Pokemon Go is not only a smartphone app, it is a tool to be utilized by businesses! Many businesses are listed as Poke Stops or Pokemon Gyms within the app, and businesses should be taking advantage of this in their marketing. At Pipeline, not only are we playing the game, we are also coming up with ways our clients can use the app to their advantage. Here are FIVE ways you can use the popular gaming app for your business!

  Five Ways Businesses Can Use Pokemon Go

1) Create Special Deals

Businesses should entice their customers with specials and deals. Give special deals to only users of the app, so that you gain their business. For example, Gezzo’s, a local west coast burrito restaurant near our office, has a special deal for those who play Pokemon Go, depending on which team you are on. Within the app, you can choose to be on Team Valor, Team Mystic, or Team Instinct. Gezzo’s has created deals that for each team, and only members of a particular team can receive that deal. This is a great way to drive returning and new customers to your business.

2) Interact With Players

If you have customers who are playing the game at your business, show the customers on your social media!

Simply take a photo of a few players (be sure to get your business logo in the picture if possible) and say how Pokemon Trainers love to play and shop at your business. This will show that your business is welcoming to players of the app!

3) Consider Using a Lure

If your business is a Poke Stop in the game, consider placing a “Lure” on your business!

A Poke Stop is a local business, landmark, etc., where players can collect items in the game. Lures are devices (within the game) that attract Pokemon to a Poke Stop. The good thing about Lures is that any player can interact with the Pokemon that are attracted to a Poke Stop. So, this means that you can collect (or even purchase) Lures on the app. Lures will work for 30 minutes at a time, and will attract not only Pokemon to your business, but users of the game as well!

4) Show Off Your Pokemon

Share on social media which Pokemon are at your business!

The app uses a technology known as “augmented reality.” This allows the game to use the smartphones back-end camera to show what is in front of the player, and will drop a Pokemon in the environment. For example, if playing in your house, a Pokemon can be appear to be in your hallway. Also within the app is the ability for users to take pictures of the Pokemon they find.

Businesses should use these features! Use the app to see which Pokemon are visiting your business, take a picture, and share with your social media users! Post to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.!

5) Host a Gym Battle

If your business is a Pokemon Gym, host gym battle events!

Each team can control a “gym” within the app, and your business could potentially be a gym. There is no way to ask to be one (yet), and it is randomly selected within the app. The other teams have the ability to battle the other teams and take the gym over. Zach, our account manager, told us of a business (a gym within the app) in Ohio that hosted a gym battle event to attract users to their business.

The event was simple: teams could battle for the gym leadership for 4 hours, and at the end of the event, whichever team was leading the gym, members of that team would receive a prize. The goal here is that not only will users come to the event, but they will purchase items at your business.

These are just some of the ideas that you can implement in your business’ marketing when it comes to Pokemon Go! The app is not going anywhere anytime soon, and the app will release new features later this year, which will entice people to continue using the app. 

If you need help understanding more about Pokemon Go, or need help with your social media marketing, feel free to reach out to us! We would love to help grow your social media presence as well as help you catch more Pokemon!

Pipeline Social Media is a social media marketing agency that offers three approaches to help you increase your social media presence: we can fully manage your social media accounts, we can teach your team how to do it in-house, or we can monitor your team and report back to you. 

Justin Monsewicz
Pipeline Social Media
Interactive Project Manager