GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 10 - Sept 2009

12 GPWA Times :: By JeremyEnke T here is no question that the recent downswing in the global economy has indeed taken its toll on many industries, including the poker affiliate industry. Whether it is poker affiliate programs shutting down, slow paying, advertising budgets drying up, or even the passing on of additional expenses to af- filiates, our industry is see- ing the effects of the global financial crisis firsthand. Althoughpoker affiliatemar- keting is by nomeans reces- sion proof, the good news is that we have the ability to create our own destiny and future re- gardless of the economy. Inmany other careers, individuals are at the mercy of their employer, and unfortunately their earning potential has been significantly decreased during these rough economic times. In this article I hope to share some tips and advice on how poker affiliates can continue growing their businesses and increase their monthly revenues despite theglobal financial crisis. First and foremost, it has never been more important to think “outside the box” than it is now. As the poker affili- atemarkethasmaturedover theyears, so has the competition. The techniques and strategiesweusedevena fewyearsago to besuccessfulwon’tnecessarilygiveus the same returns now. Let’s look at a few ar- eas that poker affiliates need to embrace in the coming years to achieve themaxi- mumamount of success. 1 Rakeback –Whether you love it or hate it, rakeback is here to stay and it’s only going to continue growing in the coming years. As more andmore high-value players learn about rakeback, this portion of our market is going to see signifi- cant growth. Many traditional poker af- filiates including myself have been reluctant in the past to offer rakeback because of the enormous amount of ad- ministrative work required. Imagine having to keep track of and process hundreds of payments eachmonth toyourplayers. Luckilyhow- ever there are programs out there now that will automate the entire rakeback business for you. Inmyopinion, thebest provider in the current market is (PAS) PokerAffiliateSolutions.com. 12 It has never been more important to think “outside the box”than it isnow. Poker Affiliates: 5Ways to Fly Right through Economic Turbulence POKER