5 tips for a strong iGaming affiliate and operator partnership

What is key to a healthy, productive partnership? This is a question wrestled with by an increasing number of iGaming affiliates and operators who are now collaborating to drive growth and user acquisition.

We recently shared 5 top tips for operators launching a successful iGaming affiliate programme, and now, we dive into key considerations to ensure iGaming operators and affiliates can work together to achieve their goals.

Establish trust early

For operators and affiliates alike, trust is the foundation upon which a successful partnership is built. Operators should do their due diligence to discover affiliates with a strong reputation and track record in the market, and the same applies to affiliates, who should only look to work with trustworthy brands.

For example, affiliates can discover more about potential partners through affiliate forums, posts on LinkedIn, and word of mouth in the iGaming community.

For both parties, it’s worth seeking out previous work done with affiliates/operators. Chances are, if the brand or affiliate has enjoyed success with these relationships in the past, you’ll want to explore a partnership.

Develop strong communication through an affiliate manager

A strong affiliate-operator relationship requires clear, responsive, and efficient communication. Key to this is an affiliate manager, working on the side of the operator.

With this position in place, affiliates have a sounding board where they can ask questions, seek help or collateral, and receive timely responses to effectively promote the brand and deliver results.

In addition, iGaming affiliates should be able to rely on the manager to regularly share new deals and promotions, and ensure they have everything needed to increase conversions on the operator’s websites.

Share a win-win mindset

iGaming affiliates and operators should only work with partners who share the same priorities and values, while being open to compromise. An operator with the best interests of both parties in mind, for example, will likely achieve greater long-term success, performing better in commission deal negotiations, timely payments, site placement, and more.

Knowledge of the right markets

Affiliates must ensure they have the expertise required when hoping to collaborate with operators targeting different markets and verticals.

This means establishing which markets the partner targets, if they localise their site, what payment methods and languages are offered, game selection, promotions in the different areas, and more. Operators, meanwhile, must seek out partners with proven experience and knowledge in their chosen fields.

Finding an operator or affiliate with a similar level of targeted expertise can ensure any site delivers what players need to increase conversion rates and build a strong player relationship with the brand.

Ensure access to real-time stats and tracking

It’s essential for operators and affiliates to understand the performance of any campaign while it’s underway. It’s no surprise that S2S (server to server) tracking and real-time stats are increasingly popular, and so operators must now share these tools with their affiliates to gain the insight needed for future success.

Affiliates, meanwhile, should look to collaborate with brands working with software providers, who have these services embedded in their platform. This will make tracking performance far easier and more frequently, ensuring they – and the operator – are on the right track.

By considering above points, operators and affiliates can get their partnerships off on the right foot, able build towards growth together.

To learn more about how your iGaming business can grow its brand with affiliate marketing, head to Income Access.