In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with Yeva Avagyan, the Head of Commercial at AffPapa, a unique directory connecting affiliates and operators in the iGaming industry. Yeva has been in the industry for three years and today she shares with SEOBROTHERS if holding a degree makes an impact on her everyday life. Yeva shares her insights on how AffPapa differentiates itself from other affiliate platforms, the importance of maintaining relationships with partners, and the recent launch of The Gamblest, a new voice in iGaming news media. She also provides advice for those looking to grow in the industry.
1) Hi Yeva and thank you so much for the time for taking this interview! Please tell us a bit more about your background and what are your duties as the Head of Commercial at AffPapa?
Hello there! I’m pleased to dive deep into the questions you prepared for me 🙂
So I’ve been in the industry since 2020, going into my third year working at AffPapa with a present position of Head of Commercials. I studied Chinese back in my university days and was planning on taking on a role as an Armenian-Chinese translator but life had different plans for me, haha!
As a HOC I’m responsible for the entire commercial team, its performance as well as getting partners on board with AffPapa. Tracking overall success of each partner, having everything delivered on time and keeping constant communication between the representatives.
2) You have a degree in Chinese linguistics - how do you leverage your background in your everyday work?
I would love to say that I use it on a daily basis but that’s not the case, since my main language for communication purposes within work is English. It’s always nice to practise it with old friends from uni or even some colleagues who’ve also studied in China.
3) What do you do to stand on top of the iGaming trends, and how, in your opinion, the year 2023 will change the ways people attract traffic?
We do follow trends and periodically update our website and directory tools accordingly. If we see an increase of crypto affiliates, or interest over streamers, we tweak the system to fit everyone as much as possible.
4) How does AffPapa differentiate itself from other affiliate networks in the iGaming industry? Is it correct to call AffPapa an affiliate network at all, since your platform is so unique?
AffPapa is a directory which connects affiliates and operators. It would be quite misleading to call ourselves a network 🙂 We don’t receive any commissions from the deals that our partners are making hence our business model is based on a fixed fee. Our main goal is to create the atmosphere of fruitful partnership for affiliates and operators.
5) How does AffPapa maintain relationships with its partners and keep them engaged? Is there any secret to a successful long-term business partnership?
I think communication is key in maintaining/strengthening any long-term partnership. Understanding the company’s goals, and working in unison with their own team makes a world of a difference. The constant back and forth between you and the prospect ensures a much steadier flow and keeps everyone on the same page.
6) Recently you have launched The Gamblest, a new voice in iGaming. What made you decide to launch your own iGaming news media, and what makes it unique?
I think, and speaking for my team as well, TheGamblest is a product that was missing in the industry not only from a “media” point of view but also from a “directory” perspective. We wanted to create a hub where operators could come and find relevant software providers, be able to filter them out and find the best-match there is out there for them. And of course we made sure to help our users keep up with all the news and announcements in the field, also conducting our own interviews with different company representatives, shining light on questions and whatabouts we’re all curious to learn more of.
7) Does The Gamblest and AffPapa plan to expand their services and offerings in the future and what can we expect?
Yes, absolutely! Growth is essential and we’re working towards expanding both products every single day.
With AffPapa, currently we’re heavily focusing on our real-life event series – iGamingClub. With already having our second event successfully completed under our belt we’re prioritising our ability to execute everything on a higher, better & bigger scale. I love how we caught the momentum and are going forward at a steady yet powerful pace. Our next big event will be in collaboration with iGamingNext this summer in Malta. Evaluating the generic demand and gap in the industry providing Affiliate Management service is another project we’re heavily focusing on right now. Everything will slowly be unravelled as we move forward, so stay tuned 🙂
8) What advice would you give to those who look up to you, a well-known and established professional in the gambling vertical?
Ah, you’re just flattering me:)) I mean if there’s even one person who’s looking up to me I’d humbly advise staying hungry! Hungry to learn more, to get out of their comfort zone, hungry to experience and take advantage of every possibility that will put you in a position of growing/learning. Being in this industry with so many amazing and talented people has been nothing but fun, elevating and inspiring for me. And I hope you feel the same.
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