Did you hear the one about the promoter and the pokémon go? nah
So, I was out the other night at a Soca event in London and I met a mate of mine who stated he was a Pokemon Go player and a proud one at that. I immediately side eyed him and asked…'What!?!? Why!?!?' In his enthusiasm he explained and it basically came down to 'because it was different!'
Now ironically shortly afterwards I was handed a flyer for another event and despite it being very professionally designed, it just seemed...boring.
So it got me thinking, surely there must other ways to make an event more appealing. How many people must there be who are into this type of technology and like to go clubbing and how to use a current trend with a traditional marketing method?!
Pokémon Go in da building...
1. invite people to play at your event
Your first step to boosting social media engagement via Pokémon Go is to get your regular followers, who happen to be players, to your event.
Use your existing social channels to invite people to come play whilst they are dancing to their favourite tunes.
Better yet, why not turn it into a contest? Just be sure to follow the rules on each social network, like Facebook.
Why not post a screenshot of catching your best Pokemon in the bar and be entered for a chance to win a Google Play, iTunes gift card or a bottle of 'something nice'.
Invite your social media followers to play Pokémon Go at your club night.
Just the invitation alone can open the door to more social engagement with the party crowd.
2. offer free wi-fi and charging stations
To add some extra promotion if you want Pokémon Go players to play at your event, there are two vital things they’ll really appreciate: Wi-Fi and charging stations. Use your social media channels to let people know that you offer both so they’ll feel welcome to play and do a little '2 step' at the same time.
Use social media and signage to let people know that your event offers free Wi-Fi and charging stations.
3. ask your raving players to tag their photos
To make sure your event gets some social exposure, why not ask your ravers to share their favourite Pokémon photos taken at your party and tag your event name when they do.
Even asking players to share their Pokémon photos they’ve taken at your club night will give you more credibility and boost your social media exposure.
Depending on which social network they share to, they can either tag your event in the post or tag it as the location they were playing at. Either will give your event brand some free social media engagement among the raving audience, and further if they share the post publicly.
Be sure to look for public mentions so you can thank your clubbers for coming and further engage with your followers and fans!
The staggering amount of people globally who have downloaded, played the game and also enjoy a good night out is phenomenal, and can't be dismissed.
Your marketing efforts need to be focused on making people feel like they’re getting an exclusive experience every time they come to your club for a good time.
Being open and honest about the experience someone will receive when they visit your event is a good place to start. If you provide a high level of perceived value that isn’t backed up by a fantastic experience, then you’ll have a very disgruntled client who will never come back and will tell all their friends about how rubbish your event was.
Of course Pokémon Go isn’t for everyone, but at the very least, it could make for a great media conversation for many social network pages and get people talking about your event.
Author: Jonathan Ambrose @goodmuseapp @realjonnyambrose
