GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 8 - April 2009

| GPWA Times 23 As seen with the frequency of attendance at top-level industry events, keeping up fre- quently with top industry publications also correlated significantly and positively with years as an affiliate, number of sites owned, hours worked, and earnings. With regard to how the participation fre- quency in industry forums var- ies by affiliate characteristics, the analysis again revealed sig- nificant, positive correlations for years as an affiliate, number of sites owned, hours worked per week, and earnings. Reporting tools Overall, there was a positive correlation between checking campaign metrics frequently and revenues. This confirms that having access to in-depth tracking reports enhances an affiliate’s earning potential. In fact, top-tier affiliates were about twice as likely to analyze these top-three metrics daily, compared to affiliate in the lower perfor- mance tiers. Marketing tools The survey also confirmed our experience that having access to advanced marketing tools increases an affiliate’s earning poten- tial. In fact, several significant correlations were found between affiliate characteristics and the frequent use of creatives in promo- tion activities. Affiliates who work more hours per week, own more sites, and have more years as affiliates were significantly more likely to report more frequent use of the top three creatives – GIF banners, text links, and flash banners – than their coun- terparts. Affiliate program features Of particular importance to the affiliates surveyed were the stability and reputa- tion of the affiliate program they pro- mote, the quality of the affiliate support they receive, the reliability of their affili- ate software, and fast payouts. Top-earning affiliate behaviors con- firmed our experience that affiliates who research affiliate programs based on their features have a higher earning potential. Taking your affiliate business to the next level In order to maximize profits you should evaluate business practices and leverage rela- tionships with peers, affiliate managers, and the communi- ty – they can provide you with the tools you need to succeed. Affiliates wanting to go to the next level could consider look- ing for ways in which they can access information for new ideas and marketing tech- niques, and talk to their af- filiate managers about getting the right marketing tools and promotions. And finally, affiliates should look to lever- age the power of their metrics through good affiliate marketing software. PERCENTAGE OF VERTICAL PROMOTION FOCUS BY STRENGTH OF FOCUS Strong or Very Strong Promotion Focus Some or Moderate Promotion Focus Not Promoted Casino 64.9% 20.7% 14.3% Poker 68.7% 23.8% 7.5% Sportsbook 44.7% 32.8% 22.5% Bingo 33.2% 36.1% 30.7% Skill 15.6% 29.5% 54.9% Mobile 23.6% 34.6% 41.8% “For affiliates wanting to make more revenue in 2009, now is the time to evaluate business best practices and leverage relationships with peers, affiliate managers, and the community.” And the survey says