Pokemon Go and Your Small Business

Unless you haven't watched the news in the past month, it is unlikely that you haven't heard of Pokemon Go. This augmented reality game has blown up on the global stage and is causing weight loss, car accidents, visits to the emergency room, 90s kids feeling like children once again, and local SEO marketing.SEO marketing?Yes, it's true. Considering that Pokemon Go is so popular right now with people of all ages, it would only make sense that many small business owners are trying to use the trend to their advantage.You see, Pokemon Go is having a huge impact on the business world. Considering the fact that this game requires "trainers" to get out into the real world to catch them all, different businesses, museums, churches, and parks have all become home to these little pocket monsters (with or without the owner's knowledge). Since the players are out and about, the chances that they will stop into a local store or restaurant has gone way up.Ever since the launch of the game, small businesses across the nation have reported seeing their customer foot traffic increase two-fold, even three-fold. Thank goodness for virtual reality Pokemon characters litering outside their store. So if you have found a monster near your shop, here are some techniques on how to use it to your advantage. 1. Research what PokeStops or gyms are near your location. Gyms are especially helpful as multiple players meet there to battle their monsters, compared to a typical stop.2. Use this information to your advantage. Make a blog post or share on social media about it. Social media platforms and blogs already reach 80% of all American Internet users, so the probability that you will be noticed is substantial. 3. Think about investing in mobile PPC ads. A full 93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, with 100 billion global searches being conducted every month. Paid search ads are a fast growing market, and these PPC ads can immediately alert players to your shop if you have plenty of PokeStops around you.4. Once your ads are in place, you can develop a specialized offer for Pokemon Go players. This can include discounts if they have caught a specific character or simply providing free cell phone charging to players of the game.If done correctly, using Pokemon Go to your advantage will bring hoards of excited gamers into your store. And while some of these tips are specific to Pokemon Go, the general principles hold true for any other viral phenomenon. The more you engage with your local community, the greater your chance of gaining new exposure and customers. And the more people follow you on social media, write about you, and check into your store, the better you will fare in local search results.Of course, you could always just take the shortcut to the top of the search results. PPC ads can get your business in front of local customers right away. Call Front Man Marketing and get help from experienced PPC managers and consultants.