GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 22 - October 2012

GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES one in Google for “888 games free £5” and “888 games £5 free.” I believe this was around November 2011. Within a month we had around 216 signups and thought we had definitely hit the big time. I had various discussions with the manager over how we could monetize every account, and he drew my attention to the fact that a lot of the signups were from Belgium, and asked if I was aware of this. I made him aware that I found it suspect, as analytics didn’t reflect that volume of traffic from that country. It came as no surprise that not long after that our 888 affiliates account was put into a six-month fraud review due to “bonus abuse.” The six-month period ended on 27 June 2012, and we were told that 888 didn’t wish to continue working with us, with no explanation as to why it had come to this. However, they have said they would pay all monies outstanding. I did draw my own conclusions that the Belgian traffic was the reason, and I made the decision to block all traffic from there in future. I also now know that anything free tends to attract abuse, and isn’t the best thing to focus on. What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? If I remember correctly, I received an invitation e-mail in June 2011 from Nancy, and I immediately applied as a private member. I like to have a read of the news sections every now and then, al- though occasionally they do seem very focused on the U.S., which is the only downfall. I love the forum, though; it’s the best part, really. I have used it to find help when I have had technical problems, to find link opportunities, to raise awareness of rogue programs and man- agers if necessary. It’s just excellent all round. You’re a fairly active GPWA member, posting on an almost daily basis. What would you say to lurkers to encourage them to participate on the forums more frequently? All I can say is, if you bothered to join, then get yourself active and get involved. There are always various discussions to take part in, and news and updates on key changes in the industry. It’s also a fantastic resource to get help. It’s helped me substantially on my journey as an affiliate, and it would help most others, too. What do you like about the in- dustry? I love how things are al- ways changing, and how we have to adapt to the changes. Also, I like the fact that most days are differ- ent, and things are varied. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? I’d like to see some sort of regulation in place for the affiliate side of gaming operators. There’s just too many who think it’s OK to not pay, pay late or spam affiliates with junk. What surprised you most about the industry? How helpful everyone is, and how people are so willing to help their fellow affiliates. I imagine it’s possibly one of the only industries where competitors willingly help each other out. It’s nowhere near as ruthless as I’d expected it to be. What do your family and friends think of your work as an affiliate? I don’t think my mother fully understands it, but she’s supportive in general. My father understands what I do, and he thinks it’s great; he is always very enthusiastic about what I do. My partner is usually happy as long as I have made enough money from it to spoil her here and there. How long do you give yourself for answering e-mail? What e-mail tips can you offer? If it’s something I can answer right away, then I usually do; if not, I will find the answer and reply within the day. I don’t like keeping people waiting, or having to wait myself. I would suggest trying to utilize the e-mail function on smart- phones, but make sure it’s set to IMAP so you still get the e-mail on your computer as well. If I am away somewhere, I will always have a quick sit-down with my phone and a coffee and address any important e-mail right away. How do you manage your “to-do” lists? Do you use any special software to help you out? I tend to use a good old- fashioned note pad and a pen. Sometimes I use the yellow Post-it Notes feature in Windows. How much time does it take to keep your sites updated? I usually spend about two or three hours a day, although this in- creases during the peak of the football season. How much time do you devote to SEO and/or social network- ing in order to drive more traffic to your site? The social me- dia I try to do as often as I can, or whenever there is a topic or event worth writing about. It’s nearly always once or twice a day at least. GPWA Affiliate Interview Series