So you are an affiliate. WOW. I envy you. The heavy investment in producing new websites and links, the constant fights with Google’s random ranking algorithm, the monthly frustration at the discrepancies between the operator’s payment and actual reports… It’s how they live up there in first class, no doubt.
But from time to time, when things do manage to work out well for you, you are working with a few decent operators. Now it’s time to take a few minutes to benchmark your results and wonder: how come a specific brand earns me more money than the others?
Well, it all comes down to CRM by the end of the day. These are the (much less attractive) guys, who analyze the players’ behavior, and are in charge over maximizing the ROI from the deal you have just signed with the (way sexier) Affiliate Account Manager. How do they do that?
- They segment: as it doesn’t make any sense to treat all players the same, and they will also most likely treat your own traffic with some kind of a cautious rewarding strategy – until it will either prove its worth, or until you will demand higher bonuses to your players.
- They calculate: how much money they can spend on each player, yet still remain profitable by the end of the day. It’s crucial for you to pick those operators who know how to do this bit, as in many cases (and especially within regulated markets such as the UK), while the previous term to describe a retention strategy was nymphomania – casinos spreading free bonuses at all directions, then the current status, in which operators spray their money shots even on churn/dead accounts, is obviously necrophilia. What do you have to do with it? They deduct these costs from your payment, and you want be sure that they spend this budget wisely.
- They detect: VIPs faster than the other. The better companies know how to quickly spot the promising accounts with the higher potential, and in a matter of days they appoint a personal host to ensure they will remain engaged even after a losing streak. With the right tools, these kind of players can be evaluated with an accuracy rate of more than 80%, whether they will indeed materialize as high rollers within the next few months.
- They act: in Real Time, and they respond quickly to trends in a personalized manner. Ever got an email the day after a gaming session, starting with “I have noticed that you have had a bad day yesterday at our tables”? Don’t send them your traffic. Instant gratification, embedded within the product itself, as well as aggressive chat tactics and non-existing response times -> that’s what you should be looking for.
To conclude, it’s a fierce competition out there, and even after finding those partners you can actually trust, you still want to ensure that you are making the most with your “assets”. Learn how to analyze your reports, always ask questions and keep testing their promotions by playing it yourself (in oppose to playing with yourself…). True, some people call it hard work, but they fly coach 😉
Author:
Shahar Attias is a globally recognized iGaming expert, with nearly two decades of industry experience in Players’ Retention and Online Casino VIP Programs. As the founder of Hybrid Interaction Ltd., the premier online gambling CRM consulting firm, he worked with 60+ clients, providing customized solutions for such organizations as: bgo, 888, GVC Holdings (bwin.party/Sportingbet/Casino-Club), Playtech, PokerStars/FullTilt, IGT, William Hill, EvoPlay, CasinoRoom, BetClic-Everest, Austrian Lotteries, BetConstruct, Codeta and many more, across nearly all regulated jurisdictions (UK / Belgium / Italy / Denmark / Portugal / Mexico).