Topic: How to Advertise Your Casino on BitcoinTalk.org - page 2. (Read 323 times)

This guide is for operators, so I might have confused you there.

The point that I was trying to make is that the majority of the traffic to the casino, coming from the forum, is masked through a VPN, and that BTT players love using VPN's to gamble. I would love to share the pie chart I did after the first three months, that showed that 75% of the forum registered users were playing from regulated countries (IP address), but then when it came to withdrawals and KYC's eastern Europe would pop up constantly. I clearly remember it because I wasn't used to so much VPN traffic (since I'm coming from a regulated FIAT industry like UK, DE, CA where KYC is normal).

So, I wasn't saying that 75% of the BTT users use VPN to browse BTT (although I think our RU friends need to do that), but rather that 75% of the users registered from the forum used a VPN to register and play on the casino. So "forum acquired traffic uses 75% vpn", at least from my experience.

Indeed it is, but I assume campaign managers have their own ways to entice, invite, and lead casino operators to advertise here in Bitcointalk by presenting their own facts about Bitcointalk besides presenting themselves as capable campaign managers.

Its better to present data on this, SirJohnVonSlotty, Bitcointalk is a bitcoin forum and the gambling section is just one of its popular sections. Bitcointalk rules on many keywords related to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and since Bitcoin is a very popular keywords in the internet, I don't think many of these searchers and internet users are VPN users

This are some solid recommendations and advice based on a real experience from OP.
I would recommend every new casino reading this before creating ANN topic in bitcointalk forum.

Are you sure about this?
I know some members are probably using VPN or Tor browser for bitcointalk, but I doubt it's 75%.
Some of them do it to protect their privacy and others do it to mitigate restrictions from their governments.

Don't do anything suspicious or shady and you probably won't be accused of scam.
Any new business is going to be investigated and tested for sure, and there are some malicious forum users who are going to try and cheat to get few extra bucks from casino.

This is a great thread SirJhon, and It will be a great guide for those Who are starting their casinos and have no idea about how to advertise.

I have one question about the forum advertisement, what do you think is more effective, making a signature campaign or paing directly to the forum for their ads sports?

It was a great read as always from you. I'll wait for your other updates. Will read them and try to add something from my own experiences.

SOME THINGS THAT I DIDN’T DO, BUT SHOULD HAVE DONE

Looking back, these strategies could have improved my campaigns:

• I should have implement a Robust SEO Strategy: I should have worked with all of the signature holders and try to diversify my link portfolio through their posts and threads. I could have also include supporting websites, like the affiliate reviews and brand protection pages, but I didn't. Now looking back at it it's missed opportunity.
• I should have sponsored more community projects: Events like the Pizza Day Competition or tools like TryNinja’s Telegram Bot are excellent branding opportunities that are now being employed properly, but at the point when I started it wasn't obvious for me that these are opportunities worth tackling
• Collaborate with my signature holders and grow other community channels: I could have worked a bit closer with my signature holders and get their help in promoting my Telegram group, build up my blog, or other platforms. If I would be doing it again, I would figure out how to incentives them to encourage participation in other areas of the business, not just the forum.

SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS AS A BRANDING CAMPAIGN

Signature campaigns are one of BitcoinTalk’s most recognizable advertising tools, but they require proper planning and long-term commitment to deliver results. They’re not a quick-fix solution but rather a strategic investment to enhance your casino’s visibility and reputation.

I recommend implementing the signature campaign at the end of your roadmap. Here’s why:

1. Start with the Basics: First, establish your ANN thread, that will open up the conversation.
2. Run a Review Campaign: Gather user feedback and refine your casino’s features, it will align the forums expectations with your vision of the casino.
3. Host a Game Campaign: Engage users and generate buzz, if you can, use this to build a custom landing page.
4. Move to Signatures: Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the forum and its users, kick off the signature campaign.

