Why Event-Driven Marketing is the Future of iGaming Engagement

Event-driven Marketing (EDM) has the power to grow your player base and do wonders when it comes to building brand awareness. Knowing how to market your iGaming products properly is the key for pushing through to the front of the wolf pack. Traditional marketing is becoming obsolete but it’s never too late to change course and avoid extinction. In this article you’ll learn the most important aspects of EDM and why it is the future of iGaming prosperity.

What is event-driven marketing in iGaming?

EDM is a technique that extracts precious behavioral information in a player's life to come up with irresistible personalized offers. The primary goal here is to offer the right game or promotion to the right player at a point when they most need it. This could include player-tailored free mini games, bonuses, special jackpots, hyper-personalized gamification, and more. 

What are the key benefits of EDM in iGaming?

Event-driven marketing in iGaming offers amazing benefits that can elevate player engagement and business performance alike:

• Next-level Engagement: By tailoring your marketing strategy with a focus on events, such as football matches or festivities of all kinds, operators can benefit greatly from the maximized attention and interest of players whom these events matter most. 
• Timely Offers: Event-driven marketing allows for the creation of timely promotions and bonuses that resonate with ongoing events, increasing the likelihood that players will participate and make use of these offers. Increasing the likely offers to the benefits
• Personalized Experiences: Operators can tailor marketing messages based on specific events that players are interested in, leading to a more personalized player experience. This personalization can improve loyalty and satisfaction.
• Enhanced Brand Awareness: Associating with popular events can boost brand visibility and awareness as players actively seek related offers and promotions.
• Improved Retention: By continuously engaging players with offers tied to a calendar of events, iGaming operators can maintain ongoing interaction, reducing churn and increasing retention rates.
• Competitive Advantage: Leveraging events effectively can give you a competitive edge, attracting players who might otherwise be inclined to engage with your competitors.
• Cross-Promotion Opportunities: Events provide a platform for cross-promoting different game types or platforms, encouraging players to explore more of what you offer.

How is event-driven marketing used to boost iGaming engagement? 8 hot examples!

Now, let’s take a look at some of the most effective event-driven marketing techniques used by leaders in the industry:

1. Welcome Bonuses: This one is pretty straightforward. A player signs up to an online casino and is offered a welcome bonus, which can offer free spins or match bonus in case of the first deposit.
2. Bonuses for Personal Information: A casino may reward you with bonuses for sharing and confirming personal details. These can include info on your personal social media pages.
3. Loyalty Trigger: Some casinos send out bonuses to players who've been regulars for a while but didn’t play lately. The loyalty trigger nudges them to keep staying loyal or revisit the casino they’ve been a member of for so long. This is common practice.
4. Cancelled Transactions: If a player struggles with making a transaction for whatever reason, he or she may receive a notification prompting him to seek assistance.
5. Congratulations, you’re a big winner!: If a player’s lucky enough to scoop a chunky win, a casino may send a congratulatory message to boost their dopamine levels and confidence even more. A simple “Well done, champ!” can go a long way when it comes to nudging your players to keep at it. 
6. Mystery Rewards: Some iGaming solutions, such as Smartico.ai, offer mystery boxes to players if they, for example, lost a certain percentage of their balance (these can be a deposit bonus, cashback or free spins). If a player lost the game, they may decide to quit playing, while targeted bonuses can help them think it over. 

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7. Notifications About Jackpots: If a progressive jackpot is becoming jumbo-sized, a casino may send out a notification to let players know about the opportunity to win this big boy prize. 
8. Hot Trends: Many casinos tie new game releases with their promotions. For instance, if a new slot is released, they may offer a bonus that can be used only on this slot. Popular slots and games also can be a topic for promotions. 

Some Challenges for Event-Driven Marketing in iGaming

Like all else, event-driven marketing doesn’t come turbulence-free. Here are some of the most common challenges you could face when implementing it:

Regulatory Compliance 

As you know, regulatory bodies are monitoring the iGaming sector with a magnifying glass, and in order to be greenlit, event-driven marketing must comply with various laws and regulations. Ensuring that your tailored promotions and triggers are in line with the rules can be a pain in the neck. Yet, it is so worth it!

Timeliness and Relevance

To be a success, your event-driven marketing strategy should put some extra focus on quick decision-making and adaptability. Operators need to be agile enough to launch campaigns that are timely and relevant, which can be a big bummer when time is of the essence.  

Data Management

EDM thrives on accurate and understandable data about what a player does and doesn’t like. Sifting through big chunks of data to generate precious insights isn’t for the faint of heart.

Market Noise

With iGaming businesses trying to out-shout each other for attention during major events, setting your megaphone up to 11 can be a major challenge. Operators have to create thirst-inducing value propositions to capture people's interest. 

Integration Across Channels

Coordinating event-driven campaigns across multiple channels (social media, email, in-app notifications) is an art in itself. Crafting engaging messages and UX is key, no matter the industry.

Player Engagement Fatigue

Constant bombardment with event-driven promotions can cause engagement fatigue. To stand out, operators need to balance creativity and frequency to keep players interested without overwhelming them.

Resource Allocation

Coming up with powerful event-driven marketing campaigns can require significant resources, including skilled personnel and financial investment. Ensuring that the return on investment justifies the expenditure is crucial.

Technological Dependence

Reliance on tech for real-time data and campaign execution means that any technical issues or downtime can negatively impact marketing efforts. This ugly dark cloud has always been lingering above any type of digitally-reliant business, sadly. 

The Future of Event-Driven Marketing in iGaming

So far, event-driven marketing has had a fruitful track record within the iGaming industry, as it supports ongoing engagement and reduces player churn by providing irresistible content and offers. As the digital landscape becomes increasingly fast-paced and interactive, event-driven marketing offers a masterful approach to capture player engagement and drive sustained growth in the iGaming sector. So, what are you still waiting for, the future is already in motion!?

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