Businesses Are Literally Luring In New Customers with Pokemon Go (INFOGRAPHIC)

It's been just over two months since Pokemon Go became a thing.

The mobile app has smashed all sorts of download records and there has been rampant speculation whether such a popular app and a budding technology - augmented reality via smartphone - would be good in some way, shape, or form, for businesses.

There has been plenty of advice given on how to attract Pokemon Go players to your small business location. In some ways, it involves literally luring players toward your operation.

Well, apparently it's working. Those who play Pokemon Go aren't just walking around aimlessly.

New data from Slant Marketing shows that businesses who engage Pokemon Go players are seeing an uptick in business, or at least more foot traffic from those locked into the game.

The Challenges and Rewards of Using Pokemon Go for Business Marketing

A survey of Pokemon Go players reveals that a whopping 82 percent of them have visited a business while they were playing the game. And a large portion of those players who say they visited a business while they were playing stayed at that location longer if they were “lured” there.

The data also shows that Pokemon Go players became more nomadic when playing. More than half surveyed - 51 percent - say they happened upon a business for the first time when they were using the app.

Seventy-one percent of Pokemon Go players surveyed say they visited a local business because it was close to a PokeStop or Gym, locations locked in the game that are designed to attract gatherings of players.

And a lot of those businesses visited for the first time were small local businesses. More than half - 56 percent - also said that they visited a local business instead of a national chain store while they were playing Pokemon Go.

Apart from being lured into locations while playing the game, Pokemon Go players also say they are often playing while they're out running errands, including walking around small businesses - like your store - trying to catch some elusive creature in one of your aisles.

This data shows that it's not too late to get in on the Pokemon Go craze. However, it's also important to stay on top of new trends like this in the future. In particular, it would be a good idea to pay attention to the latest trends in augmented and virtual reality since this is technology that's proving to engage mobile users. Ad also keep on top of how they can be applied to your business.

Take a look at more data from the survey in the infographic below:

Image/Infographic: Slant Marketing

This article, "Businesses Are Literally Luring In New Customers with Pokemon Go (INFOGRAPHIC)" was first published on Small Business Trends