New Aff Manager needs your views

[Nicc]

Hi All,

My name is Nic and I am looking at making my first venture into the world of Casino as an affiliate manager. My affiliate managment backround until now has been predominantly non-gaming (worked with Bingo products some time ago) based so I am after some advice so as to make the transition as painless as possible. In terms of affiliate requirements the method is relatively similar, timely aff payments, real time reporting, competitive customer promotions etc etc.......

I am interested to find out what the key drivers are to make affiliates work with a casino site. The site is a recent aqusition and is being re-built to improve the look and feel. It currently uses NetEnt software however there this is also under consideration. Site owner is financially sound and has plans to bring in mobile and live gaming features. NetRefer will be employed as the affiliate management platform.

Really I want to get this as right as possible from the off so whilst the site is being re-jigged it only makes sense to ask the opinions of the affiliates as potential stakeholders. So what turns you on / off?

Nic

[Chips]

Hi Nicc, Here are a few of my hot buttons:

Plus Factors:

• Timely payment
• Players well looked after, (retention efforts, fast payouts, reliable software, integrity)
• Affiliates looked after, (see point 2)
• Honesty
• Able to be reached via IM, phone
• being a true partner, landing pages, custom creatives, communication of promos, exclusives

Negatives:

• Pushy, overbearing or rude
• The "My brand is the best converting on the xx network" lie
• Lack of contact
• Not being personal, goes along with point #1
• Poor tracking

Just a start for you I am sure others have many more. Good Luck!

[ironman2000]

Hi Nic,

Chips has made all the relevent points that you should abide by and to be always contactable to all your webmasters/affiliates.................just like I am 42/7...................lol

You can always contact me for any advice or assistance that I may have for you and I have worked with Netrefer in the past and its a very good choice of affiliate program and support.

have a wondeful weekend

Keith

[Puma]

you have to add sam the casino man to your main page !

[Nicc]

HI guys,

Thanks for the feedback. One thing that does concern me about the new site that the jackpots look very low. Is this a case that is usual with NetEnt products?

[Shaun O'neill]

The last jackpot on net ent was like €4.2m so that pretty big it is progressive so it will get bigger every second.

It will never go below several million.

Shaun

HI guys,

Thanks for the feedback. One thing that does concern me about the new site that the jackpots look very low. Is this a case that is usual with NetEnt products?

[Nandakishore]

Hi Nicc,

Chips has put together the most important requirements of affiliates. I just want to highlight one negative point. Please don't bombard the affiliates daily with an email in the acquisition phase. That would guarantee a honourable blacklist place for you.

[Shaun O'neill]

Nandakishore

Let me get this right, if an affiliate program send you an email to inform you of what we are up to you will black list me????

Shaun

Hi Nicc,

Chips has put together the most important requirements of affiliates. I just want to highlight one negative point. Please don't bombard the affiliates daily with an email in the acquisition phase. That would guarantee a honourable blacklist place for you.

[universal4]

I think what Nandakishore means is do not constantly, every single day, keep sending prospective affiliates emails trying to recruit them into the program.

There are a few groups out there that never stop their recruiting efforts....(that in itself is ok) but some of those groups litterally bomBARD affiliates on a near daily basis in their efforts.

Rick
Universal4

[Doolally]

Good information regarding new games, special, etc, is good. Something we can quickly rehash and build a news page or blog out of - plenty of relevant information, not simply a sales letter.

[Nandakishore]

Nandakishore

Let me get this right, if an affiliate program send you an email to inform you of what we are up to you will black list me????

Shaun

I said: "Please don't bombard the affiliates daily with an email in the acquisition phase." This cannot be declared as an email to inform what's going on.

[Nandakishore]

Shaun, I want to make it clear for every affiliate manager. If I am not an affiliate of a group and I receive emails from this group without having asked for any information, I would consider it as spamming.

[Shaun O'neill]

Wow then that is suprise, so lets see say I sen t you an email that was full of very good information an dyo ulike the sounds of my programe would you work with me even though you consider the email to be spam?

Thanks

Shaun

Shaun, I want to make it clear for every affiliate manager. If I am not an affiliate of a group and I receive emails from this group without having asked for any information, I would consider it as spamming.

[offyourface]

For me its a fine line that affiliate managers need to walk when prospecting for new affiliates. On one hand I like working with aff managers that are hungry. It's no secret most work on commission so my feeling is the hungry managers are going to work real hard to make good things happen with the relationship.

But when they get too overbearing and hound me and don't respect or listen to what I am telling them, they shoot themselves in the foot permanently with ever having a chance to work with me.

[universal4]

Where did you get the email address?
Is it a one-off mailing?
Did you follow the CANSPAN Act?
Did you provide a physical address?

Did you send the mail from an email account I can reply to?

