G2E Interview with Andrea Janssen of Masterminds about Social Media Measurement

I was able to connect with Andrea Janssen prior to her flight to Las Vegas for the G2E. She is the moderator for the panel, "Measuring Success: Social Media Benchmarks". IGaming and social media are a natural combination to attract the new wave of customers. Andrea is the ideal person to
speak with about what you can do to become a player in online gaming. Let's meet her now.

 

As the Social Media Manager at Masterminds Advertising, I've helped develop social media strategies for brands all around the U.S., including the Pocono Mountains, Battleship New Jersey, Agua Caliente and Spa Resort Casinos, FireKeepers Casino, IGT MegaJackpots, DoubleDown Casino, Pinnacle Entertainment, Toll Booth Saddle Shop, Hollywood Poker Open, and Penn National Gaming. Some of my work has been featured in popular industry publications, such as Social Media Examiner, Socially Stacked, and Social Media Marketing for Dummies, 2nd Edition, and I have spoken at several events, including the Social Media Boot Camp at G2E, the world's largest gaming conference. Aside from being a Pinterestaholic and analytics addict, I'm also a beach lover, a classically trained opera singer, and a crazy cat lady in the making.

1).Tell the readers about Masterminds?

 

Masterminds is a full-service advertising agency that has been in business for over 25 years. From complete branding overhauls to social media strategy to media planning and buying, we pour our souls into doing great work. This will be the fourth year that Masterminds is producing the Social Media Boot Camp at G2E. Visit http://mastermindsagency.com/ to learn more.

2).How long have you been with the company?

Since January 2011.

3).What is your role?

Social Media Manager.

 

4).How do you measure the impact of social media with casinos?

One of the most important things a casino can do to measure the impact of social media is collect player information from their fans and followers – specifically players club numbers. This will not only allow them to determine the overall value of their social media databases, but it will also enable them track play each time a fan or follower comes to property.

Masterminds has had a lot of success collecting this information through Facebook promotions that utilize a fan-gated app (meaning you must like the page before your can participate), but you can also collect this information by posting or tweeting an offer that requires fans/followers to acquire or present a players club card in order to claim the offer.

 

5).What are the best methods for connecting with casino customers over 45?

When it comes to social media, I’d say an active presence on Facebook is the best way to connect with these customers. The 45–54 year age bracket is the fastest growing demographic Facebook, and the sheer numbers overall make the site impossible to ignore.

6).What are the best methods for connecting with casino customers under 30?

While customers under 30 are on Facebook too, they are also more likely to be found on other social networks such as Twitter, Vine, and Instagram. A fresh and interesting approach on one or more of these social networks will really resonate with these customers.

The key to connecting with customers of ANY age through social media is to be engaging! You’re not going to get very far if you’re regurgitating traditional media messages on these channels. Remember that these are crowded spaces and you’re competing with your customers’ friends and family for their attention. Investing in interesting content will help you stand out from the crowd.

7).Online Gaming is about to launch in Delaware and New Jersey. They are using the brick and mortar casino games. Would it be conceivable to expand into social games as well?

Absolutely! Social gaming can be a great, less intimidating way to cross bricks and mortar customers into online gaming, and it can also be a valuable tool for collecting the information for those players so you can market to them in the future.

Extra care will just have to be taken to educate customers about the differences between social and online gaming sites. Many social gaming sites report a player’s winnings in dollars, which might be confusing to some customers.

8).Some casinos spend only a fraction of their marketing dollars on social media. What would be the perfect balance of an advertising budget? (print ,Media, billboards, etc.)

It really depends on the size of their budget, but we always tell clients the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. Just remember – you’re building a database. Once you capture a Like or Follow, you can continue to remarket to those players without having to invest additional monetary resources.

Casinos can get more bang for their buck by using social ads in conjunction with traditional ads to promote specific initiatives. For example, if you’re trying to promote an on-property car giveaway, consider creating a fan-gated Facebook app that will award fans with extra entries into that drawing. You can use a Facebook Ad campaign targeted at people who do not yet Like your page to drive people to the app. Regular Facebook posts can be used to alert existing fans. Doing this will enable you to grow your Facebook database while also letting people know about the giveaway. It’s a win-win!

Andrea is moderating at the Social Media Boot Camp session at 2:00.

                        Follow her on Twitter at @DreaJanssen.

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