Yes that’s correct, you will grow your business by using Pokémon Go and I will tell you how!
Pokémon Go is the hottest game to hit the market in forever and the future. We all have heard about the Pokémon cards you can collect but there is a new Pokémon mobile game for iOS and Android, or better said the “Augmented Reality Mobile Game”. Is has been released in a few countries by Nintendo.
Pokémon users are walking on the streets with their smartphone in their hands. Exploring the cities and towns or even all kind of places around the globe— through real world maps of the streets and pathways. Capturing as many Pokémon as you can. Walking through the real world, the smartphone will vibrate to inform if you’re near a Pokémon. The funny fact is that Nintendo have put lots of Pokémon’s in hidden places, such as public parks, recreation areas that the player have to find. It also called the Glowing areas/ Habitats. Pokémon players need to be sure to explore as many habitants that show up on the map, so they can catch a variety of Pokémon’s and of course fulfill a wide variety of challenges. The more challenges you complete, the more medals you win and the higher your scores are.
Yes:) Pokémon’s are hidden in all kind of places around the Globe and Pokémon users have the urge to find them. This is creating lots of advantage marketing opportunities for businesses!
Results so far
Less than a week after launch, the Pokémon Go game has been installed on twice as many phones as Tinder, it has double the engagement of Snapchat, and it is eclipsing Twitter in its percentage of daily active users.
A few incredible stats since its July 6 launch in the U.S.:
- Currently the No. 1 free app on iOS and Google Play marketplaces
- Estimated daily revenue is $1.6 million (U.S. and iOS only)
- Nintendo and Google invested $30 million to make the app
- Nintendo shares jumped 10 percent since the launch
People are spending so much time journeying around looking for Pokémon that they are accidentally getting some exercises, getting sore legs from playing for hours is a well-known advantage.
The game involve capturing and defending real-world locations (gyms in Pokémon GO, portals in Ingress) at many interesting places, such as a public art installations, historical markers and monuments etc.
But how could YOU benefit as a local business?
- You need to figure out whether your business is a PokeStop* or Gym*.
- If not, create one yourself by installing the online Map of poartals of “Ingress, also developed by Niantic, which maps virtually 1:1 with Pokémon Go’s PokeStops and Gyms.
- Once installed, you will be treated to a searchable world map of different portals, each one being either a PokeStop of Gym in Pokémon Go.
- Bring Virtually crowds to your business, by buying Lures for less than a dollar an hour if you do your mathematicJ Luring is an insanely powerful tool. The ROI is ridiculous, so if your business is anywhere near a PokeStop, you should try buying the Lures and test it yourself.
- Engage with the droves of people standing near your business with their eyes glued to their phones by:
- Giveaways: Order Pokémon Gym badges from a supplier that can customize them for your business. A quick Google search of the keywords “Pokémon Gym badge” and “custom” should get you what you need.
- Keep score: Put up a sandwich board announcing which team is currently in control of your Gym, and then offer a discount to members of that team! Don’t worry about staying updated on which team is winning-just ask those who are participating in the promotion to inform you when the gym has changed hands.
- Get social: Take in-game screenshots and post them on the social-media platforms where you’re active. Use hashtags like #pokemongo and #pokemon to get the message out to your potential new customers.
* PokeStops and Gyms attract foot traffic without any effort-players flock to them for rewards and to battle other players-and they can be leveraged for massive sales if you know how. It also drives huge amounts of foot traffic and conversions both with simple in-app purchases and creative marketing campaigns.
Don’t forget to take your business MOBILE
One way to make your business a part of the Pokémon Go phenomenon is to get mobile and find a spot from which to orchestrate the Lure or Gym strategies.
If you’re a fashion retailer, maybe this means loading up a van with some of your latest vintage finds. If you’re a restaurant, maybe this means going to the park and setting up a barbecue. It’s summertime, so get creative.
Since Pokémon are everywhere, you want to go where you have the best chance of finding success. Take advantage of places where you have clusters of PokeStops. If there are three PokeStops on the same block, as is happening fairly often in larger cities, then park yourself in the middle of them and lay down three Lures at the same time.
It’s the same effect as if you were laying down one-just multiplied by three. Before you know it, you’ll have a serious crowd on your hands.
And of course Get social
Even if your business is nowhere near a PokeStop or a Gym, you’re still going to have Pokémon.
One way to get people excited about visiting your business is to get on social media and show off the valuable or rare Pokémon popping up in your area. To know what to look for, a Reddit user has created a handy rarity chart.
A better option though, might be to incentivize play on the part of your customers.
Consider running it like a referral program:
- Tell users you’ll pay for their Incense in return for some screenshots of any rare Pokémon that pop up in the vicinity of your shop.
- Have them upload the picture and tag you on social media, so that their followers know about you too.
- Promote the fact that you’re rewarding users who find rare Pokémon at your business.
Do this right, and you could turn your store into a viral destination.
Remember….
Businesses that want to win have to keep one eye open for these big shifts and they have to capitalize on them when it’s time. With Pokémon Go, businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to create strong emotional bonds with new customers, and for very little money.
Even if Pokémon Go isn’t as powerful a tool for driving sales six months or a year from now, the customers that you delight today are going to remember you tomorrow. You have nothing to lose, just try it and experiencing it yourself:)
Note to Nintendo: are you going to launch Mario Kart as well? That would be something… Nice running excersize too:0
Love, Marietta
