Marcus RichardsSportsbooks need to stay competitive to attract new players, and even in the relatively restrictive New York market, the sports betting companies have to do things in a more unique way to stay relevant.
While the most obvious thing for a sportsbook to do is to offer new player bonuses, finding the right one can be a struggle, especially when they all seem to be the same – for example, for some people, the BetMGM bonus code might not be the most competitive offering on the market.
So, what can the sportsbooks do to get us to play?
Top Marketing Strategies for Sportsbooks
Content Marketing
Answering common questions, being the ‘go-to’ experts on everything from how to bet through to the best picks for leading events, the content that a sportsbook provides to customers is what will power them to the top of the natural results on Google.
SEO calibrated content is still important for every business, even when Pay Per Click ads are rife – so sportsbooks need to be able to tell a strong story, provide useful information, and follow a proper strategy to make the most of their Search Engine Optimization.
Social Media
Social media is not just for sharing photos and updates – businesses can get a lot out of having active social media accounts.
Sportsbooks have found great traction from sharing clips of games, sneak peeks at upcoming bonuses, and predictions for major competitions.
They can also share user-generated content, bringing the ‘community’ of followers closer to the brand and making more of an impact.
Social media is also a great place to find influencers who support different sports books – a popular TikTok creator @bookitwithtrent is famous for his wrong tips, but he is now affiliated with Prize Picks.
Affiliates
Affiliates work on many different levels when it comes to marketing, and for sportsbooks using well-known bloggers and vloggers to promote a site works.
Affiliates who are known in the sporting world can mention a sportsbook as their go-to option when it comes to placing wagers, and with an affiliate link in place they make money every time a new player sets up an account with the sportsbook. It’s a win-win for everyone, and the more trusted the affiliate is, the better the results will be.
Advertising Partnerships
Sportsbooks in New York and elsewhere are making the most out of celebrity endorsements. Videos and still imagery of movie stars and athletes supporting a brand has a profound effect on popularity. Some of the most recent and powerful partnerships include:
- Jamie Foxx for BetMGM
- Aaron Paul for Bet365
- JB Smoove and Halle Berry for Caesar’s Sportsbook
- Pat McAfee for FanDuel
- Shaquille O’Neal for WynnBet
Other Strategies to Get More Players
Bonuses
Everyone loves to get something for nothing, and bonuses are one of the best ways to encourage a new player to get involved with a sportsbook.
New player bonuses can range from free bets through to deposit matching, and the sportsbooks who offer the best deals tend to be the ones that get the most signups – but this has to be backed with a good product, of course (see more on this below).
Bonuses aren’t always for new players; established casino brands often have rewards programs in place for their physical locations, and online players can often earn points through their sports bets that can earn them freebies and added extras.
Referrals
We look for recommendations from people we trust when we are buying a new car or finding a tradesperson to fix something for us, so the same works when it comes to the right sportsbook.
Referral programs use this to encourage current players to invite their friends to join up, with discounts or free bets on offer for both the new player and the referrer.
Word of mouth and personal recommendations are powerful tools when the product (in this case the sportsbook) is worth recommending.
Quality of Product
This is perhaps the most important facet of the whole marketing campaign – because if the product quality is not up to scratch, all the marketing in the world is not going to make a difference to whether people sign up and stay.
The quality of the product when it comes to sportsbooks covers everything from the speed of the website through to the choice of sports to wager on, and it should be where the focus is.
A good sports book needs to consider the below:
- Range of sports on offer
- User experience on the website
- Customer service
- Is there a mobile app?
- Payment types
- Withdrawal speed and availability
- Prediction algorithms
- Live streaming and bet in play options.
When it comes to marketing a sportsbook – and competing in a strong and saturated market – having something well thought out and unique to offer players is the only way to get ahead.
