While there are different ways to promote an online casino, affiliate marketing has deserved its status of the most effective. 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 outcome, affiliate marketing often wins the ROI competition. Let’s have a deeper insight into who affiliates are, what benefits they bring to an online gaming business, and how you can make the best use of affiliate partnerships.
Who are affiliates?
While there are different ways to promote an online casino, affiliate marketing has deserved its status of the most effective. Of course SEO, PPC, media advertising, exhibitions and other offline activities. Affiliate Commissions: Four levels of commissions from 20-60%. Affiliate Signup.
Affiliates are people who use their websites to bring traffic to your online casino. While for other industries it may differ, in online gaming affiliates are quite often players themselves. They usually have vast experience as casino users and run blogs or do live streaming to share their gaming experience with other players. Sometimes casino affiliates have experience in online casino operation and know the other side of the business, too. In any case affiliates (or professional affiliate companies) are not strangers in the world of iGaming and know its 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 significant audience to their websites. With skilful SEO, link building and use of online forums, they manage to achieve high rankings in search engines. Once that’s done, affiliate websites are ready for monetization: they start referring traffic to 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. Sometimes they use banners that call for direct action, e.g. to register or make a deposit in a particular casino. The important thing is that casino affiliates bring super relevant traffic with higher rates of conversion into 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 search for the best casino to play at and actually do play after following the link. However, they may differ in general approach. There are portal-like affiliate websites such as AskGamblers or LCB that target a wide audience and cover everything related to online gambling. Then there are more niche websites that specialise, for instance, in casinos licensed in the UK or Bitcoin-focused casinos — like BitcoinBuster or Bitcoin Chaser.
What do they get in return?
Affiliates get paid for the traffic they bring to casino websites. There are several different models of rewarding the affiliates.
1) Revenue-share.
With this model, affiliates get a percentage of the casino’s net revenue generated by referred players. Many affiliates prefer this model because it means long-time (often life-long) income. For operators it is also a good option because affiliates are motivated to bring quality players who would constantly generate revenue for the casino. The percentage that you pay to an affiliate varies. Most casino operators use an individual approach. Some appreciated and trusted partners get up to 50% commission with no negative carryover.
2) CPA (cost per action).
This is a model where a casino offers a fixed rate for every player. It can be a reward just for registration, but most often the player needs to deposit and/or wager a certain amount for the affiliate to be paid. Casino operators can be flexible about the rate, increasing it while the number of players referred by the affiliate grows.
3) Mixed models.
As already mentioned, casino operators often apply customized approaches to high-profile affiliates. For example, they can offer a combination of revenue share model and CPA, or even negotiate certain upfront payments together with long-term participation in the casino revenue. The more flexible you get in your relationship with the affiliates, the better network you will be able to grow and the more chances you will have to profit from these win-win partnerships.
Why is affiliate marketing effective?
There are several unarguable advantages that affiliate marketing has over other methods of online casino promotion:
Payment based on performance. It is always easier to pay for something that you already have rather than make an upfront investment without any guarantees on the result. Affiliate marketing is totally focused on performance and therefore guarantees high ROI. Even when the CPA or commission paid to an affiliate is high, you know that your revenue is higher. You get 100% relevant traffic that is converted into real sales.
Measurable progress. “When I’m investing a significant amount into certain marketing activities, how do I know which one is effective?” You can build a posh stand and bring half of your company to a gaming conference or you can buy heaps of advertising articles in the media, but how do you know exactly how many players come to your casino as a result? With affiliate marketing, you can calculate and compare the amount invested and the amount earned up to a single cent, 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 which facilitates easy management of their affiliate programs), it allows to evaluate the performance of different affiliates. You can even see how your casino is doing on different affiliate websites. You can use this info for better analysis of what ads and banners work best for you and adjust your affiliate program accordingly.
Reputation and online presence. Since successful affiliates usually have good reputation in the world of iGaming, being advertised on their websites adds to your casino fame and credibility. It helps to strengthen the brand and make a long-lasting impression on the people in your industry.
How to meet the right affiliates?
There are several ways of making long-lasting partnerships with affiliates.
Place information about your affiliate program in media resources devoted to iGaming. There are those which make listings of the most lucrative affiliate offerings, so try to advertise your affiliate program and make it attractive to prospective affiliates.
Visit specialized exhibitions and affiliate conferences. There are several affiliate conferences going in different parts of the world throughout the year, the most famous ones taking place in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Malta. Affiliates visit these conferences to share their experience, learn news on the iGaming legislation, acquire knowledge on new techniques in their business, but also to make new deals with casino operators. That’s your chance.
Word of mouth. The more people you know in the industry, the easier it is to expand your affiliate network.
How to find the right affiliate marketing platform?
Having a solid technological solution is important for effective affiliate marketing. The affiliate software should be convenient and clear not only for the operator, but also for the affiliates. There are several stand-alone software solutions for affiliate management on the market which can be integrated into the online casino software that you are using. It is also possible to develop your own system according to your specific needs.
Perhaps the most viable option, though, is to choose a software platform which already has an affiliate module that meets industry standards and corresponds to your needs. Companies which provide online casino software usually build the flexible and easy-to-use affiliate systems taking into account their clients’ expertise and preferences. 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 already when choosing a gaming platform, and make sure you have your software provider on your side. Online gambling is quite a peculiar industry which heavily depends on a variety of external factors, such as government regulation, banking and financial issues — that’s why finding an effective marketing strategy is not as evident here as in many other business domains. With many traditional means of promotion being unavailable due to legislation constraints, affiliate marketing has proved one of the most reliable and transparent methods to push your iGaming website to the top and boost your profits.
