Although online gaming and the casino niche in particular is not highly seasonal (like Black Friday offers, Christmas gifts and so on), some fluctuations can be noticed. And if you don’t act on them in any way, you can be leaving a lot of money on the table.
What we advise you to do in order to prevent this is to create your yearly plan of operation as opposed to doing the same set of things all year long. Here’s where to start:
1. Find the Down Times
Depending on your specific niche, audience, and the areas in which you’re doing business, the down times can differ a lot. For example, casino traffic can get slow during the summer as people have a lot of other cool things to do; but the summer months are different across the globe.
It’s not only about the summer but also other factors that might come into play. If you’ve been running your business for at least a year then you can surely arrive at some interesting conclusions with just a bit of research.
2. Plan for Massive Promotions During the Peak Months
The hot months is when you should capitalize on everything you’ve got in your marketing toolbox. These months are your profit months so focus on getting the most out of them, with very little focus on other aspects of your business.
3. Target Different Markets During the Down Time
If you have the possibility, i.e. if you have some portals in other geographical areas and markets across the globe then the down time in one area can very well be a peak time somewhere else (for example, summer in the U.S. is opportunity time in Australia). Focus on those other opportunities to continue building up your business even when your main market is slow.
4. Focus on Getting Your Deals Lined Up
The slower months are great for finding new online casino offers, negotiating with affiliate managers, finding new channels to promote your stuff through, and basically doing any other things that can be considered as research and preparation.
5. Work on Your SEO
You might find it difficult to work on your SEO during the peak months, so postpone your SEO campaigns for the slower part of the year. In the end, SEO is not immediate, so you will have to wait a while for any effects to appear anyway.
6. Expand Through Social Media
Finding a new audience is always good for business, no matter what niche you’re in. Fortunately, this is something that social media can help you with. The secret is to not run a strictly online-gaming-focused promotion, but to provide something unique and different for people to enjoy.
The idea is not to get people to convert right away, but to get them interested in your site for whatever reason, so when the right time of the year comes, they are right where you want them to be.