Pokemon Go a great new marketing channel

George Iskander, who owns Dezerts restaurant in Sydney's Brighton Le Sands, which is at a Pokemon hotspot, has seen a 10 per cent rise  in weekday sales thanks to marketing tactics he has used around the app.

"Particularly given it's winter, we've really noticed an increase in sales as a result of more foot traffic to the area in the search of rare Pokemon. We are pretty active on social media and the Pokemon phenomenon is another way we can engage customers," says Iskander.

"We've just launched a 10 per cent discount offer for customers who show us their Pokedex and we're looking into other ways we can engage people through the game," he adds.

If you're a local business looking to generate revenue from Pokemon Go players, there are lots of things you can do to engage the thousands of people who have jumped on this craze.

Just in case you are not familiar with Pokemon Go, it's an "augmented reality game" you download on your phone. The idea is to catch Pokemon around you that you can "see" by using your phone to look at the surrounding area. A Pokedex is your collection of Pokemon.

You collect Pokemon using Pokeballs, which you can collect at PokeStops. Players can set lures at PokeStops for 30 minutes to catch wild Pokemon. A PokeStop can be a local point of interest like a park. The secret to this game is that it's best played outdoors.

For small businesses, the key is the PokeStops. You can use the app to find PokeStops near your business. If users see there's a PokeStop near to them, they can also use the "lures" set by other players to catch nearby Pokemon. More on this below.

At time of writing, more than 200,000 Pokemon Go apps were being downloaded an hour around the world, to give you an idea of the scale of the fad.

So how can your business attract Pokemon Go players? Here are some top tips, provided by Silver Chef marketing manager, Toni Firth. Silver Chef is a business that funds the purchase of hospitality equipment.

1. Set lures

While individual players can set lures to catch Pokemon, there's no reason why businesses can't do this as well to attract customers. But "lure models" cost money – one lure module costs 100 "pokecoins" or $1.49.

"In terms of cost-effective marketing, this one is an absolute winner. Your business could set eight hours of lure modules for just under $24," says Firth.

2. Encourage customers to set their own lures

You can see in the app who has used a lure on a nearby PokeStop. Says Firth: "You can attract more customers to your shop by offering your customers a reward such as a free coffee or a discount on a meal for using one of their own lures."

3. Offer freebies or discounts in exchange for photos of Pokemon caught in your cafe or restaurant

If people are catching Pokemon in your business, you can ask customers to send screenshots to a mobile number or an email address in exchange for a discount or freebie. "Use this content for your social media channels to promote your business as a Pokemon hotzone," he adds.

6. Host a Poke hunt

If you have a strong social media presence, let your audience know you will be hosting a Poke hunt around your local areas, starting and finishing at your business.

While Pokemon Go may be a fad, there's no reason why businesses can't have a little fun with it to try to win new customers in these colder winter months. Why not have a go and see what happens?