Thanks for the thoughts on the subject….
JackTen, looks like you regard rakeback and gifts as being the same?
Dominique – well put. Advertised incentives might take the personalization out of them – the free iPod that comes as a surprise has a lot more impact than one that was promised up front. Yet it has power as an incentive too… players want to know exactly what they’re getting and respond well to specifics.. but the ‘comp’ system in place in vegas for years works too… by now everyone knows that players are comped for loyalty, and so some of them treat it as a ‘goal’ to work towards or something they expect; most don’t…. all are gratified nonetheless when the comp is awarded. It feels good to be acknowledged, and people love freebies.
peralis, do you incentivize your offers?
As for phasing out rakeback completely, that’s tough.. there is a group of players who are keyed into it…. i agree they’re not the same people who bonus scavenge. I want to retain players at one site.. encourage them to choose carefully but also to make it seem like a good idea to stick around.
Do you really think it will take all the ‘fun’ out of a gift if it was laid out at the start that gifts are inevitable? LOL, like a sugar daddy, vs. just a thoughtful gift giver. Hadn’t thought about it like that.
A gift worth 200-400 dollars (which I might be able to get wholesale) seems a good approach to me. Players frequently generate a lot more than that in a few weeks, and I think it’s all about how you frame it. I’m willing to take the time to chat with each player, make them feel appreciated… I do appreciate them, if they weren’t playing, none of us would have a job!
Finally, HOW do you make money without any incentives? I’m not new to promotion but I’m new to poker promotion… it seems like I see a thousand affiliate codes a day, and they’re all offering identical things. Gets tiresome, especially in forums and tighter-knit poker playing circles (where the big players tend to be)…most of the people I advertise to are informed, are keenly aware of competing offers, even playing one affiliate off another at times. Where do you get the players who just sign up without bargain hunting first?
PS