At Gaming Analytics, we put a lot of emphasis on the player lifecycle, which flows from acquisition to retention. Before anyone becomes a player, they are just a prospect. Understanding the buyer journey is a crucial part of marketing for any vertical and will guide you through your acquisition strategy. Your business is unique and so are your players. That means it will take some A/B testing of your own to really learn what makes your players tick. However, there are a few things we notice that many casino players have in common when it comes to deciding where to align their loyalty. A different marketing approach is required to optimize each stage of the buyer journey, so failing to take this into account may be costing you revenue and customer retention. Read on for our observations about the buyer journey for the casino industry.
The Awareness Stage
The first time a prospect becomes aware of a need, marketers say they enter the awareness stage. The prospect becomes aware that there is a problem. For example, they have no plans this weekend. They don’t necessarily know that you have a solution for them. They aren’t ready for a hard sell.
The first touch points occur before the prospective visitor is even on your radar. The prospect forms an impression of casino gambling from cultural cues. Friends and family share their experiences, and the prospect consumes entertainment media and advertisements. The prospective visitor has likely formed an image of the Las Vegas strip, which may be colored by opulence, irresponsibility, or a number of other things. A family friend “lost it all.” An older sister attended a bachelorette party. A friend attended a once-in-a-lifetime performance. The prospect sees a billboard for a local casino and these impressions are called to mind.
The Consideration Stage
The prospect figures out that their problem is they don’t know where to go for local entertainment. They start tuning into relevant advertisements.
Your marketing should call to mind the best parts of those first impressions. Which stories do you want your customer to remember? A billboard can call to mind the unforgettable performances that casinos like you offer. A social media ad targeted to young women can show a group of close friends toasting a bride-to-be. Think about how your business offers a unique experience to your prospect. Are you closer in proximity than other options? Do you have a great entertainer on the schedule? An emotionally-charged image paired with an enticing differentiator will get their attention. Your goal is to create as much exposure to your business as possible to form an emotional connection. Your prospect hears your ad every time they turn on their favorite radio station, and they form the impression that your venue hosts the best concerts in the area.
The Decision Stage
Depending on the problem the prospect is solving, the decision to patronize your business may take a variety of forms. The decision could be between you and another casino nearby. It could be between you and other popular entertainment venues with events on the upcoming weekend. It could be between hosting a special event at a local casino versus flying a party out to Las Vegas. Anticipate the decisions that various segments are making at this stage and offer more information to inform those decisions. Joe, the radio listener, doesn’t care about proximity, so don’t spend precious seconds on the air talking about convenience and value for money. Joe wants to know that a band featured on his favorite station will be performing.
It will take time to figure out what your target segments really care about, so tracking your efforts is key. You may make one ad that promotes a local comedian and another that highlights a nationally-known musician and see which ad brings in more players. Just make sure that when you engage in A/B testing, you minimize the variables at play so you get trustworthy results. Send us feedback if you want us to write a blog about A/B testing.
Consider these stages when you are segmenting prospective visitors for your marketing strategy. With our casino gaming analytics product, Gaming Analytics makes it easy to tailor your marketing approach to the unique segments of your player base and analyze the results. If you would like to learn more about the buyer journey for casino gambling, give us a call at (702) 355-5377 or email customersuccess@gaminganalytics.ai.
