GPWA Times - Issue 20 - March 2012

ticipation. Achievement promos, where players can win prizes other than money – for example, iPads – also go over well. Generally, these promos set requirements for players to reach each day with a prize – like extra money in their account, free seats to a live game or tickets to enter a freeroll – awarded to those who succeed. Poker may be competitive and skill-based, but to encourage and retain new players, it is important to provide the means to learn and adjust to the game with minimal monetary loss. For this, it is important to offer freeroll tournaments where players can enter for free yet win real money. This will encourage beginners to practice and delve into real-money games. On top of that, freeroll tournaments are a nice gift from operator to player that also helps with relationship building and retention. S ports B etting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The sports-betting demographic is similar to poker, albeit with a more uniform age distribution. The typical bettor is a male between the ages of 25 and 65. Since bet- ting is knowledge-based, bettors often have a personal interest in the sport they bet on, and will often also be readers of re- lated publications. For the most part, the free bet has prov- en itself the most effective promotional method. With a free bet of a value around £25, punters are drawn to try your site without worrying about odds or potential losses. Sports bettors tend to be loyal and are looking for a bookmaker with fair odds and easy service. The majority of a bettor’s time is not spent at your site but watching the event on which he has a wager. Thus, once a bettor finds a bookmaker, he tends to stick with it. Even though they seek a regular sportsbook, with so many differ- ent brands available new punters often find it difficult to choose one. Having an attractive free bet and then offering punt- ers many options for wagering, depositing and withdrawing will be key factors in re- taining these players. Since most sports bettors are first and foremost sports fans, retention promo- tions are especially effective with this niche audience. As rewards, offer players subscriptions to paid sports magazines and news services, tickets to sporting events which match their betting sport of choice and any sort of sports memorabilia. With betting, you have the deepest knowl- edge of players’ personal interests, and as with all business intelligence it is impor- tant to capitalize on this wealth of data. M obile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regardless of vertical, it is important to promote toward mobile users. As phone technology grows with every passing year, people are turning more and more to their phones for gaming purposes. It is espe- cially important to tailor promotions for mobile users as they tend to have a fair amount of disposable income. Mobile players appear to be a homogeneous mix of both sexes from the coveted 18-34 de- mographic. The mobile crowd responds best to bonuses. However, it is essential to make these bonuses as easy to redeem as possible. Phones are still not as con- venient for gaming usage, and you can quickly lose potential players if your pro- mos are not easily accessible. A particularly strong promo is the 100 percent deposit match offer. Match of- fers work by encouraging mobile gamers to test software and determine ease of use when playing on their phone. If opera- tors can acquire players with an attractive match deposit, they can then aim to keep them with their graphics, games selection and product. Whichever vertical your promotional ef- forts are tied to, it is essential to know your target audience. There is rarely an over- arching approach to marketing that can succeed in all verticals. Be sure to differen- tiate your marketing efforts in an appropri- ate manner. By knowing what your audi- ence wants, you (and not a competitor) will be the one who is able to provide it. About Sarah Robertson Sarah moved from the eastern coast of Canada, where she completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of New Brunswick, to join the Income Access affiliate marketing team last year. She enjoys the fast- paced nature of affiliate marketing and affiliate program management and loves learning new things about the industry every day. You can contact Sarah and the rest of the Income Access team at info@incomeaccess.com . “Regardless of vertical, it is important to promote toward mobile users. As phone technology grows with every passing year, people are turning more and more to their phones for gaming purposes.” 24 Vertical leap: Driving player deposits through targeted promotions