Based on interviews with affiliates and the expertise of our Affiliate Management team, we put together an article on why data is so valuable for affiliates and how they can use data to find valuable users through their marketing campaigns for the GPWA Times Magazine. You can read the article on the GPWA Times site or read the full piece below.

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As the iGaming industry has evolved, affiliates have needed to make quicker decisions to optimize their content and convert high-value players for operators, but that can be difficult if they’re not supplied with a platform that provides them with real-time data. Using data, affiliates can understand which brands are performing best and how users are interacting with them to continue providing cutting-edge content to users and funnel them to exciting new brands.

With 20 years of offering market-leading iGaming affiliate software, services, and digital marketing solutions, Income Access has a long history of working with affiliates to great success. Bearing that in mind, and with help from our Affiliate Management team and the expertise of affiliates we partner with, we’ve put together insights to describe how affiliates effectively use data and why it is paramount for them to get the most out of their campaigns.

Better Understanding of Their Audience

All affiliates are looking for high-quality traffic, which is the selection of users who would resonate with the brand being offered and who are likely to convert. If affiliates are provided with robust data on a platform where they receive it in real-time, they will have an easier time targeting the right demographics for them.

Tero Päivärinta, Head of Accounts at leading affiliate Cashmagnet Ltd, feels that “when using relevant and timely data, affiliates can move the brands around on their website more efficiently, finding the right place and page where the clicks are turning into first-time depositors.”

Paul Torzel, Founder at fellow affiliate Newbettingoffers.co.uk, added to this idea, mentioning that they “check their stats on a daily basis and take decisions based on conversions and ROI. We have seen that by analyzing data we can improve our conversions as we are able to give more exposure to brands that convert better or provide a higher return.”

Having a platform that supports server-to-server pixels and provides real-time data is crucial in today’s iGaming world. As new markets emerge and affiliates attempt to connect with those audiences, having that data will be vital for them, as they hope to quickly understand their audience and provide them with content that meets their expectations. If they’re only provided with weekly or monthly reports, their ability to optimize effectively is greatly reduced.

Create More of What Their Audience Wants

When looking at what brands to work with, what is being offered by operators is naturally an important determining factor for affiliates, whether it’s the product itself or deals being offered to players. Affiliates will be aiming to add brands that match the standards of what they currently recommend to their audience.

Torzel affirmed this, saying that “the most important things we look for when agreeing a new partnership are the product, affiliate commission and the product welcome offer.” When affiliates are presented with an interesting brand, partnered with transparent commissions and a variety of offers to engage users, they can more easily convert users.

Content is king and it is also what will keep users engaged and returning to the affiliate site or app, whether it is the product being offered, an affiliate’s blog post or a brand’s weekly offers. However, the content on an affiliate’s page must work in parallel with what is provided by operators and improved data can only help their efficiency. With tangible data, affiliates can look at what’s working best and continue to optimize their pages accordingly.

Affiliates have also been requesting to receive data per country, as many operate in a variety of markets. Each geo is unique and further understanding them can help affiliates deliver unique content to specific audiences. Päivärinta noted that they “would like to see separated data like unique clicks, deposit amounts and to also get data per country. Sometimes finding these details can be difficult, as brands might not want to send them or aren’t capable of showing the data.”

Not all geos are identical, so having data combined for all countries can make things unclear for affiliates. For example, take an affiliate who works in both the Nordic and sub-Saharan African markets, two markets with different types of users – from the content consumers prefer to the devices they use to consume it. Such an affiliate would require different data sets for each region, provided through a platform where affiliates can easily sort them to learn more about each distinct market.

Find Their Blind Spots

Without relevant and timely data, it can become difficult for affiliates to find the blind spots in their strategy. This can apply to a variety of elements within a promotional strategy, from avoiding certain traffic sources with low conversions to determining at which part of the funnel users are falling off. If provided with real-time data, affiliates can see for themselves how operators are converting and optimize their content to provide further conversions.

Torzel noted as well that the “key metrics we need when reporting are, of course, the conversion rate from clicks to sign ups as well as first time depositors.” These are the metrics commonly outlined by affiliates as being imperative for them to easily determine which areas need adjustments. Torzel added that they “also value and work more closely with operators that share player level net gaming revenue (NGR) on their platform, as this allows us to assess the real value of our traffic.”

The metrics that help affiliates make important decision are well established and transparency with them is what allows affiliates to make significant optimizations.

With organized data on FTDs, deposits, unique clicks and other key metrics, affiliates can spring into action quickly and optimize their campaigns instantly. Simply, when affiliates understand more about their blind spots, they can ensure they are improved as soon as possible.

Transparent Commissions and Payments

For a well-functioning affiliate plan, timely payments and understanding how they work is important. In terms of data, affiliates are commonly looking for the amount they can expect to be paid, their complete payment history and their payment balance. On top of this, it’s important that this data is readily accessible for affiliates on a platform where they can easily find it, while they also value being offered trusted payment solutions. When payments are optimized, any time spent resolving these issues can now be used elsewhere, leading to increased productivity across the board.

Granular commission calculations are also vital, as they can further an affiliate’s understanding of the value of their audience. For example, getting in-depth insight on commission payments per product can help affiliates evaluate which products are performing best and allow them to optimize from there. Any added insight into player value can lead to added optimization on the side of affiliates and ideally the acquisition of similarly engaged users in the future for operators.

Key Opportunity

Within the iGaming world, affiliates consistently need to adapt to their users’ ever-changing interests and preferences, which can be difficult to do without adequate and real-time data. As the industry continues to evolve and expand into new geos, the need for data is becoming even greater, to ensure that both affiliates and operators are targeting the right audiences and creating the optimal experience for them.

New trends will develop as the industry continues to grow, but it is certain that providing affiliates with relevant data on a platform that makes it simple for them will always allow them to optimize further and make better decisions. Without that data, it can feel like punching in the dark for affiliates and lead to inefficiencies.

When making decisions on future partnerships, affiliates should look to partner with operators who can provide them with platforms offering server-to-server pixels and access to real-time data.

Receiving monthly reports won’t allow an affiliate to make the necessary adjustments to bring added value for not only themselves, but operators as well. In these partnerships, affiliates should be encouraged to be proactive and ask for the data required, as their optimizations will only bring added value for both parties.

Conclusion

When looking at data and how affiliates use it to optimize their campaigns, it’s clear how valuable it is for them to receive the data in real-time on a platform that makes it simple for them. The benefits are clear for affiliates, but these benefits will extend to operators as well, as more efficient affiliates will lead to more high-value players for operators.

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Curious about any of the points raised in our piece? Have any thoughts or feedback? Reach out to our team today!