WHAT I LEARNED WHEN STARTING OUT:

• Signature campaigns take time to mature, commit to 12 Months: Anything shorter than a year is a waste of money. Campaign managers might promise quick deposits in 2–3 months, but signatures are for branding and attracting unicorns. Stick with it, and you’ll see results over time.
• Focus on High-Value Members: Members who hold critical forum infrastructure (e.g., thread owners or service providers) perform far better than casual posters. Their influence drives more clicks and registrations.
• Don’t Underestimate Motivated Newbies: While senior members deliver consistent results, some newbies with a strong drive to help can outperform veterans, often for a fraction of the cost. Include a mix in your campaign.
• Use Forum Designers: Signature design requires BBCode expertise. My team wasted time creating unusable designs because they didn’t know the forum’s technical requirements. Let the experts handle it.
• Test Browser Compatibility: Signatures can render poorly on certain browsers. Analyze your player base’s browser usage (e.g., 65% Chrome, 20% Firefox, 15% others) and ensure the design works smoothly across desktop and mobile.
• Make the Entire Signature Clickable: Don’t restrict the clickable area to one section. Every part of the signature should link back to your casino to maximize engagement.

PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS:
In my first month, the top performers were members with a strong historical presence on the forum. These individuals consistently outperformed others because of their influence and activity in key threads. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of some motivated newbies, who drove significant traffic despite costing far less.

I’m sharing a screenshot of the first month to prove the point around top performers, but I also need to note that the first month is not the best example of what the signatures can do, you need to commit, and the longer you are on the forum, the stronger do the numbers become. Obviously I blurred portions of the screen, mostly out of respect for some other forum members who didn't perform that well, as well as for business purposes.

Here you can see that those who own a significant portion of the forums infrastructure outperformed everyone else, while low performers like myself underperformed. (if it's not already obvious, these are tracking the performance of the links from their signatures)

GENERATE NRC'S AND FTD'S FROM GAME ACQUISITION/COMPETITION CAMPAIGNS

If you’re looking to generate the most NRCs (New Registered Customers) and FTDs (First-Time Depositors), forum games are your best bet.

• Design Creative Games: Options include daily multiplier challenges, sportsbook contests, or casino-specific competitions. Keep them engaging and fun. I will include some of the examples of successful games at the end of this post, I just need to review all of them
• Collaborate with Game Providers: Partner with providers to create custom games that stand out and grab attention. BGaming is always open to create custom games, and then you can use those games to further connect with the community here on BTT
• Set Clear Rules: Work with your campaign manager to refine rules, but also cross-check with your casino team to balance bonus costs.
• Don’t blindly trust your campaign manager when it comes to rules . Many lack casino experience and don’t understand bonus costs. Work with them in designing the game, obviously, but also cross-check your casino team for the best results.
• Plan Rewards Strategically: Offer daily and weekly prizes to maintain player interest while staying within budget.

MY OWN FINDINGS:

• The longer the forum competition/game is running, the better it will perform. If I would be starting a multiplyer challenge right now, I would make it a 12 months campaign.

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ONE-OFF COMPETITIONS: TALENT HUNTING

BitcoinTalk is home to a lot of skilled and creative people, and competitions are a great way to tap into that talent pool. Whether you need designers, writers, or even developers, the forum can deliver if you approach it right.
Here’s how to make it work:

• Be Specific About What You Need: Want a custom promo landing page with a unique CRM flow? Launch a design or content competition.
• Need Content Writers? Thinking about starting a blog for your casino but don’t know where to find the talent to create those articles? Host a writing contest with clear guidelines and rewards.
• Offer Real Incentives: The bigger the prize, the better the talent you’ll attract. If your prize pool is stingy, don’t expect top-tier entries.

But here’s the catch. You can’t just create an account today and expect people to jump at your competitions. It’s similar to UpWork or Fiverr, the more trusted your account is, the better the pool of people will be. You need to:

1. Build Trust First: Establish your presence on the forum before posting competitions. Users want to know you’re serious and not wasting their time, you can show that off with a campaign manager and a batch of prepaid funds.
2. Have a Proper Plan: Work with your forum campaign manager to time your competitions strategically. It makes much more sense to have one per month, 12 months consistently, than blast 6 competitions in one month and close it down. You need to be known for competitions, and that comes with time.

Competitions are not just a way to get work done; they’re also a branding tool. Running well-structured contests with good rewards signals to the community that your casino values quality and respects the forum culture.

