The online gambling industry is a multi-billion-dollar space, but cutthroat competition makes it tough for companies to truly stand out and make a name for themselves.
With strict regulations limiting traditional marketing channels, gambling companies must find creative ways to attract new customers while keeping their existing customers engaged. One approach that has proven successful is the use of social media.
When done intelligently, social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and integrated in-app communities allow gambling brands to easily build huge fan bases. This is key in such a competitive industry. DraftKings shows how it’s done effectively, going from upstart to industry leader in just a few short years.
I don’t know about you, but what I love more than watching my favorite sports is the banter with friends and families, it’s a different kind of passion and DraftKings seamlessly replicated this through engaged communities within their app and on Twitter.
At its core, DraftKings had successfully brought online what people love offline – the lively back-and-forth with friends as bets are placed on Super Bowl betting odds.
Let’s see other ways DraftKings leveraged social media to its advantage:
Expanding the Fanbase
Attracting new customers is crucial in such a competitive industry, so DraftKings leveraged social promotions strategically. They implemented this strategy effectively during the big sporting comebacks in 2020. After the COVID-19 pandemic, DraftKings deployed a multi-pronged “Return to Sports” campaign on Twitter to seize the momentum. They ran eye-catching ads partnering with major leagues on Twitter. These ads took over users’ timelines to spark tons of conversations.
Short video clips and interactive polls kept the buzz going. DraftKings tracked which promotions led to more signups, and they quickly found that pairing hype moments, like an exciting game, with invitations to bet worked best. Trend takeovers plus social posts welcoming new bettors drove many new players to join in on the fun.
Through strategic social media efforts, DraftKings has supercharged its growth, with revenue skyrocketing 57% last quarter to $790 million as monthly users also jumped 40%.
Tapping the Power of Affiliates
In addition to promoting themselves, DraftKings looked to affiliate partners to help expand their social reach. They launched performance-based affiliate programs that incentivized promoters to engage their own loyal followings.
Whether popular sports bloggers, podcasters, or even top individual players, these affiliates were a direct path to whole new audiences. DraftKings provided affiliates with promotional codes and earn rates for driving player signups and deposits.
By integrating affiliate links and custom referral tags into regular social posts and stories, these influencers could cost-effectively introduce DraftKings to exponentially greater circles. Success was a win-win through affiliate commission payments.
Fostering Meaningful Connections
DraftKings understood that cultivating relationships through social platforms was very important.
Whenever a bettor bagged a big payout, DraftKings made sure to acknowledge their win publicly. Highlight reel posts thanked members by name for contributing to the game day thrill.
In turn, seeing their success uplifted, boosted morale across the community. It affirmed DraftKings valued not just profits but also individual triumphs.
DraftKings would send out positive, supportive messages on social media wishing members good luck before big games. By acknowledging and interacting with individual members, DraftKings turned its social profiles from impersonal ad spaces into actual communities.
Doing this made members feel seen and known as more than faceless accounts, which in turn fostered lasting brand loyalty to DraftKings.
Building Connections Through Shared Knowledge
Gambling brands discovered that interacting directly with followers on social media, rather than just promoting to them, helped strengthen important relationships. DraftKings found that sharing valuable information was key.
Through engaging posts, they started insightful conversations. Articles from industry experts provided learning for both newcomers and veterans. Fans gained insights into games like baccarat while pros exchanged poker strategies.
Comments and questions allowed DraftKings to get to know what most interested their differing audiences, and tailoring future content around these discussions kept users coming back for more.
Leveraging The People’s Voices
Social media allows for more than one-way promotion – it’s a channel for open dialogue, and DraftKings embraced this two-way potential.
Review features allowed bettors to publicly share both praise and constructive criticism. This authentic feedback proved invaluable for constant refinement based on real experiences.
DraftKings also fostered advocacy through strategic partnerships. Aligning with influential figures in sports and entertainment introduced the brand to untapped fanbases through trusted voices.
When admired athletes or celebrities promoted DraftKings on their channels, it resonated more authentically than typical ads. Audiences gravitate towards recommendations from people they follow.
Providing Engaging Support
With social media, responses were quick and it also brought something that the traditional gambling companies didn’t have, which is, a sustained connection with its customers.
Swift responses established DraftKings as a trustworthy, and transparent company. Customers and prospects witnessed attentive, reliable assistance – strengthening the brand’s image even in informal exchanges. and they achieved this by leveraging the use of social media managers.
Through organic posts, they informed users of new bets and bonuses in a natural way. These business updates seamlessly blended into the ongoing dialogue rather than interrupting it. Such attentiveness expanded engagement beyond routine betting conversations.
DraftKings’ responsive presence strengthened loyalty as part of a wider promotional approach.
When customer assistance feels this frictionless, satisfaction and retention follow suit. DraftKings prioritized keeping interactions lively with followers. This more authentic connection better served their community-focused goals over time.
