GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 10 - Sept 2009

:: GPWA Times 13 JeremyEnke is theCEOof JeremyEnke’s Poker AffliateListings (PokerAffiliateListings.com). Jeremyhasdedicatedover sixyears to thepoker affiliatemarket,with anoverallmission throughout this timeof helpingaffiliatemarketers reach their full potential andbecomemore successful in this terrific industry. Jeremyhasbeen involved in thepoker affiliate industry since 2003. Founding theworld’s largest poker affiliate community, followedby theworld’s largest poker affiliatenetwork, Jeremy likes to refer tohimself as a self-proclaimed CertifiedBaller. Jeremy’s senseof humor and entrepreneurial spirit are second tonone. Poker Affiliates: 5Ways to Fly Right through Economic Turbulence I don’t suggest by any means that tradi- tional affiliates completely change their business model to rakeback. However, I do suggest that as this section of the market grows, all poker affiliates should recognize the volume andprofit potential of adding a rakeback component to their portfolioof sitesorpromotions. 2 Added Value for Players – Unfortunately, achieving suc- cess as a poker affiliate is much more challenging than simply putting up a mini-site and buying a few links. No matterhowgreat yourWeb site is, orhow spectacular at SEO you are, high-value players have becomemore savvy and are consistently looking for the best value, bonus or deal when signing up for a new room. Aspokeraffiliatesournumber-onegoal is to convert our traffic to depositing play- ers. To do this, it is critical that we have clear “calls to action” and essentially are giving these potential new players a rea- son to sign up at the poker roomwe are promoting throughour link. Examples of howpoker affiliates can add value for potential players include incen- tivemarketing with free poker cash, fre- eroll tournaments, promotional contests, and rakeback. The bottom line is that increased conver- sions are dependent on adding some sort of value toyourpotential players. Be cre- ativeand thinkoutside thebox! 3 Globalize Your Business – One of the best things about being a poker affiliate is that we arenot boundby geographic restrictions. Likewise the interest in online poker continues to grow at an amazing pace throughout theworld. Just because your officemay be in the U.S. or U.K. doesn’t mean that you cannot promote to poten- tial poker players on the other side of the world. One way to globalize your poker affiliate business is tohave your entireWeb site, or even just your top converting pages, translated intovariousother languages. Here’s some food for thought: as Inter- net marketers we truly work in a global marketplace, andwithin thismarketplace only 20 to 30 percent of the population speaksEnglish. Therefore by onlyhaving your siteorpromotionspublished inEng- lish, you are missing out on a significant percentageof theglobalmarketplace. Whether you choose to globalize your business through translation or other methods such as foreign PPC strategy, it is important to research the specific de- mographic and tailor your promotions or campaigns accordingly. 4 Tools,Widgets&Applica- tions – Traditionally the best way todrivenewplayers toonline poker rooms has been to buildWeb sites based around certain keywords and then optimize these sites to rank well in the searchengines. While this is still a popular and effective strategy, the technologies emergingevery day should not be overlooked. As men- tioned earlier in the article, players are increasingly looking for added value. If you are an entrepreneur and a creative thinker (whichmost poker affiliates are) you should consider thinking outside the boxanddevelopingsomesortof tool,wid- getorapplication thatcouldbenefitpoker players and in returndrivemoredeposit- ingplayers throughyour trackers. Developing a unique tool, widget or ap- plication in the online poker industry is a great way to differentiate yourself from otheraffiliatesanddrive incremental sign- ups that you may not have been able to convertwitha standardaffiliateWeb site. 5 Networking, Partner- ships& Joint Ventures –As theglobal economyandour industry continue to see consolidation, weas affiliates shouldalsobe thinking strategicallyabout thebest ways togrowour overall business. One com- mon trait I see with almostall superaf- filiates in the online pokermarket is that they continually surround themselves and work closely with other successful poker affiliates. Poker affiliates are an interesting breed of marketers; each of us typically has a specific skill set or insight that differenti- atesus fromall therest. Oftentimeswhen affiliates combine their skill sets, insights and ideas, they can see a much higher level of overall success. Whether a partnership or joint venture is right for your business, the benefits of networking cannot be overstated. The poker affiliate market is unique in the sense that althoughmany of us compete for the same players, we are mostly all pretty good friends and willing to help each other out. Being an activemember inonline forums such asGPWA andPAL is one of the easiest ways to network and learn from fellow poker affiliates, as well as meet other affiliates with whom you maywant tobecomepartners someday. Although the world economy is going through one of themost turbulent times in recent history, I am still confident that the poker affiliatemarket is one that will continue tobe lucrative formanyyears to come. The number of entrants (6,494) in this year’sWorldSeries of PokerMain Event is yet another indicationof poker’s continued growth and popularity, and gives us all a good reason to be thankful thatwe’reapart of suchagreat industry! Over the coming months and years, the poker affiliates thatwill continue topros- perwill be theones that adapt toanever- changing industryandembracenew tech- niques and strategies to attract and convert new players to onlinepoker rooms.