REVIEW CAMPAIGNS TO FIX YOUR PLATFORM

By far the most useful option for fixing platform issues. This campaign pays users to test your casino by depositing real money and reviewing everything—from the user flow to CRM, deposit methods, games, and support.

• LoyceV flagged issues in my Terms of Service that my legal team overlooked.
• Dbshck found an error in the 100% deposit bonus setup.
• Yoshie, FamososMuertos, and Khaled0111 uncovered a transaction cost issue with ETH payments.

Overall this was a game changer for both the platform, execution and payments team, and thanks to this exercise we managed to create a well-structured roadmap.

MY OWN FINDINGS:
You can see my review thread here, but keep in mind that this is not an example of a good review campaign. I would do it different this time: https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/fullcoinslotty-review-campaign-rewards-from-60-to-70-5434945

MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE REVIEW CAMPAIGN

Budget: Set aside $2,500 per quarter, plus the Campaign Manager fee. Plan to repeat this for four quarters (totaling $10,000 plus the fee). You will want to give up to $70 to each member for the service provided, and $30 for them to deposit, trigger the deposit bonus, and have some fun on the casino.

Setting Up the Welcome Page and CRM Offer

Let’s assume you’ve already created a forum-themed landing page with a custom bonus or bonus code and a CRM flow tailored to forum members that I've recommended before. If you’re creative and have approval from other forum members, you can also incorporate their nicknames or projects into the CRM flow or landing page design. Make sure to ask for approval.

PREPARING THE CASINO TEAM
#1. I’ll also assume your team is onboarded regarding VPN usage and that you're ready to remove KYC requirements from those players. It’s unwise to ask for reviews without letting reviewers register and play. I know that you know that there’s flexibility here, so make it flexible.
#2. Bonus costs will be high and might affect your quarter targets. For example, if you offer a $100 match bonus up to 100%, your bonus costs will be an additional $2,500 for that quarter. Consider filtering out these users in your dashboard.

FINDING THE RIGHT MEMBERS AND KNOWING WHAT YOU NEED FROM THEM
The best-performing members usually don’t switch signatures, so use this opportunity to collaborate by hiring them for your review campaign. I won’t recommend specific people to avoid bias, but remember: users who manage infrastructure take their role seriously, while motivated newbies can also add a lot of value if given the opportunity to join in.

If I would be re-doing the review campaign, I would be searching for the following users:

a.) 10 Android users, because the majority of players that I had playing with us were on phones, and the majority of the phones were androids released anywhere between 2016 and 2020
b.) 8 iOS users, there were less iOS users, but still a significant portion of the players had iPhones.
c.) 4 desktop users (1 Firefox, 1 Chrome, 1 Edge, 1 Safari), this was the group after the phones.
d.) 2 tablet users (1 Android, 1 iPad), tablets were just 10% of the traffic, but still important to test
e.) 1 Smart TV user (to test for resolution issues), a very small percentage, but useful to know how the site operates on a smart TV.

Include members who know your priority languages. For instance, if you’re targeting ROW, DE, NO, and PT, ask the Campaign Manager to find members fluent in these languages.

Also make sure to clarify with the members that this is not a BTC only review, you will be using all the available coins you have in order to test their usefulness with the operation.

MANAGING THE FUNDS FOR THE REVIEW CAMPAIGN
The easiest way to handle payments is to register the Forum Campaign Manager as an affiliate on your affiliate platform and pay them like they provided an affiliation service. They can then distribute funds to the reviewers from their own wallets. In that way you only have 1 invoice per quarter and can let the campaign manager do their thing.

HOW TO FORM THE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE REVIEW CAMPAIGN
Now that you have 25 reviewers and a Campaign Manager, what should you test? Here are some ideas:

Registration Flow:
        #a. Ensure members register using their forum nickname for tracking purposes. Please tell them that this is important, no one wants to quote LittleDickMarie15 in a stakeholder meeting.
        #b. Ask them, when compared to other casinos, how hard was it to register? (rate 1-10).

