The Affiverse Amplify Summit gave us the chance to discuss topics across a wide variety of areas. One of the most interesting that iGaming affiliates can look into is sports betting, so it was no surprise that this would form the basis of discussions for the third panel of Day 2!
The Spotlight on Sports Betting – Growth Opportunities & Leveraging a Competitive Edge panel was, of course, moderated by Affiverse’s Founder and CEO Lee-Ann Johnstone. It was also sponsored by Partners.io.
Offering their insights into this key area of iGaming were:
- Jules Bazley – VP EMEA at Catena Media
- Grant Johnson – CEO of the Esports Entertainment Group
- Daniel Kustelski – CEO and Co-founder of Chalkline Sports
- Mikael Jamsanen – Head of Growth at Sportsbet.io
Across an hour they discussed a very important question – has sports betting had its day or will it continue to grow in 2022?
The challenges of sports betting
One of the key areas touched upon in discussions was the challenge that arises with sports betting. There is a lot of difficulty surrounding different procedures and regulations during periods of growth across various jurisdictions. For example, expanding in the US is going to be very different compared to expanding in Europe, and each will have its own challenges.
Esports is one area that is very new to gambling. There needs to be a drive for affiliate partnerships in this area to best leverage the opportunities there.
There has also been an increase in users during the pandemic. Companies need to understand these new bodies and their preferences so that they can offer the best experience possible. This is a highly competitive environment so companies need to ensure that they can quickly adapt to it or they run the risk of missing out.
On top of all of this, there is a need to educate customers on the major developments within the sector, such as crypto payments.
What should affiliate managers and digital marketers be doing?
There are several things that affiliate managers and digital marketers should be doing to accommodate the new generation of bettors that are coming into the world of sports betting. They need to delve into this younger market to ensure that they fully understand them as they now make up the majority of bettors. Most are under the age of 35 and are predominantly male, but the fastest-growing segment by far is female.
Within this, esports is also becoming far more popular to bet on than traditional sports. This is one area that affiliates need to get to grips with.
Education is vital as your internal team must understand what they are doing, so they can best advise customers. In turn, customers will then be able to make the best decisions for themselves.
The focus should be placed on how to ensure that the customer completes a full purchase journey. From downloading the app in the first place to placing a wager, support and understanding on behalf of the brand must be there.
The future of sports betting and how to grow
So, how can a sports betting brand expect to grow in the future? There are several steps to take advantage of in order to do so.
The first is data. Manage your data properly with research and competitor analysis. Get to know your main customer groups so that you can create effective content that educates and engages.
Secondly, you need to segment your data. Divide your customer groups into segments and then tailor that content to your preferences to get even more engagement.
Thirdly, partner and collaborate. You need to choose the right affiliate partners for your brand and then educate your affiliates so that they deliver materials of best benefit to you. You should also consider making use of micro-influencers where you can. They are more niche, and can be better for market awareness and engagement compared to others.
Fourthly, you need to create “wow” moments. Typical “vanilla” marketing won’t work in this sector. Your content has to be relevant and able to stand out from the crowd. You need to make sure that you have the right audience and channels to do this.
Finally, you need to make sure that your infrastructure is strong. Invest in your technology as this will help you to maximise your user experience. It is the foundation of all sports betting, and will need to be upgraded and improved over the years. Once the product is at its best, everything else can come into place and you can work towards offering the best offers.
Sports betting – an area worth consideration
Sports betting is still a fantastic area for iGaming affiliates to consider. Those wishing to head into this area need to focus on education, but within that there is plenty of scope to specialise and grow a brand.
This is one area that many should consider, and will be something that we no doubt look to return to in some way in the Affiverse Elevate Summit in June! Get signed up now to learn about how you can best elevate your affiliate marketing in 2022!
In the meantime, check out the full video of the Spotlight on Sports Betting – Growth Opportunities & Leveraging a Competitive Edge!
