Internet Gambling has been around for many years now, so why are brands still so important in attracting players to sign up to a gaming operator?– KarenBrands sell!Any good marketing text will tell you that a brand name is simply a word or statement that embodies important aspects of a product or service. A good brand name elicits familiarity and trust creates, which results in a sale. A great example of this effect is seen in the brand of car that consumers purchase, based on the way that car makes them feel (for example, a BMW vs. a Volkswagen.)
In online gaming, successful brands convert better than any other site because they convey a feeling of trust and security to the user. Many affiliates have told us that they prefer to work with well known brands because they convert. To become a successful brand the following factors must be incorporated:LongevityThe length of time that a website has been in operation plays an important role in establishing trust. The longer the site has existed, the more it is perceived as a real contender in the marketplace.Accompanying land-based operationsA site is perceived as more trustworthy if there are land-based operations under the same brand. One example of a company that has capitalized on this fact is Ladbrokes with their strong high street presence.Popularity and reputation amongst usersThere are three areas that contribute to popularity and reputation amongst users: quality of the site/games, game features, and transparency in showing users how many other people are interacting with the site at any given time. Bingo.com does this very well with their interactive bingo software.Consistent promotion and communicationA brand that communicates its themes and messages consistently conveys trust to the marketplace. For example, Lasseters Casino has done this by continually promoting themselves as being regulated and monitored by the Northern Territory Government in Australia since 1998.Affiliates are brands too!Remember, your affiliate manager has chosen your site to promote their company’s brand because you are able to support that branding. As an affiliate, you can also leverage the power of branding and increase conversions on your site by incorporating the above elements into your marketing strategy. Try to:
1. Communicate in the ‘about us’ section of your website how long you have been writing reviews about casinos, and why your experience in the area allows you to provide insight.
2. Offer unique and reliable content that’s updated regularly. Your players will trust your recommendations and will come back for more. Making sure that your site’s links are up-to-date and error-free also helps.
3. Consistently communicate what your site is about by advertising your message and site in different locations, submitting your site to directories and search engines, and cultivating backlinks.