Deposit Flow:
        #a. Assign different coins to testers (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) and evaluate time, fees, and user satisfaction.
        #b. Ask them, when compared to other casinos, how easy was it to deposit with us? (rate 1-10).
        #c. Was the welcome bonus triggered, any issues there?

Device Compatibility:
        #a. Test navigation on the device that was assigned to you, log issues like load times, button size, and usability.
        #b. Any issues unique to your device?

Terms of Service:
        #a. Can you go through our TOS, is it easy to read? Do you understand everything? Are you against something?

Translations
        #a. Can you check the quality of localized content on one or more landing pages, the homepage or lobby page? How did you find it? Any suggestions here?

Customer Support
       #a. Can you invent a problem and ping the customer support team and test their response time, ease of communication and do they know your language?

Design Feedback
       #a. Can you tell us how the design of the site looks? Are you happy with it, do you like it? Which casino has the best design in your opinion?

General Feedback:
        #a. Is there anything else that bothered you, or you would like to say?

WHAT I FOUND USELESS:
#1. Testing games doesn't make any sense, since even if they do find some issues with the games, you can't fix it because it's the game provider who needs to change it. So ideally just let them play whatever they want, and tell them that you're only interested in the compatibility of the game with the device they are using, not gameplay itself.
#2. Tell them to use pagination and move through the lobbies a bit. Otherwise you'll get 25 people reviewing your homepage and the first game promoted there.

THE ANN PAGE IS YOUR CASINO’S FORUM HQ

An ANN (announcement) page is essential for building your casino’s presence. Without one, the forum won’t take you seriously.

• Hire Forum Designers and Writers: Internal teams rarely understand BitcoinTalk’s specific needs. Forum experts ensure your page looks and reads professionally.
• Use Forum-Specific Tracking: It's important that you have a custom BitcoinTalk landing page on your casino, if you can have bonus codes specifically for the forum even better, but otherwise you'll not be able to track the performance of the ANN thread properly.
  
  • Incentivize Participation: Create incentives for users to post in your ANN thread to counteract spam and encourage engagement. Something simple as "the next 10 newly registered users that post their nickname here will get 50 free spins in a specific game".
  • Play by the Rules: Avoid shady tactics. Genuine engagement will naturally attract attention, while shady tactics will steer playeres into the wrong direction.
  
  
  MY OWN FINDINGS:
  
  • Don’t reinvent the wheel. Research competitors and improve on their methods.
  • Don’t use your own designers. Hire forum experts who understand the platform’s technical requirements.
  • Avoid empty bumps. Instead, reward meaningful engagement, such as offering free spins for posting casino nicknames.
  
  
  My next task is to find the best designed ANN threads from the past year, I will update this post once done.

Hey everyone,

As some of you might know, I’ve stepped away from the casino operator industry for ethical reasons and am now focusing on creating my own sustainable casino affiliate project. If you think you can contribute, feel free to ping me—I’m always open to ideas and collaboration.

In the meantime, I wanted to share my blueprint for advertising on BitcoinTalk.org. It’s not often you hear an operator openly talk about this, so I figured I’d lay it all out for those of you looking to make the most of the forum as an acquisition channel.

I personally spent close to $50k on various forum services, and also sat down with several operators who are advertising here and openly talked about the numbers, so I hope some, if not all of the info here will be useful for future operators looking to join us as an advertiser.

It's also worth noting that I'm openly against all the signature spam that has been going on in this section of the forum, and I placed this thread as self-moderated. You have the opportunity to contribute to the conversation meaningfully, but if I see you sig spamming, I will delete your posts.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORUM AS AN ACQUISITION SOURCE

Advertising on BitcoinTalk.org isn’t about quick wins. Operators used to instant results from affiliates might find this frustrating, but if done right, the payoff is worth it. Here’s a breakdown of key takeaways:

