The Pokémon Go app has become a huge sensation in just a few short days. It has more daily active users than Twitter and 2x the engagement of Snapchat. This, however, is not just a game – it is the new go-to marketing tool for small and local businesses with a physical retail location. Pokémon Go drives players to go to real world locations to catch Pokémon and as a small business, you can increase the number of Pokémon in your location to drive more foot traffic that goes by or to your business.
With stories in the New York Post like L’inizio’s Pizza Bar in New York and their staggering success, it’s no wonder more businesses are catching on. L’inizio’s Pizza Bar paid $ 10 to have a dozen Pokémon characters lured to the store, which increased foot traffic and business by 75%. Given these results, you should be marketing on Pokémon Go today if you are a local small business.
The real question is, ‘How can I use this as a marketing tool for my business’? At FreeLogoServices we have done the research and tested the platform for our customers and this is what we learned. Here’s what you need to know before you advertise your local business through the Pokémon Go app.
- Download the App to figure out if your business location is a PokéStop, PokéGym, or neither: Although there is no official map, PokéStops and Gyms are clearly marked with symbols (see below).
- Choose How You Will Advertise: Depending on your business’s location, you will have different options.
If your business is located at a PokéStop, you can throw down a “Lure” to increase the number of Pokémon in that area. The Lure will draw Pokémon (and customers) to your location for 30 minutes. Increasing the number of Pokémon at your business could mean an influx in foot traffic and business. The best part, it’s quite affordable. $ 100 gets you 14,500 Pokécoins, and an eight-pack of Lures costs 680 Pokécoins. This ends up costing just over $ 1 per hour (around $ 15 per day for working hours) of increased foot traffic when you do the math.
If you’re near a gym, get creative with offline marketing. Currently, you can’t throw down Lures at a gym, but being near one means you won’t need them. App users are going to flock to your area to compete and take over the gyms. Here are some ways to use being near a gym to advertise your small business:
- Giveaways: Order giveaways with your logo on them to hand out to the top Pokémon Go winners at the gym. For added effect, create a new Pokémon badge version of your logo and add it to your rewards.
- Get involved: Keep score of which team or player is in control of your gym and offer discounts to members of that team.
Your business is near (but not at) a PokéStop – This will be a common issue for many businesses. When researching this article, we ran into this issue. With Lures purchased, our team was ready to launch a campaign for a local independent coffee shop, Boston Brewin. Unfortunately, we were not able to place our Lure because the building was not a predetermined landmark. If you find yourself in a similar situation, here are other effective ways to increase traffic to your business:
Drop Lures at PokéStops near your business – Remember, the best PokéStop is not always the closest. Think about foot traffic in your area as well as the major roads and intersections. Pick the one that will require people to walk past your business from the main road. See the image below as a demonstration.
Create a physical marketing campaign around your new foot traffic. Hand out flyers or business cards, hang banners to attract customers, and create offers for those who are playing that stop in.
- Purchasing and Setting Lures
To purchase Lures:
- Open the Pokémon Go app
- Catch your first Pokémon and you’ll get a red Pokéball
- Tap the red Pokéball at the bottom of the screen and hit “Shop”
- Scroll down and buy a pack of Pokécoins (the apps currency)
- Once you have Pokécoins use them to buy a Lure Module
Setting a Lure:
- Get close enough to your target PokéStop to access it. The PokéStop will look like this when accessible.
- Deploy a Lure. To deploy a lure click the PokéStop, then click the white oval and select the lure module on the next screen. Once the lure is deployed, the PokéStop will rain pink confetti to attract Pokémon.
- Make sure to use this new marketing tool in conjunction with your social media campaign. Use Facebook and Twitter to increase awareness about your Pokémon Go offers. Here are some ways to use Facebook with your Pokémon campaign:
- Tell users you will give them discounts at your business when they share screenshots of rare Pokémon near or at your shop. Just make sure they tag your business!
- Promote that you’re rewarding users who find Pokémon near, or at, your business.
- Create targeted ads on Facebook inside the geographical radius of your choice to spread the word about local Pokémon near your small business.
Source:
http://nypost.com/2016/07/12/pokemania-runs-wild-through-city-causing-crime-accidents/
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