GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 22 - October 2012

promises or estimates is to simply provide proof and documentation. Take a screenshot of your last few monthly reports from an operator you are currently promoting. By providing this proof and documentation to the affiliate manager, you are showing that you are serious and legitimately can send the traffic and sign- ups you are claiming. 3 Be loyal Affiliate managers realize that you are going to promote more than just one poker room or casino. With that said, however, if you are able to secure a higher commission rate or get a cash-added event, by all means show some loyalty. Nothing is worse for affiliate managers in our industry than committing money or resources to an affiliate and then shortly thereafter not being able to find their brands listed anywhere on the affiliate’s sites. 4 Avoid critical or accusatory remarks in public forums It is not uncommon these days to see affiliate managers or programs being criticized or accused of wrongdoing in the various webmaster affiliate forums. Oftentimes this is justifiable and may be the only way to get the attention of a bad program. Usually, however, there is no reason to call out a reputable or otherwise top affiliate manager in a public forum because of your personal issue. Over the past decade participating in affiliate forums myself, I have never seen an AM call out an affiliate in a public forum! Unless there is blatant fraud or theft taking place that could affect all affiliates, most issues can be settled via e-mail, messenger or phone. More importantly, keep in mind that all affiliate managers read all the industry forums. If they see you posting negative remarks about other AMs, they will be less likely to want to work with you or negotiate a custom deal with you. 5 Be friendly with your AM The benefits of this cannot be overstated. Often, the only time affiliates contact their affiliate manager is when they have a problem or they need something. You’d be surprised how well received a simple e-mail saying something like “Thanks for expediting my payment this month” or “The new creatives in the backend look terrific” will go. Remember, affiliate managers have flexibility in what they pay you, regardless of how big or small an affiliate you are. Atil Singh, the Head of Acquisition at ChipSplit.com, recently won the 2012 IGB Best Poker Affiliate Manager award. He has tips on what affiliates should do to successfully negotiate higher rates with their affiliate managers. “Two of the most essential tips that I can provide affiliates about successfully negotiating with their affiliate manager are providing results, and being realistic. I often negotiate terms with affiliates that ask for unrealistic commission structures with no proven results. This often leads to a commission structure that remains the same and is reviewed at a later date. “An affiliate department is a real business with real people that provides real results for their company. Affiliate programs are not here to make unprofitable deals; affiliates have to understand this point. “If an affiliate can provide a successful track record – whether it was with our affiliate program or another – they will be able to grab our attention, thus providing results. “Regardless of how successful an affiliate’s track record proves to be, if they are asking for an unrealistic commission structure that we are not comfortable accepting, then their track record won’t be able to influence the deal. Affiliates need to work together with their affiliate managers to reach a fair middle ground in their commission structure and ask for key performance indicators to be implemented with higher commissions if they are met. “As long as affiliates can remember these key points, they will be on the right path to success with a few extra dollars in the bank.” As you can see, negotiating higher com- mission rates with affiliate programs and affiliate managers is not rocket science. The key to remember is that the negotia- tion and deal should be fair and equitable for both parties. It’s equally important to take into account that player values and the amount an operator can realistically pay in commissions, especially CPA, will drastically vary from operator to opera- tor based upon the individual operator’s overall player values. Whether or not you’re negotiating with a poker room, a casino or revenue share vs. CPA, if the affiliate and the affiliate manager treat each other as true business partners, the negotiation process should be transparent and it should be easy to arrive at a win/win deal. “Nothing is worse for affiliate managers in our industry than committing money or resources to an affiliate and then shortly thereafter not being able to find their brands listed anywhere on the affiliate’s sites.” The art of the deal – five tips for better negotiations with your affiliate manager Jeremy Enke is the CEO of Poker Affiliate Listings. He has spent more than eight years in the poker affiliate market, with an overall mission of helping affiliate marketers reach their full potential and become more successful. 24