It is no secret that many companies have taken advantage of digital marketing over the last few years. Now, the gaming industry is being urged to follow suit. While casinos and major brands have already used digital platforms for many of their online games and apps, some have not yet seen the light when it comes to taking full advantage of digital as a marketing tool.
Experts all seem to agree that those entities that are involved in gaming should consider embracing all that is currently available in digital marketing. This would include a variety of onsite enhancements as well as using social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
According to Angel Suarez who is VP for the Red Circle Agency which is a casino marketing company located in Minneapolis: “As marketers, you need to realize that digital is the future of advertising.” These comments came during the recent Casino Marketing Conference.
Suarez gave the presentation to around 125 casino executives, as well as marketers, and remarked that digital marketing is not only cost-effective but it is also measurable. Just as important, we said, digital marketing can be employed by anyone. Every casino should have at a minimum a functional website that has been optimized with the appropriate content and should also have some form of social media marketing in place.
According to Suarez, a casino’s website is its most valuable digital platform. Websites can be optimized for better performance on the search engines, thus making it easier for people to find the site. Sites should be optimized for all search engines including Yahoo, Google, and Bing. “You also need to make sure your website is relevant to whatever a customer is searching for. It’s also important for you to be ranked across all three search engines.”
In terms of social media marketing, this should be designed and operated so that customers can interact with casinos in a casual manner. Companies should try to avoid being too one-way when it comes to social media communications. “The problem is,” he said, “casinos are not engaging in a conversation but are instead just telling people what is going on.” He cautioned against trying to use the hard sell on social media stating that those who visit the site are already sold. Companies now need to entice visitors with good quality content and information and encourage feedback.
Along with the above, companies should also look into using other types of digital marketing which can include email and text, custom content, paid media, and what is known now as owned media. Owned media is basically media that companies have produced and, therefore, own. Examples would be videos posted on YouTube, streaming content, and other forms of unique content. Owned media is a good way to get the work out at very now cost.
This was a two-day conference that took a look at the many aspects of casino marketing that companies are facing today. It included panel discussions as well as went into discussions as to where future casino patrons will come from. It also looked at ways of communication with these future patrons through incentive programs.