It’s been just seven days since the launch of Pokémon Go, a game for iPhone and Android devices based on the hit Japanese TV show from the 1990s. In that short span of time, the game has exploded in popularity, beating out Facebook, Snapchat, and other applications for #1 in the App Store, with an estimated 21 million daily active users in the US alone.
Could this new phenomenon benefit your business?
Pokémon Go is a game about exploring the real world, with players visiting points of interest in order to collect items, and run into Pokémon—different species of virtual pets—along the way. Importantly, these journeys will often include places near your business!
Hordes of fans are walking through their towns, hoping to become Pokémon Masters. By helping them, you could help your business too.
Let’s explore three ways to do just that.
1. Help Prospective Pokémon Masters Recharge Their Phones
In order to play Pokémon Go, players have to keep their applications open while they travel throughout town. With the sound blaring and the screen on, this can be a serious drain on battery. Of course, this is a particularly acute problem when you are playing a game that incentivizes you to travel far away from your home—and phone charger.
If you have outlets or spare chargers, consider posting a sign that lets passing players know you’re willing to help!
They’ll come in to rest, recharge, and hopefully make a purchase.
2. Offer Prizes and Discounts for Members of Particular Pokemon Teams
Within the game, players need to pick a team, either “Mystic” (Blue), “Instinct” (Yellow), or “Valor” (Red). We’ve seen business owners pick one or two and announce that they are offering a discount. For example, 10% off a drink for members of Team Blue can sound pretty attractive when you have been walking around in the summer heat for hours.
It’s hard to know which teams are most popular in your area, but try varying the discount over time and see if you draw in more players for a particular color.
3. Activate a Lure at a Nearby PokéStop
This idea requires a few dollars of investment and a bit longer explanation—but the payoff could be huge.
Before we begin, you need to know what a PokéStop is. PokéStops are locations within the game that correspond to real-life landmarks. The player has to actually physically go there, which would reward the player with items and experience. PokéStops are scattered on streets and avenues throughout major cities and towns.
At each PokéStop, players can activate a “Lure.” This is an item that will draw more Pokémon pets to appear for players who are standing near that PokéStop. For a player, that means you can make progress while sticking around in one place. You should make that “one place” your business.
Rather than wait for a random stranger, we’ve seen business owners purchase and activate Lures for PokéStops close to their businesses, like Pork Slope in Brooklyn, New York.
You don’t have to play the game at all to take advantage of this—you only have to purchase and use the item. Once you’ve created a Pokémon Go account, it is an easy three-step process:
- Visit the Store and purchase some Pokécoins. We recommend testing with the 1,200 Pokécoins pack for $9.99.
- Purchase Lures. Each Lure is 100 Pokécoins and lasts for 30 minutes. So with the 1,200 Pokécoins pack, you have enough for a 6-hour test.
- Tap on a nearby PokéSpot—the blue items on your local street—and look for the white rounded rectangle under the name of the PokéSpot. That should prompt you to activate your Lure module. In some cases, someone else may already have activated a Lure, in which case you are already good to go!
Bonus: When a PokéStop has a Lure associated with it, it will drop a cascade of pink hearts that’s visible from the main map. When users click in, they can see the username of whoever activated the Lure—so if you choose a username that identifies your business, then local players will know who to thank!
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As Pokémon Go continues to grow and solidify its community, these are just a few ideas that might draw a few of those 21 million+ players to your doors. Let us know how these work for you in the comments, and we’ll check back regularly with new ideas!
The post 3 Ways Your Business Can Attract Customers Through Pokémon Go appeared first on Fundera Ledger.
from Fundera Ledger https://www.fundera.com/blog/2016/07/13/3-ways-business-can-attract-customers-pokemon-go/
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