As the owner or marketing specialist of an iGaming project, you understand the significance of marketing for achieving success. While various offline activities such as SEO, PPC, media, and exhibitions attract clients and should be part of the bigger strategy, affiliate marketing outperforms them in terms of investments and outcomes. This article will examine how affiliate programs function and how to use them to drive significant traffic to your site.
Online casino affiliates collaborate with iGaming platforms and run advertisements for their products by serving as intermediaries between potential players and the gambling websites. They earn a commission for each player that clicks through their advertising links and visits the gambling sites or makes their first deposit. This advertising model originated in e-commerce and has since expanded into various industries, including the iGaming sector. Affiliate programs offer benefits not only to iGaming project owners, but also to individuals who promote these projects. If you are one of them, you’ll have three choices when getting paid by these programs:
- CPA = you get paid every time the people you have attracted visit the casino
- CPL = you get paid once for their registration
- Revenue share = you get a percentage of what the player loses
iGaming affiliate programs are a highly lucrative and easy-to-manage niche in affiliate marketing. It’s possible to attract customers with minimal effort, as 5-15 clicks or 200-300 impressions, with proper targeting, can result in a conversion for some GEOs. Although this is not a guarantee, it’s an average benchmark. Furthermore, the low margin for error makes this vertical suitable for novice marketing specialists, while experienced specialists also prefer to stick with this gold mine instead of venturing into more complex niches.
What factors influence the effectiveness of affiliate programs?
- Paying for achieved results is more convenient than investing without guarantees, and that’s what affiliate marketing focuses on. It guarantees a high return on investment (ROI) as it is performance-based. Although the commissions paid to affiliates may be high, the revenue generated by the casino is undoubtedly higher. This is because 100% relevant traffic is converted into real sales.
- Measurable results. The precise amount of investment and revenue earned can be calculated, compared, and assessed with accuracy, providing a clear overview of the returns.
- Efficient affiliate systems, which are usually available as a module in online casino software, make tracking simple and allow for easy evaluation of affiliate performance. This information can be used to analyze which ads or banners are performing best and adjust the affiliate program accordingly.
- Successful affiliates have a significant reputation in the iGaming industry, and having your online casino promoted on their websites can increase the prestige and credibility of your brand. This can have a lasting impact and enhance your online presence in the industry.
Traffic sources for affiliate marketing
There are a lot of traffic sources available for affiliate marketing, but some of them are worth mentioning:
Websites and blogs. Affiliates have the option to promote products and services through their own websites and blogs using affiliate links. They can develop content like reviews, product comparisons, or “how-to” guides, and incorporate affiliate links into the content.
Social media/Streaming. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest can also be used by affiliates to advertise products and services. They can make posts and live streams, or use social media advertisements to reach a wider audience.
Email marketing. Affiliates can create an email list of subscribers who have an interest in their niche and send them emails containing affiliate links for relevant products and services.
Adult Traffic. According to the Huffington Post, adult websites attract more traffic than Netflix, Twitter, and Amazon combined. Furthermore, around 30% of all internet traffic is associated with adult content, including the 18+ gambling niche. As a result, promoting on these websites can be highly lucrative, and one of the main advantages is that the restrictions are generally less harmful to your affiliate marketing goals.
PPV Traffic. Pay-Per-View (PPV) traffic, also called Cost-Per-View (CPV), is not the same as PPC traffic sources. PPV involves paying the advertising network for every view of your ad or website to a user. These networks install toolbars on the user’s computer, and when the user visits a specific website, the advertiser’s bid on that site results in a potentially lucrative but annoying ad. This traffic type also allows for keyword targeting.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. PPC advertising platforms, such as Google Ads or Bing Ads, can be used by affiliates to generate traffic to their websites or landing pages. By bidding on keywords relevant to their niche, affiliates can include affiliate links within their ads to increase conversions.
To conclude, if you want to succeed in the gambling industry as an affiliate, it’s important to choose reputable partners and focus on building a strong audience through different channels such as YouTube. Testing different strategies and analyzing the results is crucial to refining your approach over time and optimizing your efforts for maximum results. Ultimately, success as an affiliate in the iGaming industry requires hard work, dedication, and a commitment to providing value to your audience.