INSIGHT
“What traffic sources has mainstream
media neglected? Use this as a guide for
selecting the appropriate market segments
to target.”
Once you have selected a focus for
your business, it is time to start growing.
However, beware of growing away from
your niche, warns Jesper Søgaard. With
another round of extensive research and
by keeping their core niche in mind, Jesper
was able to grow bettingexpert.com into the
powerful sportsbook affiliate site it is today.
“You need to know your niche inside
and out, then strive to be the best in that
niche.” This is a philosophy that Roxana
Blaj continues to swear by and is a driving
factor behind the success of GamingZion.
com, which has established the site as a goto encyclopedia of information about the
online casino industry.
There is one final consideration to make:
candidate in SERPs, companies have
to quickly reduce their spending. The team
A word
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the (and don’ts)
Simon Jones, Focus Online Management Ltd. (WhichBingo.co.uk)
Do constantly strive to improve customer relationships and conversion rates in order
to negotiate better affiliate deals.
Don’t rest on your laurels and always be prepared to change your strategy at a
moment’s notice.
Roxana Blaj, International Interactive Ventures (GamingZion.com)
Do know your audience and consistently provide them with original content.
Don’t stop innovating in this ever-evolving industry.
Jocelyn Wood, RakeBack.com
Do have a passion for what you do and use it to fuel your business.
Don’t be complacent and always work towards long-term success.
Jesper Søgaard, Better Collective (bettingexpert.com)
Do keep learning and discard strategies that aren’t working.
Don’t underestimate the power of data; know yours inside-out and leverage it to
drive your business.
“Don’t underestimate the power of data; know yours
inside-out and leverage it to drive your business.”
Jesper Søgaard, Better Collective
Rome wasn’t built in a day. As Simon
Jones explains, succeeding as an iGaming
affiliate takes a lot of time and hard work.
Though some have done so in the past,
dedicating only part-time work to becoming
an affiliate may limit the potential of
your business. Before getting started, it is
important to find a balance between the
goals you set for yourself and the amount
of time you can dedicate to achieve them.
Even old dogs can learn new
tricks
Sometimes, even the most proactive
affiliate can be impacted by unforeseen
circumstances. With a growing number
of stakeholders in the industry, including
affiliates, iGaming operators, players,
software providers, legal counsels and
countless more, driving forces of change
are to be expected.
Affiliates can occasionally find
themselves having to adapt to regulatory
policies or changes in partner agreements
and terms and conditions. For example,
the RakeBack.com budget was pushed to
its limit when a reduction in revenue from
one of their top partners meant they had
best investment would be to shift towards
a more long-term focus and to allocate
their funds accordingly. Their rakeback
calculators, which had historically been
popular with only higher volume players,
are now being replaced with a tool they
believe will appeal to a larger base of
recreational players.
Another way to ensure a steady flow of
income from a given brand is to maintain a
strong relationship with affiliate managers.
When there is a mutual understanding of
the business practices between partners,
more flexibility is available to lessen the
impact of any regulatory changes.
The team at International Interactive
Ventures, for example, has discovered this
importance of building strong, long-term
relationships built on trust. They even held
the first annual GamingZion Rejuvenate
Event last year, where industry leaders are
able to come together for both business and
pleasure.
Of course, one of the most volatile
workings of the internet is Google’s
notorious SEO algorithm which, if not
followed closely, can cost affiliates large
amounts of traffic. To remain a top
as is the case for Better Collective. By
continuously developing engaging and
sophisticated products, they are able to
lessen the impact of unforeseen algorithm
changes.
“We’re also at the mercy of Google’s
whim, which can cause many sleepless
nights and headaches when algorithms
change and rankings drop,” says Simon
Jones. “Without giving too much away,
we’re innovating with our approach to
SEO, which will become apparent later in
the year.”
As a sign-off, I leave you with one final
tip: don’t dream it, do it. Though the
iGaming affiliate industry is a challenging
place to be, there is great opportunities
ahead. With the right preparation, strong
relationships, commitment, consistency,
and a driving passion, your goal of being a
successful entrepreneur can be as close as
one click away.
ALLAN PETRILLI is Manager
of Affiliate Services at
Income Access. Dedicated to
building strong relationships
in the iGaming industry and
immersing himself in the world of
affiliate marketing, Allan strives to be
a trusted resource and leader for his
team and within the industry at large.
iGB Affiliate Issue 57 JUN/JUL 2016
65