If you’re on any kind of marketing (especially internet marketing) lists…then this week you’ve most likely been bombarded with emails carrying subject lines like…
“How To Instantly Cash In On The Pokemon Go Craze”
…and often starting out with something along the lines of…
“Unless you have been living under a rock you are probably aware that the biggest marketing craze of the decade is taking place right now. Pokemon Go is taking the world by storm, and smart marketers can already take advantage of this incredible opportunity”
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pokemon Go, according to Wikipedia…
“Pokémon Go (stylized as Pokémon GO) is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic. It was released in July 2016 for iOS and Android devices.
The game allows players to capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world. It makes use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices. The game is free-to-play, although it supports in-app purchases of additional gameplay items. An optional companion Bluetooth wearable device, the Pokémon Go Plus, is planned for future release and will alert users when Pokémon are nearby.”
From that, it looks like further insanity is in store for us down the line a little.
Now, if you’re not already on board with this, here are a number of reasons to ignore the whole thing and carry on with what you were doing…
1. It’s just another “Shiny Object”
Ah, yes…the “Shiny Object Syndrome”, the magical marketing tactic that will swiftly (nay, instantly!) solve all your problems and leave you wondering how to spend all the money flooding into your bank account without you having to do anything! Like every other marketing fad, of course, it’s nonsense. Sure, some people will enjoy sucess, especially those quick enough to sell Pokemon Go marketing courses. Most marketers will end up disappointed and out of pocket.
2. It’s a distraction from what really matters
I expect you already have a marketing and business plan in place. It may not be terribly sophisticated but it should be based on sound principles. You’re building a list of interested prospects, converting them to paid customers and nurturing that relationship to keep them as customers for as long as possible. It’s also likely that you have already have a long “To do” list. You don’t need to add Pokemon Go to that list.
3. Your prospects and clients may not care
Depending on your market, your potential clients and existing customers may not have any interest at all in the craze. In which case, not only are you wasting your time but you may even alienate people.
4. Do you really want Pokemon Go fans as clients?
Look, let’s face it, we all have our foibles, pet time-wasters and other failings (OK…perhaps you don’t but you probably know people who do 🙂 ). But do people who spend vast amounts of time with Pokemon Go seem like good customers for you? From the July 2016 “INFO-Marketing Letter”, Dan Kennedy has this to say…
“I have come a long way round to a simple fact: nothing will ever matter more, substitute for, or mitigate the fundamental character-quality of the customer placed into any info-marketing business and then invested in satisfying, retaining and aiding.”
Dan elaborates on this elsewhere to make the KEY point that the success and profitability of an INFO-Marketing business is highly dependent on getting and keeping GOOD QUALITY customers. By “good quality” he means people who value what you offer, are prepared to spend money and are prepared to put in the time and effort to apply your information. Do Pokemon Go fans fit that profile?
Finally…one way you can make use of this fad. It’s certainly “in the news” so it’s useful for blog fodder, other kinds of articles and other “click bait”. Hey, I’ve even used it myself in this piece 😉