GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 6 - September 2008

Shop ‘Til You Drop 58 GPWA Times | S H O P ‘TIL YOU DROP Income Access CEO Nicky Senyard explains why shopping around for the right program is critical to an affiliate’s success Until recently, most gaming affiliates interested in mar- keting casino, poker, sports- books and bingo brands had an obvious course of action ahead of them – visit the affiliate program site, sign up, get approved, and start promoting. But recent years have seen a new trend emerge that retail affiliates are all-too-familiar with: a brand’s affiliate program available in multiple places. Many popular brands, like Ladbrokes and Unibet, offer their own affiliate programs in addition to participating in affiliate program net- works. That makes shop- ping around for the right affiliate program a critical part of the process for af- filiates. A trusted network can ben- efit both affiliates and op- erators. Affiliates can access many quality brands from one location while an af- filiate manager helps them get the best deals available from those merchants. And operators can not only enjoy access to affiliates from across the spectrum of gaming verticals, but simi- larly enjoy the expertise of affiliate managers who can find the affiliates whose traffic converts best. From an opera- tor’s perspec- tive, sup- porting multiple affiliate programplatforms can have advantages. For example, sales are often increased by attracting affiliates unique to specific platforms. Tech- nological advances are also making it easier for brand managers to analyze af- filiate program data across multiple channels. Opportunity costs and trade-offs Affiliates should consider two things when choosing a network — the network’s reputation for affiliate sup- port and the software. For affiliates, these factors translate into better com- mission deals, specially developed marketing con- tent and player offers, reporting software fine- tuned to affiliate business needs and trusted tracking technology. When shopping around for the best affiliate deal, keep in mind that a program’s in- tangibles can also have the biggest impact on affiliate success. In choosing the program that best suits you, consider grading each available pro- gram provider on industry experience, partnership scope, software capabilities, management expertise and customer service. Look for longevity Given how fast affiliate marketing and gaming evolves, any company that’s remained successful in this industry is bound to have a culture that is quick to respond to changing affiliate needs. The length of time an affiliate programhas been inbusiness also reflects its ability to fairly serve the sometimes conflict- ing needs of affiliates and the gaming merchant alike. Pore over partnerships The scope of any provider’s partnerships within the industry is another strong predictor of how individual affiliates are treated. Platforms supporting high- profile gaming merchants across every gaming niche (casino, poker, sportsbooks, and soft games) have an ob- vious experience edge over other options. The better the brand exposure, the easier it is for affiliates to attract play- ers, thus creating better op- portunities for conversions. Study software At the core of any affiliate’s success is the affiliate pro- gram software it relies on. It needs to have reliable tracking software, have an easy-to-use interface and provide comprehensive re- porting and analytics tools. It also needs to be market- driven, keeping pace with technological advances. Look for affiliate manage- ment teams that are quick to help affiliates check tracking if they think they are having problems, and transparent about their in- vestigative process. Also, look into whether there’s a history of affiliate payments calculated accu- rately and consistently paid out on time. Measure management In addition to software and industry leverage, the dedi- cation and experience of an affiliate program’s manage- ment team can make an affiliate offer all that much more attractive.