GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 43 - February 2019

tion is no different. For this subset to succeed, such a person must learn to be a generalist in technical skillsets and leverage off-the-shelf tools where possible. Master to a good level as many of the practical skills required to run the product and business yourself, and then be a specialist in a particular niche of the market. In this way, you can offer true value to their users and build a product that will have sustainable value for many years to come. This is true of mainstream industries, with examples all around. Large firms tend to do volume – they don’t do quality, and that’s often the key for the small business that wishes to survive. For that to be viable, that quality of service must be real. LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS Almost every successful affili- ate I have ever met — either in gambling or outside it — was extremely talented in at least two of the three following areas when they began: content, SEO and development. Added to that, all had end user experience, either as a customer or serving a customer. The ones who didn’t have that trio of skills, or who only had two of them, were smart enough to know where they were weak and found ways around it. Content can be outsourced, if you are careful. You don’t need to be a great writer to know what great writing looks like. Development can be classed similarly and, when starting out, many off-the-shelf tools to help keep your site stable, fast and secure can be purchased or licensed when you don’t have the resources or knowledge for a bespoke solution. SEO can be learned, and should be constantly worked on. However, for most affiliates it’s the key ingredient, without which all other things fail. If you are poor in this area, you will need to hire professional help, or consider making your business a partnership with someone who complements the areas you are weak in. Small businesses can often gain just as much as, if not more than, large ones when they merge and consolidate skills and resources. BE THE AUTHORITY AND OWN YOUR NICHE In early 2018, I attended a round table summit on content marketing within the gambling niche. Despite AFFILIATE SURVIVAL GUIDE To counter the financial and resource leverage of their larger competitors, the first task for a small affiliate is to realize the areas in which they have a competitive advantage . No matter how well-organized the large company, you will always be in a position to be more flexible than they are. G P W A t i m e s . o r g 32