INSIGHT for data points , affiliate marketers can absorb the statistical findings of AI platforms and use them to more effectively deliver on their role as communicators . Demand Metric ’ s 2016 study on hyper-personalisation and automation showed that 80 % of respondents believe that personalised content is more effective than ‘ unpersonalised ’ content . And , although affiliates can allocate resources for retaining top-tier acquisitions , it ’ s unreasonable to expect that same philosophy to be applied across an entire database without detracting from other marketing efforts .
If AI can help to minimise the time dedicated to tasks of this nature , which are still central to a robust affiliate operation , it will help liberate resources for activities where AI is less proficient .
3 ) Live video streaming There are innumerable instances of a brand ’ s reputation suffering the consequences of irresponsible social media management , tone-deaf creative or a simple lack of foresight . No marketing tactic , however , combines opportunity and peril quite like live video streaming .
The uniqueness and immediacy of online video was made apparent in May , when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the addition of 3,000 new hires to help monitor violent footage posted to the site . The move came after two disturbing videos had appeared earlier in the year .
And a year earlier , Facebook Live , which launched in April 2016 , suffered embarrassment of a more innocent nature , when the video feed for a BuzzFeed interview with President Barack Obama stalled . In fairness , BuzzFeed and Facebook Live , along with several other companies , including Dunkin ’ Donuts , Tastemade and Tough Mudder , have all experienced great success with subsequent live streaming initiatives .
It ’ s widely accepted that online video will dominate the future . A 2016 Cisco report predicted that online video would be responsible for 80 % of global internet traffic by 2019 . That figure puts marketers in a challenging , albeit familiar , position where resource allocation needs to be complemented with messaging that rises above the noise .
Savvy affiliate marketers will recognise the potential of live video streaming , which comes from its flexibility , dynamism and ease of implementation . Furthermore , it offers a more earnest method of engaging audiences and building brand reputation .
Kathy Klotz-Guest , founder of Keeping It Human , highlighted the potential to humanise via live video streaming in an article for Convince & Convert . “ Use streaming to create conversations , give customers important information and
highlight fans , partners , employees and new technologies ( and share the spotlight ),” she wrote . “ Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses is yet another way to thank your biggest fans and enable them to help share your brand story .”
4 ) Virtual reality All the tools exist for marketers to interact with audiences more fully . The challenge is amplified , however , as the number of marketing channels grows beyond what marketers can reasonably be expected to manage effectively . With that in mind , can these professionals also justify diving into the burgeoning realm of virtual reality ( VR )?
VR , like live video streaming , is a test of a marketing team ’ s creativity , drive and resources . A successful VR initiative , perhaps more than any other technology mentioned here , is reliant on a strong collaborative relationship between affiliates and the companies they are affiliated with . Although businesses can and should be evaluating what VR could mean for their brand marketing , affiliates are similarly equipped with the ingenuity to bring new ideas to the fore .
Defining the objective behind those ideas is another challenge entirely . As Michelle Greenwald , CEO of Inventours , said in a recent Forbes article , From Storytelling to VR ‘ Storyliving ’ , “ Consumers take VR messages and stories to heart in deeper and potentially longer-lasting ways . The more multisensory communication enables viewers to better see , hear , feel and identify with what others are experiencing .”
There are already innumerable examples of inspired marketing and engagement using VR . Whether it ’ s HBO ’ s Ascend the Wall experience at SXSW , the New York Times experimenting with storytelling and distributing Google Cardboard glasses to loyal subscribers , or the Guardian ’ s 6x9 : A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement , the evidence clearly shows that the possibilities are limited only by imagination .
“ Most would understandably think that igaming can ’ t offer the same level of excitement as a trip to Westeros — maybe it can ’ t . But to say that igaming is devoid of storytelling potential would be false ”
At first glance , most would understandably think that igaming couldn ’ t possibly offer the same level of excitement as a trip to Westeros — maybe it can ’ t . But to say that igaming is devoid of storytelling potential would be false . Although some verticals may have more organic paths to implementing VR , each invites affiliate marketers and businesses to collaborate on inventive campaigns and experiences .
Conclusion Technology is changing how marketers do their jobs . However , the way in which they tell stories and make connections via technology is still their decision . And although igaming may not offer the same ease of execution for affiliate marketers as do some other industries , it remains an industry that promises to entertain , surprise and push boundaries .
SARAFINA WOLDE GABRIEL is VP of strategy and operations , Paysafe ’ s Income Access . Sarafina ’ s role focuses on developing the Income Access brand and overseeing the evolution of the company ’ s suite of products and services . She has worked in the iGaming affiliate industry for well over a decade . She holds a master ’ s degree in marketing from the University of Surrey , in the UK .
iGB Affiliate Issue 65 OCT / NOV 2017
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