Did you provide a method of removal?
If you provide a method of removal, then it may not have been a oneoff mailing?

Let's go back and examine question #1.
Can you answer #1?

If you can't answer #1, then you must have rented, purchased the list or compiled the list in some way like maybe public record such as Whois info etc.

If you compiled the list (public record or not) and you added the email addresses to a list you then plan on mailing to, you added the email accounts to a list without the recipients permission.

If you compiled the list using information from Whois records, you are breaking the terms of service established by ICANN as whois info is NOT to be used for commercial solicitations.

It's no secret that spam has become a part of everyday internet life, but what most programs are not willing to face, the methods used to recruit affiliates must be as honorable as those used to recruit players.

In other words, if you have no problems renting a list to mail your offer to join casino affiliate program xyz, upon recruiting those affiliates they may in turn rent a list to spam for players for casino xyz.

We understand this is a catch 22 in some ways and that is why discussions such as these are healthy and help everyone understnd there is always more than one side to a story.

Rick
Universal4

[Shaun O'neill]

Hi Rick

Lets say I send you an email from my normal email account are we still classing that as spam?

What if i find contact you via your site email or PM you though the GPWA is that still spam?

Come on guys i think these resposnses are pretty harsh, i dont buy lists i have morals i dont spam people as i have morals and standards but yes i do email people if really feel we can work with each other and both can make money, my view is you affiliates are busy so if i can bring my program to your attention that surely that is good news and i dont mean sending you 10 emails a month or a week I mean 1 maybe 2 emails life time no more than that.

Shaun

Where did you get the email address?
Is it a one-off mailing?
Did you follow the CANSPAN Act?
Did you provide a physical address?

Did you send the mail from an email account I can reply to?

Did you provide a method of removal?
If you provide a method of removal, then it may not have been a oneoff mailing?

Let's go back and examine question #1.
Can you answer #1?

If you can't answer #1, then you must have rented, purchased the list or compiled the list in some way like maybe public record such as Whois info etc.

If you compiled the list (public record or not) and you added the email addresses to a list you then plan on mailing to, you added the email accounts to a list without the recipients permission.

If you compiled the list using information from Whois records, you are breaking the terms of service established by ICANN as whois info is NOT to be used for commercial solicitations.

It's no secret that spam has become a part of everyday internet life, but what most programs are not willing to face, the methods used to recruit affiliates must be as honorable as those used to recruit players.

In other words, if you have no problems renting a list to mail your offer to join casino affiliate program xyz, upon recruiting those affiliates they may in turn rent a list to spam for players for casino xyz.

We understand this is a catch 22 in some ways and that is why discussions such as these are healthy and help everyone understnd there is always more than one side to a story.

Rick
Universal4

[Nandakishore]

What if i find contact you via your site email or PM you though the GPWA is that still spam?

Hi Shaun,

Here is a quotation from the T&Cs of Nordicbetpartners:

"Banners and links may not be placed within unsolicited e-mail, unauthorized newsgroup postings, or chat rooms or through the use of "bots". Traffic generated illegally will not be counted towards any revenue generated."

Unsolicited e-mails remain unsolicited, with or without banners and links. I don't have any problem if you use my site email to contact me ONCE. If you try to contact me through that email again and again without any response from me, then it is spamming.

As for PMs through GPWA forum, it is different. I don't even mind if I get a reminder because I didn't response. But ONE reminder only. Otherwise it becomes a case of unsolicited messaging.

[Chips]

I don't mind a single contact from a program using my "Contact Us" forms, but when they continue to bang in multiple times, that is a pet peeve. I have had programs get a new manager and go right to my contact form without seeing if I already have the brand. This happens way too many times, that in my eyes is spam of a different flavor. AM's need to look before they just start banging away at contact forms.

[Nandakishore]

I have had programs get a new manager and go right to my contact form without seeing if I already have the brand. This happens way too many times, that in my eyes is spam of a different flavor. AM's need to look before they just start banging away at contact forms.

Very true. This happens to me every now and then.

[Shaun O'neill]

Nandakishore

Not sure what my spam T&Cs have to do with anything, i know what they say as i wrote them.

So why is a PM through the GPWA differant to email?

Shaun

Hi Shaun,

Here is a quotation from the T&Cs of Nordicbetpartners:

"Banners and links may not be placed within unsolicited e-mail, unauthorized newsgroup postings, or chat rooms or through the use of "bots". Traffic generated illegally will not be counted towards any revenue generated."

Unsolicited e-mails remain unsolicited, with or without banners and links. I don't have any problem if you use my site email to contact me ONCE. If you try to contact me through that email again and again without any response from me, then it is spamming.

As for PMs through GPWA forum, it is different. I don't even mind if I get a reminder because I didn't response. But ONE reminder only. Otherwise it becomes a case of unsolicited messaging.