FEATURE
The case for affiliates Reputable affiliates add credibility to new sites The bingo industry is dominated by just a handful of successful platforms . 888 ’ s Dragonfish software is host to more than 200 sites , including huge brands such as Foxy , Wink and Costa . And while no one software is perfect , there is a definite sense of ‘ better the devil you know ’ when it comes to players choosing – and trusting – something new . Affiliates provide the perfect way for new brands to quickly gain trust by association . After all , why would your favourite comparison site suggest playing somewhere unsafe ?
Affiliates allow the amplification of marketing messages to relevant new audiences With restricted marketing budgets , little site revenue and no SEO authority , it can be particularly challenging for new sites to compete for attention against bigger and wealthier brands . But by piggybacking on the campaigns of affiliates , it ’ s possible for sites to access large , highly relevant audiences at a fraction of the cost ( more on that below ).
Affiliates increase exposure for brands in already-saturated verticals Even the best-optimised bingo and casino sites will struggle to get more than one or two listings in search results for popular keywords . In addition , there are plenty of phrases for which Google favours affiliates . For example , for this article I performed a search for “ new bingo sites ” and none of the top 10 listings that appeared on the first page of results were operators .
Moreover , where the searcher intent is to view a list , Google more often than not returns a list . The only way
“ At OnlineBingo . co . uk , as with many of our competitors , we work closely with new partners to agree mutually beneficial deals that are regularly reviewed and adjusted according to actual performance ”
for new brands to capture this traffic is to be part of these affiliate landing pages or risk missing out altogether .
Flexible commission structures & budgets Don ’ t want to commit to large acquisition costs with no guarantee of ROI ? Worried about paying for expensive clicks that don ’ t convert ? With the CPA and revenue share models offered by the vast majority of gambling affiliates , new sites are able to tailor budgets for real depositing players and avoid the pitfalls of speculative costs per leads .
At OnlineBingo . co . uk , as with many of our competitors , we work closely with new partners to agree mutually beneficial deals that are regularly reviewed and adjusted according to actual performance .
The best affiliates are working as marketing partners , not just as suppliers of players .
If not affiliates , then who ? Every channel , from organic search to programmatic display , demands a certain appetite for risk from advertisers . Affiliates are so prevalent and influential in the gaming industry that removing them from the inbound mix completely would have a very noticeable and costly effect .
Assuming that other sources of players are already operating close to their full potential , where would the hitherto affiliate-generated prospects come from ?
The case against affiliates A few bad actors affect the reputation of the masses Low-quality affiliates are not unique to gambling – just try comparing broadband , car insurance or mobile phone contracts online .
Rules are made for exceptions . Just as the plane that lands safely doesn ’ t make the news , the compliant affiliate isn ’ t made an example of . The onus is – and should be – on operators to vet who they work with , but it is also on affiliates to be honest and transparent in their methods . Good faith works both ways .
The current operator mindset of ‘ guilty unless proven compliant ’ is problematic in that it initiates new affiliate relationships on a foundation of scepticism and mistrust . Condescending compliance messages and over-sensitive programme suspensions don ’ t help but when there ’ s a gambling licence on the line , who can really blame them ?
Affiliate management is costly and time consuming We have reviews for more than 600 bingo , slot and casino sites on OnlineBingo . co . uk , yet we are only a small part of many operators ’ affiliate programmes .
The burden of keeping information , offers and terms consistent across all third-party platforms is a particularly cumbersome responsibility for new sites . Even minor regulatory changes become prohibitively consequential .
48 iGB Affiliate Issue 71 OCT / NOV 2018