—traffic, conversions, money and longevity of players?

Affiliate Health Spot Check

• How many affiliates sign up to your programme a month?

• Of this number, what percentage becomes active in their first month?

• What is the trend of new players coming through the affiliate programme?

• How many affiliates are sending new players each month?

o Has this number remained stable?

o Is this number increasing or decreasing?

Conclusions: Final Thoughts on your Affiliate Programme

• You can’t rush an affiliate programme’s growth

• Paying attention the small things pay off

• Be active in the affiliate community

• Incorporate other products (casino, poker etc.)

Conclusions: Final Thoughts on your Affiliate Programme

• Offer cross-selling

• Affiliates talk to each other about YOU

• Learn from your affiliates

• Provide accurate stats

• Pay on time

To explore your options, we invite you to contact Income Access.

+1 514 849 8595

hello@incomeaccess.com

2020 University Street, Suite 2330

Montreal, QC H3A 2A5 Canada

www.incomeaccess.com