To build a successful iGaming and sports betting affiliate business, social responsibility must be at the core of your thinking. With increasing regulation in markets around the world, and changing priorities among millennials, affiliates can make their own future easier by ensuring they are already demonstrating the highest standards.
Meeting the Highest Standards Now Will Make the Future Easier
All our UK partner programs affiliates already conform to the highest standards of fairness and ethical integrity, and its good practice to extend those standards to all markets – whether formally required or not. Getting used to maintaining stringent standards now will make growth easier and more sustainable.
With such a saturated online casino and sportsbook market, especially in developed regulated markets like the United Kingdom, it is increasingly difficult for brands to truly differentiate and offer unique products or promotions. As such, social responsibility provides a powerful angle to create a powerful marketing message.
Communicate Your Virtues but Don’t Be Crude
Consumers, especially millennials are increasingly concerned with the social and environmental impact of their actions and expect companies they patronise to take a similar attitude. From supermarkets to pizza chains, and banks to car manufacturers, demonstrating social responsibility can bring new customers – and the same is true for online gaming and betting.
In common with certain other industries, like big pharma, oil and fast food, iGaming affiliate marketing campaigns should present their social responsibility credentials with care. Industries like these have often suffered from an image problem, so presenting your socially responsible credentials can all too easily come across as insincere or cynical.
As an iGaming and sports betting affiliate marketer you can demonstrate your social responsibility in many ways. The first and most important is by being consistently honest and transparent. Only use compliant content, whether its text, images or video and only use it in the appropriate context. Never try to hide catches or terms, and always make a point of being balanced and giving the full picture to people.
Using officially approved content, like that provided by NWM, maintaining a good line of communication with your affiliate manager, and keeping up-to-date with industry news will help ensure your marketing campaigns are trouble free and effective.
Demonstrating Social Responsibility Builds Trust
Remember that consumers will judge you based on who you associate with. Ensure that anyone you link to or collaborate with is maintaining the same high standards as yourself. If you run a forum, make sure you moderate it effectively.
In addition to the minimum information required by regulations, providing extra information about problem gambling, how to avoid it, and where to get help, can be a very smart move. Again, this should be done with care and thought. Clearly, you don’t want to appear negative and put people off but showing that you care about protecting vulnerable people can build trust and goodwill.
Progressive affiliates, looking to build long-term trust and loyalty might also want to consider building relationships with good causes and organisations dedicated to helping people. If you’re running a blog or website, for example, adding donation buttons for charities, and running stories in their support can help your site stand out. It should be noted, however, that not all organisations will appreciate being associated with gambling, so check first.
Feel good socially responsible content is also a potentially powerful tool for social media promotions – just make sure that everything is genuine and compliant, otherwise, things could backfire spectacularly!