Marketing Trends in Gaming

A quick google search of marketing trends for 2023 will generate a lot of articles talking about Influencers, Short-form video marketing, pivot planning, content marketing, social media marketing, Artificial Intelligence, SEO marketing, and Virtual Reality to name a few. With all these buzzwords, what truly applies to casino marketers? How does it apply, and how do casino marketers leverage the latest marketing trends to drive revenue to the bottom line? This article will answer these questions.

When it comes to influencers, there is a wide range of influencers with a wide range of followers. The more followers an influencer has, the more it costs per post, so there are opportunities for any marketing budget. According to shopify.com the average price for influencers in 2023 is $100 per 10,000 followers per post. If you are considering testing the waters and using influencers to drive traffic to your casino, here is some good news: there are influencers out there specifically for casino slot and table games play. They can range from hundreds of followers to several hundred thousand followers. Trying something new and changing the way things have been done can be intimidating and even scary but more and more casino properties are seeing success with influencer marketing, and it’s not just the big properties.

Here are some takeaways if your casino marketing department is considering hiring an influencer.

1. Set your budget – with a wide range of influencers from nano influencers (less than 10,000 followers) to mega influencers (over 1 million followers), there is someone out there to meet your budget.
2. The number of followers is just one factor to consider. Ensure the influencer aligns with your brand. Watch their videos, study their content, and ask them for a post-analysis of the videos. Influencers with fewer followers may have more engagement.
3. Review your promotions calendar and find an opportunity for an influencer that aligns with the event. Whether it’s the launch of a new bank of slots, an upcoming concert, or a grand prize drawing, selecting the right fit for the event is important.
4. Be prepared to track and measure incremental play and new players club signups.

If you’re interested in learning more or exploring the option of building an influencer campaign Catalyst can provide the help you need.

Short-form videos continue to grow, and according to a 2022 HubSpot marketing report, short-form videos were the most popular and effective social media content format for 2022 and are expected to grow in 2023. If you are not doing short-form videos, it is time to start, and if you are currently doing them, you are likely to increase your use of them in 2023. Ensure you are incorporating best practices for this marketing tactic.

Here are some examples of the power of short-form video content. According to Influencer Marketing Hub:

1. TikTok has been the fastest-growing social media platform thus far, generating 1 billion users in just six years
2. 73% of consumers prefer to watch a short-form video to learn about a product or service
3. Short-form video has the highest ROI as well as being the best format for lead generation and engagement
4. Nearly a third (30%)of all short-form videos are watched 81% of the way through
5. 47% of marketers agree that short-form videos are more likely to go viral
6. Users spend an average of 45 minutes at a time watching TikTok videos

Here are a couple of takeaways for short-form video creation and content.

1. Authentic content – there is no need for detailed scripts, paid actors, or heavy editing. Just be original, keep it real and have fun with your employees and guests.
2. Keep videos less than 60 sec in length – Short videos increase the likelihood that viewers will complete the video.
3. Post regularly to all your social media platforms – Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter to name a few.
4. Incorporate a variety of videos including informational, humorous, testimonials, influencers, and live feeds.

In the last 3-4 years, on a global scale, we have seen that being flexible and adapting to change can be the difference between staying in business or going out of business. We have all experienced change at a pace never before seen in our lifetimes. From the pandemic to politics and economic turmoil as a result of these two factors, every business has felt its impact. The importance of a business’s ability to adapt and adapt quickly cannot be overstated.

Does your marketing plan have a pivot plan in place for 2023? It is important to have good data for each segment of your database. If cuts need to be made, good data will provide the information needed to make decisions that will have a minimal impact on revenue. If there is room to increase reinvestment in segments of the database, you will be able to identify the greatest opportunities. Is there an opportunity to move advertising dollars from one media to another? For example, it may be time to consider shifting some traditional media spend to digital where ads are more targeted and you get more (in terms of targeted reach) for your money. Incorporate flex budgeting into your plan. If you don’t need it, the right decision may be to hold off on some of the larger expenses. The real test of a marketer’s skills is how well they can adapt to change. Are you prepared?

To have great marketing campaigns, you do not need to be great at every current marketing trend. Pick a few of the latest trends that can be incorporated into your marketing plan and do them well. Catalyst is here to help your marketing initiatives stay current in 2023.