Overview – What is social?
Social games can be broken down into a few segments, including casual games (e.g. Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Simpsons Tapped Out, etc.) and social casinos (e.g. Zynga Poker, Double Down Casino, Big Fish Casino, SlotoLotto, etc.). These games can be accessed on mobile devices, tablets, on web-based social platforms like Facebook, or through a user’s browser.Eilers Research estimate that the global social casino games market is set to exceed $2.7 billion USD this year. This data shows the industry is still in a significant stage of growth, thanks in large part to the fact that social games constitute a true global market. These games are open to all geographic segments and demographics. Studies have shown that the majority of social gamers are female, in the 30-59 age range, which is similar to bingo and slots players in the iGaming space.
The games are almost always free to download, and players are then monetised in-game through real money purchases. This will allow players to advance through the game by gaining more coins, lives, spins, etc.
While these brands rely on ad networks to be the primary source of their user acquisition, they are always on the lookout for new, quality traffic sources. This is where we believe affiliates can fill a hole and create a new channel for acquisition efforts.
Opportunities / USP’s
Social gaming is an ideal way to both grow and monetise your traffic on-site – especially that originating from the US. US players have limited legal options to play poker/casino/bingo games outside of those living in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. Their only other choices are playing in rogue casinos, which are illegal, not regulated in any way and can be shut down without notice, or playing social casino games that are available to them legally.Social games allow participation by players from all geographic locations (e.g. US, UK, EU, etc.) and affiliates do not require affiliate licensing of any kind to promote them. Flexible commission structures are available to players, including the following:
- CPL: entering an email, accepting a Facebook app, etc.
- CPA: based on a player deposit
- Revenue share: 25-100%
- Hybrid of CPL + revenue share or CPL + CPA
There is lower keyword competition on social gaming terms compared to the traditional iGaming industry. Less competition means greater opportunity to rank well organically, as well as lower acquisition costs through paid means.
Affiliates are able to target both players that like iGaming products (e.g. blackjack, slots, poker, bingo, etc.) as well as those who like playing casual games.
With a simple registration/install process, such as providing an email address or accepting an app, affiliates can expect higher click-to-registration rates than they’re used to seeing.
How to get involved
There have been a number of affiliate programs introduced over the past year for social gaming products. While some are available via retail networks, Income Access has released a number that utilise their award-winning iGaming tracking technology.More information can be found on our Social Gaming Network page, which includes a direct link to the Income Access Network’s login screen. All of our partnering social gaming programs are available through the Income Access Network, allowing affiliates to track campaign performance across all programs in one convenient location.
For any additional information, contact social@incomeaccess.com or harry@incomeaccess.com