4 Excellent Ways Local Merchants can Improve Customer Acquisition Metric with Pokemon Go

Ever played Pokemon Go?

Even if you are not passionate about playing virtual games, you definitely would have heard about this new location based augmented reality app on Twitter or Facebook from your friends. Social networking sites are buzzing with cheats, hacks, and maps for the game. Pokemon Go is the talk of the digital town!

Integration of two trending features – mobile game and augmented reality – gave birth to Pokemon Go which now has more than 20 million daily active users (which is huge!). This large market audience is a golden opportunity for local merchants like coffee shops or hair salons to grow their business.

Here are few ways local businesses ‘must’ capitalize on the Pokemon Go craze:

1. PokeStop or Pokemon Gym?

PokeStop and Pokemon Gym are hotspots for Pokemon players. Pokestops are ideally significant places in the city like – statues, churches, libraries, post offices and many other such places where Pokemon trainers (players of the game) can stop to get more Pokeballs and other supplies. On the other hand Pokemon Gym is a place where trainers fight and if they win they claim the ownership of the gym (of course virtually!) Pokemon trainers are vigorously looking for Pokestop and gym.

Figure out whether your business is PokeStop or Gym or is nearby any of these two hotspots. To find this out, you must download this free app. If you find a blue cube with a circle around a stop, you’ve struck a marketing gold mine for your local business.

2. Leverage Pokemon Go Lure Module to Attract Prospects

To use Pokemon Go as a new sales funnel and to attract new customers, local merchants must leverage lure. Lures can be set as Pokestops which increases chances of Pokemon generation in nearby areas of Pokemon Stop.

On purchasing lure, SMB owner will be able to attract Pokemon to that particular location for 30 minutes.  The key here is to purchase lure modules at the right time depending on your business; for instance, if you own a restaurant, the best time to purchase lure modules in bulk is during happy hours.

3. Get Social

There is no shortage of creative tactics available which local business owners can leverage to get the best of both worlds (Pokemon Go and Social Media):

1. Invite people on social channels to play at your store
2. Encourage Pokemon trainers to check-in while playing inside your store
3. Get players to take pictures of your product/location with Pokemon
4. Offer incentives for using hashtags for your business
5. Take a video of Pokemon players in your store and post it on your social channels
6. Ask Pokemon trainers to share video with Snapchat memories

4. Offer Free Charging Stations At Your Brick & Mortar Store

What makes Pokemon Go different from other virtual games is: players of this game are required to leave their couch and go hunting for Pokemon characters from one location to other. The game uses player’s GPS and camera to turn the real world into a virtual ground for finding these iconic characters. Usage of GPS and camera for a long time will drain your potential customers’ smartphone battery.

So, the best way to ensure that Pokemon trainers land at your store and play there is to offer them what they are looking for: a free charging station!

Final Words

True marketers and business owners will always find a way to use latest trends for their business promotion. Incorporate the latest Pokemon Go fever into your local marketing strategy in the above-mentioned ways to attract potential customers and boost your business.

Share in the comment section below how you are using the Pokemon trend to promote your local business.