Incentivizing a business for new customers isn’t something that suddenly started when everything went digital. However, there’s no denying that from a marketing and advertising perspective, it has completely changed how businesses appeal directly to their current and prospective clientele. As the world of online gaming reaches new heights and expands into previously unexplored areas, marketing companies and digital advertising executives work tirelessly to attract as many people as possible. Marketing strategies need to be as inventive as the games they are selling, and it is an industry that cultivates ingenuity on a number of levels.
What is an online gaming bonus?
Online gaming bonuses are the most effective way for entertainment businesses to reach new customers. Due to the magnitude of the digital economy, there are plenty of bonuses that gaming companies have put together. Some have pieced them together entirely by their own design and have experienced success, while others have been relegated to the history books. It is often a trial-and-error process to determine the effectiveness of new marketing strategies involving online gaming bonuses. However, this is an industry that is adept at harnessing and channeling its customers’ attitudes and behavior.
Casino bonuses
The stakes are a lot higher for casino companies. Although the market is saturated, that is due to the sheer volume of profit available for businesses that can navigate the sector effectively. It all starts with bonuses and increasing the number of active gamers who access the site. Online casinos innovate in several ways, whether through bonuses, bringing new games to their site or adopting alternative ways to gamble, such as sweepstakes casinos, where you use gold coins instead of your own money.
Regardless of the payment methods used, whether they’re traditional casinos or sweepstakes, no-deposit bonuses are one example of a practical, consistent approach to attracting new customers. The art of offering bonuses in the casino industry is finding a niche that provides value to customers and allows the provider to stand out among their competitors. Using tried and tested methods can only go so far; it is about creating an angle that benefits the customer. If a provider can unlock this, they have a potential golden ticket to making a name for themselves within the industry.
Pre-order bonuses
Moving away from the casino industry and looking at games in general, such as those for PC and console, pre-order bonuses are often used by platforms when a landmark game is on the horizon. The concept of pre-ordering games goes back decades; it would benefit the merchant by indicating how many copies to buy via wholesale and gauges the size of potential future orders.
In addition, it helps the game designer view tangible evidence about how great the demand is for their products and in what areas of the world they’re selling the most units of their game. Almost every retailer that sells games offers pre-orders of some kind, so it has been up to the advertising and marketing departments within these businesses to find ways to encourage customers to pre-order their games via their platform rather than through one of their rivals.
Pre-order bonuses can take many different forms. Some online stores offer a specific percentage off the game if you buy it through their site. Others might give you in-store vouchers, which you can use to purchase another game. Some may offer in-game add-ons. For instance, if you’re looking to buy a racing game, the retailer might provide a special code for in-game content for that game — there are literally dozens of variations.
Birthday and anniversary bonuses
Perhaps the most obvious example of a bonus is for those people who are celebrating their birthday. Aside from Christmas, many of us will receive presents on our birthday, or we will go out for a meal with a close friend or loved one. Businesses have long used this to bring people through their doors, the most common example being a free meal or cake at a restaurant, which is still a bonus widely used by many restaurants.
By providing a free service for people celebrating their special day, retailers can essentially advertise what they have to offer. If the service is of good quality, it will act as an investment in the long run when the customer returns to pay full price for the same product and service they received on their birthday or their anniversary for free.
Many gamers will ask for games as a birthday gift, so the marriage of these bonuses within the gaming industry is a natural progression. As the internet has transformed the global gaming industry, retailers now compete against wholesale competition online and multi-national conglomerates. This rise in supply led to these bonuses becoming more creative to appeal to a broader network of gamers.
Seasonal offers
As we discussed in the previous section, the importance of specific windows within the calendar year can result in a hive of activity. For gaming retailers, the Christmas period is often the busiest period. Usually, when the competition within the sector heats up, customer bonuses will also go through a reinvention or a revamp. Other seasonal offers exist, but the importance of Christmas throughout Western society and for retailers can be the make-or-break part of the year.
Many believe that the new Grand Theft Auto game will be released around Christmas time in a bid to maximize sales. Many gamers believe that the time it is released is irrelevant, given the colossal reputation of Rockstar and their legendary franchise. However, other gamers think that due to the poor reception of the Definitive Edition, which came out in 2021 and was widely panned, Rockstar might strike a deal with some of the world’s biggest retailers to introduce a seasonal or pre-order bonus.
Pros and cons to consider
From a customer perspective, there isn’t anything that is that negative regarding bonuses. Ultimately, they’re a tool that specifically aims to bring in as many new people as possible. This means the emphasis revolves around you as the customer, so any bonuses that don’t fully accommodate you will drive you to their competition.
As a result, it’s against the company’s interest to engrain any negatives into the bonus. However, it is always crucial to check the terms and conditions, as there may be something you agree to that doesn’t quite appeal to you. Since there is no shortage of alternatives in the gaming industry, you’ll be able to find a provider that most likely tailors their bonus to your exact preferences.
Conclusion
Although the gaming industry includes multiple sectors, the marketing strategies remain the same. Regardless of the type of game you play, bonuses will cater to you in a bid to get you through their doors and using their site or services. As the landscape continually changes, with new games emerging and dominating their respective genres, bonuses will usually begin to change and morph following this strategy.
If you’re a beginner and you’re looking into online bonuses, shopping around is the best idea. With so many companies competing for your services and your valuable patronage, by scouring the internet for the best options, you’ll be able to adjust your move accordingly and find the best value for your money.
