Pokemon Go has been out long enough now—and enough articles and think pieces have been written about it—that you may be wary of reading anything further on the subject. Here’s the simple reason why you should continue to care about Pokemon Go, even if you’ve never played the game yourself: 9.5 million people play the game daily, it’s a runaway success in the App Store, and countless businesses have used Pokemon Go to bring new people into their offices and shops.
Simply put, Pokemon Go presents a unique opportunity for business owners to increase foot traffic—and that includes the owners of used car dealerships. The question is, how can you really make use of Pokemon Go, not just as a mobile game but as a practical way to bring folks to your dealership?
Using Pokemon Go as a Marketing Tool
The first thing we recommend is actually downloading the game to your mobile device—it’s free, after all—and spending a few minutes playing it. You may not like it and you may not want to become a Pokemaster, but it’s good to at least have some general idea of what the game is all about.
Once you’re inside the game, you can create “lures” which bring Pokemon creatures to your place of business (and thus serve as enticement for people who are playing the game). Lures don’t cost much—you can get a lure for as little as a buck—and can provide real incentive for Poke-players to visit your dealership in person.
The lures will only be effective if you actually advertise them; let people know when you’ll be buying the lure so they know when to come to your dealership. Posters, email blasts, social media—there are plenty of tools you can use to spread the word about your upcoming Pokemon promotion.
Provide incentives to Pokemon players who come to your dealership. Offer small discounts, free merchandise, or perhaps something like a free tire rotation in your service department, all for players who “check in” from your dealership or simply who show you their Pokemon profile on their smart phone. Again, if you have a Pokemon-themed promotion, you’ll want to advertise it well.
Even having some Pokemon-themed merchandise made up to give away to your customers is a good way to get into the spirit of the game, and to make clear that your car dealership is welcoming to Pokemon players everywhere.
Promoting Your Car Dealership
Using Pokemon Go to get people to your dealership is a great strategy—but of course, it’s also just a step in the right direction. You ultimately want people to buy your vehicles, and that’s going to come down to service, pricing, and the quality of your inventory.
Nevertheless, boosting foot traffic is a good approach for any used car dealership, and these are all methods we recommend. Get more dealer tips by checking out the Get My Auto dealer blog.