A lot of gambling platforms are operating on the market now. The core task of all online casinos in a highly competitive environment is to attract new customers. One of the most efficient tools is affiliate marketing. It allows iGaming platforms to generate traffic, enhance brand awareness, and increase revenues. What does affiliate marketing mean? What are its features and advantages? These issues are revealed in the article.
Affiliate marketing: what is it and for whom?
Affiliate marketing is a way of online resource promotion. Using such a tool, a gambling platform is an advertiser. It provides affiliates (partners) with unique links. Webmasters place them on their own websites and receive a money reward when users click on them, enter the advertiser’s resource, and /or conduct certain actions on the portal.
A form of cooperation between service providers and affiliates is called an affiliate program. Its participants can include:
- owners of websites, blogs, and/or YouTube channels;
- webmasters;
- bloggers;
- traffic arbitrage specialists;
- active Internet users.
There are three types of affiliate websites:
- attracting advertisers on their own conditions;
- directly participating in affiliate programs;
- entering СРА networks.
A range of casinos has its own affiliate programs. Such online platforms involve webmasters on their own. Other gambling resources apply to affiliate networks for affiliate marketing services. Affiliate networks mean services uniting several affiliate programs. They are a liaison between customers and webmasters. Platforms provide a wide choice of offers and dispense webmasters from searching for advertisers.
How partners promote casinos
Webmasters promoting gambling platforms publish advertising materials on their websites. Some of them use banners, text, photo, and video materials provided by the affiliate program; others develop their own content.
Affiliate casino websites frequently represent entertainment resources. They publish gambling news, success stories, specialized articles, etc. Sometimes they apply banners encouraging users to a certain action: play a game of chance or deposit money. The only thing that matters is the affiliate website being full of quality content catching the interest of users and giving them an impetus to enter the casino portal.
Partners’ earnings
Affiliates obtain income for online casino traffic driving. There are several options of collaboration in the advertiser – partner format:
- Revenue Share. Webmasters receive a percentage of the online casino profit generated by attracted clients. Experienced partners can expect up to 50% of the fee from gambling resource’s revenues.
- СРА. Advertisers pay affiliates for a certain action made by users following the affiliate link. For instance, registering on the website, subscribing to the newsletter, refilling a deposit, participating in the game of chance. The money reward is stipulated in advance.
- Mixed model. Casinos provide partners with both a percentage of their income and a fixed sum for each new customer.
One more way to earn is to participate in multi-level affiliate programs. Webmasters get additional profit when involving other specialists in the program.
Pros and cons of affiliate marketing
Online casino promotion using affiliate marketing is beneficial to gambling business owners and webmasters.
Affiliate program advantages for advertisers are the following:
- the increasing amount of clients. The more partners are attracted, the greater probability of more users joining the platform;
- higher revenues;
- appropriate expenditures. Partners are paid only for the results;
- time savings. Business owners do not have to waste their time on platform promotion. This task belongs to skilled professionals;
- brand communications. Placing gambling platform ads on various resources, you improve its recognition;
- outcome control. Online casino platforms usually have an affiliate module allowing to manage affiliate programs. Such software helps to monitor what websites generate better traffic. Monitoring this data, you can define the most efficient advertising techniques.
Affiliate program advantages for affiliates:
- the absence of investments. Participation in affiliate programs is free. Partners do not have to invest in the production/acquisition of your own goods;
- high profit. Partners can earn thousands of dollars;
- you should not invest in the development of advertising concept. Advertisers frequently provide partners with all necessary promotional materials: banners, articles, images;
- passive income. You relax, while users keep following partner links, increasing your revenues;
- remote work and flexible hours. Affiliates can independently plan their working time. What they need to promote casinos using affiliate marketing is a PC or a smartphone with Internet access.
Despite all the advantages, affiliate marketing has a range of disadvantages. Downsides for webmasters include:
- unsteady earnings. If affiliates fail to drive website traffic, their work won’t be paid;
- strong competition;
- fraudulent employers. Affiliates can face customers who do not pay promised fees.
Affiliate program gaps for advertisers:
- considerable expenses. Online casino owners spend huge budgets on affiliates’ fees and organization of affiliate program operations;
- unfair partners. Sometimes promoting online resources, webmasters use advertising that negatively affects the venue reputation.
Where to find
result-orientated affiliates?
The Internet is full of numerous gambling websites. You can place information about your affiliate program there. It will help to engage new affiliates searching for advantageous offers.
Another efficient method for finding potential partners is to participate in specialized events. Events dedicated to gambling and affiliate marketing will allow you to talk to iGaming industry players, introduce your products to them, and offer cooperation.
Take a responsible approach to the search for affiliates. To interest them in collaboration, you should offer bonuses and high fees. It will help to involve experienced webmasters able to produce better traffic in the advertising campaign.
How to organize your
own affiliate program?
You can design an affiliate program on your own using special services or rely on programmers. The latter will be expensive if you need a high-quality and seamless service. Note: a platform should be robust and user-friendly for both operators and webmasters.
As to the affiliate program control, you can initially develop a platform with a corresponding affiliate module. The second way is to integrate the online platform with off-the-shelf software.
Best Casino Affiliate Program
It is better to entrust the adjustment and management of the affiliate program to professionals so that it functions correctly.
The next step in organizing your own affiliate program is the development of promotional materials and unique links for partners. Advertising should be unique and creative in order to catch user attention.
The final stage is the promotion of the affiliate program on the Internet. You can announce its launch on social media, on your website, and on third-party specialized resources, or using email newsletters.
Conclusion
Online casino promotion using affiliate marketing requires lots of affiliates’ time and huge investments on behalf of advertisers. If gambling platforms and webmasters treat their activity responsibly, both parties will benefit from such cooperation: affiliates will be able to earn well, and casinos will expand their customer database and multiply the capital.