In the hyper competitive online gaming industry, current customers are now king, so it’s time to change your approach
The online gaming industry is like no other. Never have I seen a more competitive and saturated market combined with a remarkable lack of customer loyalty. In response, all market leaders are engaged in a constant clamour for new customers, with relatively little regard and limited imagination to maximise the lifetime value of existing customers.
The result? Customers are dealt with in a batch-and-blast approach – through email, phone, text, messaging apps, social platforms and traditional mail from a multitude of different brands on a daily basis. So the real question is how can businesses take a lead, and in return, deliver greater and immediate returns for their brand?
We have seen a number of common mistakes in customer communication within the industry. Traditional approaches have included single channels, typically email, which is easily automated yet provides little in terms of personalisation. It comes as little surprise then that the industry average of conversion from such an approach stands between 0.5% and 2%.
Where to start?
A number of companies focus on new registrations but seem less concerned with moving these new customers to first-time depositors and retaining them long term. Put simply, what looks good in terms of new customer acquisition can actually mean little in terms of financial return.
Similarly, passive players can make up a significant proportion of the total player base, but in reality, they have become disinterested, disengaged and likely to be actually be depositing with your competitors.
So what’s the answer? At Betit Group, they clearly identified the opportunity for change and were able to define what their players wanted. Clients were given welcome calls and sent SMSs with customised messages. This approach enabled Betit to identify why these players had not been depositing – and offer them targeted incentives to start.
Balance human and machine
For online gaming companies such as Betit, the challenge is not grabbing attention but building loyalty. For this, a human yet automated approach is key – hyper-personalisation, with relevant, engaging and timely content using a channel of choice.
The online gaming industry is certainly noteworthy for the sheer volume of customer data that is available, yet we are currently missing a trick when it comes to using this data effectively. To achieve this artificial intelligence is now playing a key role, utilising this mass data that’s available to businesses, to deliver personal, timely and relevant messaging.
Advancements in artificial intelligence mean that new data can be constantly fed into algorithms to optimise communications over time. In our experience, this type of approach averages four times higher conversion compared to using traditional forms of communications such as email and post. At the same time, customers are benefitting also from more tailored offers. At Wiraya we have found this to be an extremely compelling proposition as we look to dramatically increase conversion rates for many leading i-gaming companies.
Use your voice
Voice should be a critical part of the communication strategy combining automation with voice and tailored texts mean the approach remains human and emotionally engaging but is powered by technology to work effectively at scale.
Pre-recorded voice calls offer a great way to deliver hyper-personalized messages that can adapt to individual interactions. We use professional speakers recorded in a studio to ensure the highest quality/ Often this provides a good opportunity for brand ambassadors to further enforce brand identity.
All voice messages are combined with the smart flow of messages, adapted to each individual’s behaviour in real-time. For example, if a player hangs up early into the call, the adapts to provide them with a longer message to ensure they don’t miss out on the information.
Timing is everything
Today’s technology is designed to work alongside the customer relationship management and campaign management tools already in place at most online gaming companies. By adding a sophisticated layer of triggered communication, these tools make the conversation as human as possible.
The Wiraya Cloud adds a push functionality where the results are fed back into the back-end or campaign engine, enabling clear visibility on the return on investment. The time is now to take advantage of new technologies and take increased market share.
It’s time for a sea change approach to recognizing the importance of existing customers to your business. Focus on the value of customers, utilise new technologies that are now readily available and watch as you take a big stride forward ahead of our competitors.
