Expert Interview: Nevzat Ucar, Head of Content at Luckbox

In this post, we’re fortunate to showcase the thoughts of Nevzat Ucar, Head of Content at Luckbox.

Luckbox are a (very) fast-moving success story in the hyper-competitive world of Esports, online entertainment and iGaming – with content at the heart of their mission to engage and attract players.

In this short article, Nevzat covers many of the topics that content marketers are focusing on in 2022, from SEO performance and demonstrating expertise, to anticipating the content that the most passionate customers crave.

For those looking to compete in the Esports iGaming industry, Nevzat highlights some key considerations but there’s insights for marketers across all sectors here.

So – on with the interview!

What processes and plans do you recommend content marketers have when thinking about E-A-T, and considerations like Core Web Vitals?

This may sound obvious but, essentially, you have to know your audience.

Content may be king but without people there’s nothing to talk about. Considering E-A-T and Core Web Vitals, there are a few aspects to mention. Any content marketer should work with people who are experts in what they’re doing and people with credentials.

This sounds basic but it’s crucial. Content you create should be relevant to your audience. People should know you, your creators, your background, what you do in your specific market.

This shows how you lead your industry, how open and approachable you are and you should always be true with what you’re saying to build trust and loyalty.

Although Core Web Vitals seems a technical consideration, it’s actually not entirely the case. Your content needs to catch your audience under 2.5 seconds. So loading times, visual flow, user interaction should always be a part of your content publishing roadmap.

Can you give examples of how your brand, and others in the industry, have innovated to make content go further/perform more effectively over the past year?

Esports content creation is not drastically much different compared to sports content creation. There’s a pattern in most of the general content produced.

For example: best moments, interviews, tournaments, leagues, award ceremonies, live shows, articles and short-form videos. Each of them of course is for the audience yet we believe that the main essence in content is the individual and the content creator’s expertise to convey their story to the audience. And we do not see content just in the form of videos, articles or posts, infographics etc.

Providing information about anything is just the very first steps of content, living with it, breathing it, turning it into products, and other experiences for your audience is the real deal here.

That’show we are aiming to work at Luckbox with the convergence of product and content providing a highly tailored experience for a new generation of players.

When thinking about E-A-T and successive Google quality updates, do you see opportunities?

Yes,there are certainly a few opportunities I see, with current updates, high-quality and user-focused content is the greatest opportunity both for us and both for the industry we’re in.

That was our focus from day one so now we have more drive to convey our message to our players.

Have big tech/social platforms like Google, Facebook and so on helped or hindered the performance of your content in the past year?

Those companies do tons of research and develop new algorithms and techniques to reach the audience in the best way. If we look at the past year, I can say that mostly they helped.

What skills do content leaders and marketers need in 2022 and beyond?

Being adaptable in the unexpectedly changing landscape, always being user-oriented and consistent in your brand voice, being able to deliver your content almost in every platform are some of the keys.

Brands need to focus on several things in highly competitive markets and if executed in harmony there are ways that will keep you ahead of the competition. You should know the competition, find out who your real competitors are.

Just because you’re in the same market does not mean you’re speaking to the same audience. Be open and see where you’re weak and what your strengths are and focus on them. Always know your customers. The ones who consume your content might not be the audience that buys or interacts with your product.

Try to understand your audience and define your target market. And, if possible, have everything you plan and produce in one place, open to all your colleagues.

Every stakeholder you work with should know what you’re up to. Find ways to differentiate from your competitors and always look to the future. Plans and actions you do to save only today will help you live for a while but never help you climb the hill. And of course, never forget your existing customers.

What type of content experiences are customers looking for from brands?

If we look from a wider perspective, customers sit at an intersection. Perception, value, voice, participation and personalization turns into user experience for the customer as product, content, features, advantages, support and more.

From a content point of view the media of your choice today defines what type of content you’re going to produce. If you’re agile enough you can adapt to any situation the industry brings, so the personal connection and what you convey to your audience is more important than the quantity and type of your content.

In what ways can digital content and traditional/offline marketing complement each-other in gaming?

The line between traditional and digital marketing is getting thinner by the day. Newspapers used to be traditional print marketing sources, now we can read what we want through our phones.

Speaking of outdoor marketing, there’s a new digital screen when you go out and turn the corner, and its content is tailored for you. Any broadcast is in your pocket. Buying media is more robust than it used to be, targeted and accurate.

So this is only part of the business. In a few years, the space of VR will also be sold for advertising. Your old-school local meetup is now Twitch, soon it will be a secret zone in the metaverse.

Being connected already has a new meaning, so to complement each other, first we should understand both ways. One has mass reach, dominance and a high-target focus, while the traditional way offers creating bonds and is still considered a hot medium by definition and feel.

Today, it is more important for a content marketer to consider the difference between the two before starting an engagement. One should keep the other in mind to better understand, prioritise and align their campaigns.

What content initiatives and campaigns are you most proud of from the past year?

About half way through 2021, we filled the ranks for our content marketing team and now we’re producing all kinds of content for our audience - articles, videos, interactive posts, shorts and more, all around esports and gaming.

Since then, we grew our audience 166%, had an 87% increase in total video consumption and published more than 590 articles tailored for our audience backed with more than 2,000 social posts.

What's the best advice you received in your career so far?

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” Honestly, I received lots of advice during my career. Some good, some bad. But nothing drove me better than Dali’s line above.

Though it’s not career advice, it’s a driving force for me to always evaluate what I’m doing, how I’m doing and how I’ll improve it.

Summing Up

From Core Web Vitals to Dali quotes, we’re massively appreciative to Nevzat for taking the time to participate in this far-reaching interview.

The Luckbox team – as well as ourselves at ICS-digital and ICS-translate – will be at ICE London and iGB Affiliate London 2022.

It’s going to be a busy week for operators, affiliates and partners in the iGaming industry and customer-focused content will undoubtedly be one of the main topics of conversation.

Throughout the week we’ll be talking about our content services among many others – to arrange a meeting, get in touch!

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