GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 22 - October 2012

marketing tool so you can let your audience experience the game for themselves. In ad- dition to the game reviews and promotions displayed, free-play tools allow viewers to gain greater insight into the games you are promoting, which sets the stage for getting successful conversion rates. On top of the transparency added to your name via free-play offerings, play- ers are also much more likely to register and play a game they tried and enjoyed. As an affiliate, this is the outcome you are seeking. Furthermore, players who have already tried out a game before registering are more likely to stick with that offering and become repeat players, which raises your esteem with operators. Leveraging major events Operators often offer promotions tai- lored to major events. Major events have their own pre-built level of buzz and by offering related promotions you can ex- pand your reach to the interested demo- graphic. As an affiliate, you can benefit from creating an event-related campaign, especially for events that last for longer periods such as the Olympics. With an event-related campaign, you will be able to provide access to event-related deals from operators in a way that looks professional and organized. When you can provide brief coverage of involved athletes or information or statistics of interest, you establish yourself as a genu- ine source of enticing information. By providing this additional value to your players, you also increase your ability to establish trust and a more personal rela- tionship with your audience. Social media campaigns Social media is a great way to engage with your audience outside your website. Come up with a way to get people to “like” you on Facebook or follow you on Twit- ter. One way is to raffle something off for people who have “liked” your page. Once people like you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter, you can reach them with your exciting promotions rather than merely relying on them to visit your web- site. When followers like your comment, your promotion also becomes part of their Wall and is fed to all their contacts, thereby increasing your reach. Facebook reported 845 million monthly active us- ers at the end of December 2011, so by getting social you can really increase the impact of your message. No-deposit bonus While the aforementioned free-deposit bo- nus is an industry standard, giving players a bonus prior to a deposit can give you a great advantage when it comes to acquisi- tions. When operators set up a no-deposit bonus, affiliates are able to attract a larger pool of players and entice them to eventu- ally convert to real-money customers. With free play, players can try out games before putting down any money. With a no-deposit bonus, players have the op- portunity to experience the entertainment value of the games and the thrill of being a winner without putting down any money – all of which can increase the chance of their eventually playing the games with their own money. However, no-deposit bonuses also come with their share of challenges. They can have a tendency to attract bonus hop- pers – players who are looking for a way to earn bonuses and then quickly move on to the next freebie offer. The key thing to factor in is that it is equally important to have a strategy in place to convert these players into real players. Tournament freerolls Similar to a no-deposit promotion, a freeroll tournament gives poker players a chance at winning some kind of prize without making any deposit. Prizes can include automatic bids to a real-money tournament, cash or giveaways. To participate in a freeroll, players would have to register through your site, making this a great way to build your player database while simultaneously giving back to the players. Also, a freeroll can be a useful tool for player retention. Regardless of which approach you decide to pursue as an affiliate, the important lesson to take away is that it is essential to be creative in your marketing. Utilize promotions and tools that will give you a competitive edge. By taking a creative ap- proach, you help differentiate yourself and the brand you are selling and stir up add- ed interest among your target audience. With an online and offline cross-market- ing strategy that includes geographically tailored promotions, you’ll engage a wider audience. Similarly, by giving your players the chance to experience the games and the winning feeling through free play, no- deposit bonuses or freeroll tournaments, you help create an environment that al- lows them to be engaged with what you are selling. “Social media is a great way to engage with your audience outside your website. Come up with a way to get people to ‘like’ you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter.” Allan Petrilli is an affiliate marketing coordinator at Income Access. A graduate in marketing from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia in Montreal, Allan is a huge sports buff, and when he is not hard at work, he is either playing or watching one of his favorite sports. 28 Breaking the mold: How creative promotions can benefit affiliates