Allow your business to ‘catch ‘em all’ — Pokémon and customers alike!
Everywhere you look people of all ages are wandering around staring at their phone. What are they doing? They’re trying to catch virtual Pokémon from Nintendo’s newly released app, Pokémon Go.
So what’s so great about this game? How is this going to affect your business?
Well, well my friends, our FreshLime team is going to share some of our pro tips that your small biz can use to embrace and benefit from this new Pokémon craze!
Here is a quick breakdown of some things you need to know about the game:
Pokéstops –
Specific landmarks that hold the needed supplies players need for the game. Players walk to the various locations to collect supplies but have to wait 10 minutes before collecting more supplies.
If you’re lucky you may have a Pokéstops near your business which can greatly increase foot traffic. As of right now there is no way to get a Pokéstops to be placed in a certain area but there is a high chance there is one nearby.
Lures –
Special Pokéstops that draws in a lot of Pokémon for a limited time. Players create a Lure through the Lure Module which is an in-game store and they cost 100 Pokécoins or 1200 Pokécoins for $9.99. Lures last for 30 minutes so you would have to be vigilant in placing Lures at a Pokéstops near your business.
Once a Lure is placed, players can see it on their phones and will come to the area to catch the Pokémon you’ll attracted with the Lure. If you are placing Lures regularly people will learn to visit and generate repeat traffic. You can even name a Lure using your business name to show players you want to help them in the game.
Gyms –
Are places where players go to battle each other and are controlled by one of the three teams. Teams can fight to take over a gym. Businesses can benefit from being designated as gyms. There is no way right now to choose to be designated as a gym but it seems that they are most commonly restaurants, bars and coffee shops where players go to spend time and often bring business to pickup sales.
Something to be aware of though, is that players may be at your business just for the benefit of Pokémon and may not be a paying customer would could crowd out real customers for your business. So you need to engage them once they are there.
Incentivize players to visit your business–Focus on one team. Offer discounts and promos for players from that team to buy from your business.
Make sure you engage on social media showing your allegiance to the game attracting players.
Since the game drains battery life, you could offer free charging spots for customers of your business who play the game as well as wifi.
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!