As the online casino industry continues to grow, more and more companies emerge in this market, and it increases competition among them. To attract more traffic to their websites, operators use various tools, and CPA affiliate networks are one of them.
According to casino experts, who often discuss affiliate networks in the news about the casino industry, revenue share, and CPA (cost per action) are the most efficient programs in this type of marketing strategy. Let’s consider these models in more detail to understand how to benefit from them to the full extent.
The anatomy of CPA affiliate marketing
Before describing the advantages of this marketing tool, it is necessary to understand how it works. A CPA affiliate network is an advertising solution for virtual casinos that generates new customers for them. Partner websites, which provide affiliate services, get paid for actions that lead to a casino’s traffic increase. These actions can take on various forms:
- registration on a casino;
- depositing;
- subscription to a newsletter;
- or just visiting a casino.
There are two types of CPA: cost per action and cost per acquisition. The former isn’t so popular among casino owners. They usually apply the cost per acquisition program because it allows them to accomplish specific goals of their business. For example, a new player should replenish his or her balance on a casino. We will consider only this model in this article as it is the most efficient for virtual gambling platforms. The cost per acquisition form of affiliate marketing can help to reach the target audience for a reasonable amount of money spent on this type of promotion.
A CPA network set up from A to Z
The first step for every online casino that is going to use a CPA model is to find an appropriate provider for this service. The next stage is to choose the best offer that will suit its business needs. Usually, affiliate networks have ready solutions developed especially for gambling platforms. However, the primary objective of any affiliate is to make a user click a partner’s link and do a required action on a casino.
An affiliate network collaborates with publishers that place such links on their websites. They implement special software that allows them to keep a record of the number of users who have done the required action. The last step in this process is a payment to an affiliate network and a publisher. A CPA solutions provider gets approximately thirty percent of the total sum and pays some percentage to websites that have posted the link. You probably have a question: who are these publishers? In most cases, they are industry-dedicated online magazines, social media influences, or bloggers.
How to benefit from CPA affiliate programs to the maximum?
Affiliate marketing is full of opportunities for drawing traffic to casino websites. Regardless of what channel you choose for promotion, it will have a positive effect on your website. Here are some facts about how CPA networks can be useful for a casino:
- Casino owners can select promotion channels from an extensive list of options, including advertising in mobile apps, contextual ads, or on social media.
- All top-level affiliate networks have tools that provide statistics on the efficiency of the promotion. It helps operators to understand what works well with them and what methods are inefficient for their products.
- Reliable providers create the conditions under which a client (a virtual casino) can control the financial aspect of services provided by the network.
CPA, revenue share, or hybrid: which model to choose?
Many casino owners often have doubts about what model to choose to get the most benefit from affiliate programs. In addition to CPA, they can also consider such options as revenue share and a hybrid model.
Revenue share has a higher percentage of commission – a network usually receives from forty to fifty percent. However, its revenue share is a deduction from the overall amount of money every generated user brings to a casino. It means that the network gets its commission from a casino’s NGR. Besides, you can find a detailed explanation of a casino’s revenue types (GGR and NGR) in this article.
If to compare a CPA model with revenue share, you will see the difference. When an operator chooses CPA, it will pay the service provider a certain sum of money for every action agreed between them. In such cases, an affiliate doesn’t guarantee that all website visitors will become a casino’s loyal clients. If a casino decides to use a revenue share program, it means that an affiliate network is responsible for long-term relations between a player and a virtual gambling platform. A provider will get revenue for the whole period of the user’s presence on a website.
The hybrid model is a combination of CPA and revenue share. It can also be a cost-efficient solution for casinos.
Tips on how to choose an affiliate network
To choose an affiliate program that will meet all casino’s requirements, its owner should have a portrait of a potential customer. The definition of a target audience helps to understand which company has the most chances to fill a partner’s needs.
Another important recommendation is to choose affiliates that have a focus on the same field as your company does. It will prevent you from wasting money on traffic that you won’t be able to convert into leads. The success depends on your website, the quality of your products, and your understanding of the market.
Search for the information about a provider on the web. Reliable affiliates and their managers should help you to solve your business problems without delays. Pay attention to negative comments and what other business owners say about the service provider.
When you have selected an affiliate that suits your casino, think about a development strategy. It will help to decide what method will be the best for your project. Maybe playing a game on the website will bring you loyal clients, or depositing in the system will attract new customers.
In addition to this, discuss the terms of your contract with an affiliate network. It will prevent you from unpleasant situations connected with the misunderstanding of financial or other questions. Agree on the revenue percentage, traffic channels, and other things that influence the success of your promotion.
Top 3 affiliate networks worth considering
We have selected the most reliable affiliates that have proven experience in the gambling industry.
LuckyPartners
This network has many partnerships with various casinos across the globe. It has been operating in this market since the beginning of the 2000s. The provider guarantees a high conversion rate. Its vertical is online casinos and projects connected with this field. It pays affiliates up to 150 dollars for every action. LuckyPartners uses such payment methods as Skrill, Neteller, as well as bank transfers. The service doesn’t have a sub-affiliate commission.
Online Affiliate World
This provider works with many sectors of the gambling industry. It has the experience that is connected not only with casinos but with sportsbooks as well. The company started its way in 2002 and accumulated an impressive base of publishers located throughout the world. Moreover, it earned a reputation as the most trustworthy and transparent affiliate marketing provider. Online Affiliate World uses three models: CPA, revenue share, and their combination. Publishes can get up to two hundred dollars for a player.
Betsson Group Affiliates
It is a popular affiliate network in the online casino market. The majority of its clients are European and Scandinavian casinos. Publishers can earn 25-50% of the revenue without any additional administrative fees. The only disadvantage of the network is that it can’t promote casino services to the USA players. On the other hand, it works with top European online gambling platforms.
Affiliate marketing can bring much profit to your casino project. However, it is always better to work only with reliable networks that have successful cases in their portfolio.
Read more: Top Affiliate Networks in Nordic Countries
