What if iGaming Brands Focused Their Entire Marketing on Performance?
For anyone in marketing, there was a point when shifting all your marketing budget towards performance campaigns was really tempting. After all, conversions are what keep your numbers looking good. However, while performance marketing drives short-term metrics, it lacks the reasoning for being engaged and loyal, especially in the highly competitive industry of Gaming.
Hooked Yet Not Engaged?
Performance campaigns are great at pulling customers in with a good offer—higher odds, appealing UI, or maybe their favorite slots game selection. But what happens after the first interaction?
If a customer’s experience is positive, they’re likely to dig deeper into your brand. People search for more information, and what they find often influences whether they’ll stick around or walk away. No brand story? Outdated information? Worse yet, negative reviews? It’s a turn-off. You wouldn’t want to be in that place, would you?
Company news, employee stories, business insights, media coverage, and review management—these are the sources a customer should see in their browsing search.
A Healthy Relationship
Now, of course, a good retention strategy is handy in terms of connecting with the audience in the most budget-friendly way. But still, it’s very much a one-sided relationship. Customers crave interaction and intimacy—they want to hear stories from others, and they want brands to be honest and transparent. It’s no coincidence that the most common word in reviews among iGaming brands is “SCAM.” Harsh, but it shows how much trust matters in this space.
Brand awareness helps build that trust. It has the potential to create and nurture a mutual connection, where players have their rightful space to share their experiences and interact with the brand.
The Checklist of a Loyal iGaming Customer
Ever noticed players have their own mental checklist that makes a brand trustworthy? Convenience? Check. Transparency? Check. Easy access to information? Check. And while performance marketing can push conversions, it doesn’t create that organic interest. Players are more likely to recommend your games to their friends or return to your platform when new offerings drop.
And the best part? You won’t need to rely on targeted ads to make that happen. A well-established brand carries its own weight.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, performance marketing is essential for scaling your business. But it’s awareness marketing that will help you win your audience and drive organic growth. So, next time you’re hesitating over bringing budgets to a new awareness campaign, remember: It’s your reputation, your story, and your healthy relationship with your customers.
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