It’s not too late for revenue-generating tactics in your advertising and marketing
First of all, Happy New Year! By the time this is published, you will have made it through the holidays, and your first quarter is officially underway. Your promotions and budget are set, and you are ready to start a brand new year! January sets the tone for your first quarter, so here’s hoping that you start off with a bang!
But in the event that your year starts slow, and you need to jump in with some quick, revenue-generating tactics to ensure your month ends on a high note, we are here to help. We’ve got five ways to quickly and easily move the needle, retrieve some revenue, and get you back on track, fast. Even if you aren’t behind and things are going great, these suggestions are a great way to propel your property even farther ahead of your goals and competition!
1. Eblasts
You may or may not be taking advantage of this quick and affordable means of communication. If you aren’t, do it now. Send out an eblast about your big promotion, pump up that weekly slot tournament and offer 50 bonus entries if the player comes in on a designated day. This doesn’t cost you a thing, but it drives players through the door and strengthens engagement in the big promotion. Use this tactic to push players to a midweek day, or even Saturday if you want to “peak the peak” on your weekend and have a really high redemption on this offer. The key is not to have too much content in the eblast; two to three items is recommended. Remember, eblasts are far more effective at driving traffic by using an offer, and not just straight advertising.
Some of you may be thinking … hey, I’m already using email. However, maybe you are ready to supercharge your email program. By incorporating variable data into your emails, you can personalize what you are sending to your players. Speak one-to-one with your players. Call them by name, include only those offers they will like (e.g., tell the slot player about the slot tournament and not about the blackjack tournament), and include imagery that represents what they love to do at your property (e.g., show images of your spa and seafood buffet because your player is a frequent visitor to both of these). It all comes down to using your data. You’ve been collecting all this information, now put it to work and personalize your eblasts. Odds are that you will see offer redemption increase.
Sending out an eblast every week to your ENTIRE database will not only keep players in the loop about what is happening at your property, but it will keep your casino top-of-mind when they are thinking about where to go and what to do. What an easy way to reach out to your guests, and the best part is, it doesn’t cost a thing!
2. Bonus Postcard
Your players may have holiday fatigue and budget issues after buying gifts for everyone and their mother … literally. Why not give them a little present of their own? Mail out a postcard to qualified guests for a free gift or free play offer, and give them incentive to visit on a designated day. Measure results carefully, try new offers, and hone your “quick drop” postcard plans for maximum ROI. The key here is to design a branded (standard-size) postcard “shell,” and print enough to keep an inventory at your mail house. The mail side of the postcard is blank, which allows you to have the mail house print a personalized message that includes variable offers for free play, gifts, a garage sale, point multipliers, promo entry multipliers, two-for-ones, or whatever tactic you’d like to use to drive traffic quickly. Then your reaction or “pro-action” time is as quick as pulling a list and getting it approved by your regulatory body. Then boom – mail Monday, people through the doors on Thursday. This strategy is especially helpful if your email database is significantly smaller than your mail database.
3. Social Media Push
A quick and easy way to reach your target audience is through your property’s social media. Social posts about specials, events, packages and promotions on your page will give your followers a reason to visit. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that all of your fans will see your posts organically, because Facebook’s current algorithm only allows 4% of your followers to see a post on your page. The way to instantly increase the reach of your social message is to give your post a little boost. For as little as $50-$100, you can spread your message farther out into the Facebook world. It is absolutely worth every penny, because you can send your posts out to specific audiences, even target your competitor’s Facebook fans, and you can target by age, location and interests. Facebook is a useful and affordable marketing tool when you want to reach people NOW.
4. Bonus Points Mailer
With that “quick drop” postcard shell you now have ready and waiting to spring into action, you can offer bonus points or point multipliers to your qualified guests on specified days! Make it fun, make it frenzied, create a sense of urgency with your offer tactics. Real players understand the value of points and use them for free play, dining, hotel, merchandise, etc. A quick, easy, affordable way to drive traffic! Combine a point multiplier promotion with a “point challenge” contest. Use that data and target your higher end players who can cycle a lot of coin in and are competitive enough to spike your revenue. Offer a prize for the most points earned in a day or a weekend; you can even do a prize per card level to make winning accessible to everyone.
5. Partner with Local Businesses
The winter months can be a difficult time for some properties. To get visitors to flock to your property, you have to really woo them during this time of year. Pair up with a local business for some amazing deals! Is there a ski resort close by? Link up with them for a ski and play promotion! Offer guests a discount when they book a room and show their lift ticket or season pass. Maybe even offer them some free play! Is your property in a warm area? A local spa would be the perfect place for your guests to melt their holiday tensions away. Despite your location, finding a local business to partner up with can do wonders, and extend the amenities that your property may not have at this time. These types of partnerships are a win-win for your players!
These five strategic tactics are simple and quick ways to get players to your property. Pay close attention to your daily flash reports and keep a steady stream of communication with your gaming directors to get a couple days ahead of opportunities for increased revenue to ensure that you have a super first quarter! Here’s to a fantastic 2016!