• Forget Affiliate Comparisons: Forum campaigns take time—think 4 quarters at least, not 4 months. Don’t expect forum traffic to behave like affiliate traffic; it’s slower to build but ultimately more valuable.
• Community Babysitting: Running a forum campaign is like managing a mini-community. You’ll need to engage constantly—answer questions, handle complaints, and maintain activity. It’s work, but it pays off over time.
• User Value Similar to Branded Traffic: Forum users bring higher ADPU and LTV because they trust you and join without external incentives.
• Tracking is a Headache: Forum users are smart and often bypass tracking links. Performance might appear low at first, but I’ll explain tracking strategies later.
• SEO Value: BitcoinTalk has significant SEO power. Work ethically with your SEO team to leverage this for your brand.
• VPN Traffic: Over 75% of the forum’s traffic comes from VPN users. Be ready to handle this, or don’t bother.
• Scammers vs. Defenders: Expect scammy messages when people know you’re an operator, but build trust and the community will defend you against false claims.
• Don’t Be a Dick: Respect the community. If you accept VPN traffic, honor winnings. Pulling a bait-and-switch will get you publicly shamed.

The forum is an investment, but if you respect the rules and the community, it will reward you with high-quality, loyal players.


WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CAMPAIGN MANAGERS

I wouldn't recommend doing anything alone on the forum, especially if you're a newly registered account. It's crucial that you find a campaign manager - otherwise you'll just be wasting your time and money. However, working with campaign managers can make or break your campaigns. Here's what you need to know:

• Prepare for Idea Overload: Campaign managers are passionate and will bombard you with suggestions. Be clear about your goals to steer them in the right direction. Use this guide to clarify your expectations.
• Negotiate Rates, But Check Reviews: Comparing campaign manager rates and reading their reviews is crucial. Cheaper is not often better, and if you have a long-term roadmap, negotiate for better terms.
• Be Ready to Pay Upfront: Scams involving campaign managers are rare, but operators who collect traffic and disappear are common. Paying upfront ensures trust and attracts top talent. I've spent close to $50k on the forum and it was almost all paid up front, I got scammed zero times. Some people even refunded me a portion because we were calculating in dollars but paying in BTC, and BTC got a boost at that time
• Define Responsibilities Clearly: If you’re unavailable after working hours or on weekends, let the campaign manager know. Set expectations early to avoid misunderstandings.

WHAT OPTIONS DOES THE FORUM HAVE FOR ADVERTISERS?

BitcoinTalk offers several advertising opportunities. Each has its quirks, but with creativity, you can make a big impact.

• ANNOUNCE YOUR CASINO PROJECT THROUGH AN ANN PAGE. An ANN (announcement) page is your HQ, and essential for building your casino’s presence. Without one, the forum won’t take you seriously.
• FIX YOUR PLATFORM OR OTHER ISSUES WITH A REVIEW CAMPAIGN. By far the most useful option for fixing platform issues. This campaign pays users to test your casino by depositing real money and reviewing everything - from the user flow to CRM, deposit methods, games, and support.
• GENERATE NRC's AND FTD's THROUGH GAME CAMPAIGNS. Regardless if you're a casino or sportsbook operator, there's always a way on how to organise daily, weekly and monthly games on the forum and attract registrations, with a plethora of successful examples.
• HUNT FOR TALENTED PEOPLE THROUGH COMPETITION CAMPAIGNS. This is the second most useful tool if you ask me, the forum has tons of smart people, and you can easily tap into that pool by organizing design, content or dev competitions.
• ORGANISE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS FOR BRANDING AND CONVERSION EXERCISES. These campaigns are BitcoinTalk’s most iconic advertising method, but they require long-term commitment. I will go into detail about it in the posts below.

HOW TO SELL THE IDEA TO YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

When proposing to your stakeholders, this is what you would need to include in the pitch deck.

• Higher Player Value: Forum users have higher ADPU and LTV compared to affiliate traffic.
• Low Entry Cost, No Revenue Share: A 12-month campaign can start at as low as $65,000, and you will get much more value due to the fact that there's no revenue share.
• SEO Benefits: Ethical campaigns can generate hundreds of backlinks to your casino or affiliates, and you can easily split the advertisement budget with the SEO department since they will benefit from it.
• Affordable Quality Control: You can run a QC review campaign for less than $10,000 to gain valuable insights, far cheaper than traditional market research that can go into 100k+.
• Strong Community Support: If you build the trust properly, the community will defend your brand against scammers.