While there are different ways to promote an online casino, affiliate marketing has deserved its most effective status. Of course, SEO, PPC, media advertising, exhibitions and other offline activities should also be part of the bigger strategy (after all, diversity always increases your chances of success), but if we compare investments and results, the Affiliate marketing often wins the competition for ROI. Let's learn more about who affiliates are, what benefits they bring to an online gaming business, and how you can get the most out of affiliate associations.
Who are affiliates?
Affiliates are people who use their websites to drive traffic to their online casino. While for other industries it may differ, in online games the affiliates are usually the players themselves. They usually have extensive experience as casino users and run blogs or livestream to share their gaming experience with other players. Sometimes casino affiliates are experienced in operating online casinos and also know the other side of the business. In any case, affiliates (or professional affiliate companies) are no strangers in the world of iGaming and they know the ins and outs.
By providing truthful information on various online casinos available on the market and sharing gambling tips and tricks, affiliates gain trust among players and manage to attract a significant audience to their websites. With skillful SEO, link building, and use of online forums, they manage to achieve high search engine rankings. Once this is done, the affiliate websites are ready for monetization - they start forwarding traffic to the online casino operators.
What do they do to promote an online casino?
Affiliates deliver referral traffic to online casinos by placing links and banners on their own websites. They sometimes use banners that ask for direct action, for example to register or make a deposit at a particular casino. The important thing is that casino affiliate programs bring super relevant traffic with higher conversion rates in depositing players.
Affiliate websites have one thing in common: they all contain really useful information such as iGaming guides and online casino rankings, so they attract users who are looking for the best casino to play in and actually play after following the link. However, they may differ in general approach. There are affiliate websites similar to portals like AskGamblers or MyLead that target a wide audience and cover everything related to online gambling. Then there are more niche websites that specialize, for example, in UK licensed casinos or Bitcoin focused casinos such as BitcoinBuster or Bitcoin Chaser.
What do they get in return?
Affiliates are paid for the traffic they bring to casino websites. There are several different models for rewarding affiliates.
1) Distribution of income.
With this model, affiliates get a percentage of the net casino revenue generated by the recommended players. Many affiliates prefer this model because it means long-term income (often for life). For operators it is also a good option because affiliates are motivated to bring in quality players who would constantly generate income for the casino. The percentage you pay an affiliate varies. Most casino operators use an individual approach. Some valued and trusted partners earn up to 50% commission with no negative carry-over.
2) CPA (cost per action).
This is a model in which a casino offers a fixed fee for each player. It can be a reward just for signing up, but most of the time the player needs to deposit and / or stake a certain amount in order for the affiliate to get paid. Casino operators can be flexible about the rate, increasing it as the number of players referred by the affiliate grows.
3) Mixed models.
As already mentioned, casino operators often apply tailored approaches to high-profile affiliates. For example, they may offer a combination of revenue share and CPA model, or even negotiate certain upfront payments alongside a long-term share of the casino's revenue. The more flexible your relationship with affiliates, the better network you can grow and the more opportunities you have to benefit from these win-win partnerships.
Why is affiliate marketing effective?
There are several indisputable advantages that affiliate marketing has over other online casino promotion methods:
Performance-based pay. It's always easier to pay for something you already have rather than making an initial investment with no guarantees on the result. Affiliate marketing is totally focused on performance and therefore guarantees a high ROI. Even when the CPA or commission paid to an affiliate is high, you know that your income is higher. You get 100% relevant traffic that turns into actual sales.
Measurable progress. "When I am investing a significant amount in certain marketing activities, how do I know which one is effective such as adult affiliate programs?" You can build a fancy booth and bring half your company to a gaming conference or you can buy loads of media hype, but how do you know exactly how many players are coming to your casino as a result? With affiliate marketing, you can calculate and compare the amount invested and the amount earned down to a single penny, thus getting a clear picture of your returns.
Simple tracking. If you are using an effective affiliate system (online casino software usually has an affiliate module that makes it easy to manage your affiliate programs), it allows you to evaluate the performance of different affiliates. You can even see how your casino is doing on different affiliate websites. You can use this information to better analyze which ads and banners work best for you and adjust your affiliate program accordingly.
Reputation and online presence. Since successful affiliates generally have a good reputation in the iGaming world, advertising on their websites increases the fame and credibility of your casino. Help build your brand and make a lasting impression on people in your industry.
How do you meet the right affiliates?
There are several ways to build lasting affiliate partnerships.
Post information about your app affiliate programs in dedicated iGaming media resources. There are those who make lists of the most lucrative affiliate offers, so try to advertise your affiliate program and make it attractive to potential affiliates.
Visit specialized exhibitions and affiliated conferences. There are various affiliate conferences that take place in different parts of the world throughout the year, the most famous taking place in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Malta. Affiliates visit these conferences to share their experience, learn about iGaming legislation, learn about new techniques in their business, but also to make new deals with casino operators. This is your chance.
Word of mouth. The more people you meet in the industry, the easier it will be to expand your affiliate network.
How to find the right affiliate marketing platform?
Having a solid technology solution is important for effective affiliate marketing. Affiliate software must be convenient and clear not only for the operator but also for the affiliates. There are several standalone affiliate marketing software solutions on the market that can be integrated into the online casino software you are using. It is also possible to develop your own system according to your specific needs.
However, perhaps the most viable option is to choose an affiliate marketing platform that meets industry standards and matches your needs. Companies that offer online casino software often create flexible and easy-to-use affiliate systems with the experience and preferences of their customers in mind. They are motivated to provide an effective tool within their platforms that helps operators achieve maximum results with their affiliate marketing strategies.
All in all, think about marketing now when choosing a gaming platform and make sure you have your software provider on your side. Online gambling is a rather peculiar industry that is highly dependent on a variety of external factors, such as government regulations, banking and financial affairs; therefore, finding an effective marketing strategy for parenting affiliate programs is not as obvious here as it is in many other business domains. Since many traditional means of promotion are not available due to restrictions in legislation, affiliate marketing has proven to be one of the most reliable and transparent methods to take your iGaming website to the top and increase your profits.
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