post by Stephanie Nelson
So whaddya do when a fad like Pokemon Go hits and you’re baffled? You call your friend’s 11-year-old son to get the lowdown! Thanks to Walker Rose, I can speak pretty intelligently about the phenomenon.
The basics, as I understand them, are that the app uses Google Maps to lead folks around the “real world” in search of Pokemon. Once you find a Pokemon, you tap it, then flick a ball at it, and if you hit it, you catch it. The object of the game is to catch as many Pokemon as you can. There are opportunities within the app to upgrade, to battle at gyms, to level up, and more – but those are things I’m still wrapping my head around.
When I asked Walker why this was something he wanted to pay attention to, his answer surprised me a bit. He said he liked it because it got him out into the real world and it encouraged exercise. He also likes that there are a lot of different types of people playing, so you can find friends – old and new – playing the game.
So why has this topic made its way to my blog? Because it’s made it’s way to my clients – those wanting to capitalize on it and those wanting to avoid it. So here are a few pieces of advice:
- If you are among those that want to avoid it completely (like my client that doesn’t want folks loitering around his business), you can request your business be removed from the game.
- If you want to play along, you can offer a lure or a giveaway, or you can ask those playing to help you promote your Pokemon with posts including the hashtags #Pokemon and #PokemonGo. For ideas on that piece of the Pokemon puzzle, check out this article on Inc.com.
While it seems most social media folks agree that this may just be the next new fad and that it may be gone as quickly as it became a hit, there’s no harm in capitalizing while you can. Drive a few sales. Get a little bump in the bottom line. Who knows? It just may last awhile…
Image: PokemonGo.com