Pok\u00e9mon GO has taken the Internet by storm. \u00a0The app was released a week ago, and already museums and cultural institutions are seeing a marked increase in visitors. \u00a0Best of all? Most of these visitors are the coveted millennial audience!<\/p>\n
So why should museums embrace Pok\u00e9mon GO? \u00a0Blaire Moskowitz gave us a first look at the potential of the app to engage audiences<\/a>. \u00a0Now, we\u2019d like to share with you an in-depth look at how to use the app\u2019s potential to attract new audiences and what this could mean for museums.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As of publication, no official map of all the Pok\u00e9Stops and Gyms exists. \u00a0But there are two ways you can find out if the app will attract players to your site:<\/p>\n (1) Use the online map of portals created for the game \u201cIngress,\u201d also developed by Niantic. \u00a0Check it out here<\/a>, by installing the Ingress app on your phone and signing in. \u00a0You can then use the searchable world map to find the \u201cportals\u201d (which are Pok\u00e9Stops and Gyms in Pok\u00e9mon GO).<\/p>\n (2) Open the Pok\u00e9mon GO app on your phone and look for the tall structures with little Pok\u00e9mon near the top. \u00a0Here\u2019s a screenshot of what to look for:<\/p>\n Want an easy way to capitalize on being a Gym? Order Pok\u00e9mon Gym badges that are customized to your museum, and offer them for sale or as giveaways to players. \u00a0Hold a battle of the trainers and whichever team ends up holding the Gym, gets the badges!<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s time to show off your institution as a Pok\u00e9mon GO hot spot! \u00a0Social media is the perfect way to advertise your invitations to players. \u00a0You can do a general post stating how many Pok\u00e9Stops and Gyms you have on site, and inviting players to come hang out.<\/p>\n For even more audience engagement, have a staff member take screenshots in the app as they find Pok\u00e9mon in your museum! \u00a0This is especially great if you find rare or valuable Pok\u00e9mon. \u00a0Park rangers at the National Mall and Memorial Parks got in on the action – sharing photos of staff doing fun poses with Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n Want to reach a wide audience? \u00a0For as little as $50, a Facebook Ad could go a long way in promoting your post. \u00a0Here\u2019s a step-by-step guide:<\/p>\n You can then track your ad in Ad Manager, to see how many likes, shares, and comments the app gets. \u00a0Remember to monitor your Facebook Page\u2019s notifications, and respond to any customer comments asking for more information as soon as possible. \u00a0Check out this article<\/a> for more Facebook advertising tips.<\/p>\n One important feature of Pok\u00e9mon GO is the ability to purchase Lures. \u00a0Lures increase the rate of Pokemon generation in a designated area for one half hour, typically near a Pok\u00e9Stop. \u00a0That may not sound powerful, but with players only being able to catch one Pok\u00e9mon per stop, a Lure gets players to stay near one location for extended periods of time in order to catch additional Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n A single lure costs 100 Pokecoins, or $0.99. \u00a0So for $1.98 an hour, you can attract a millennial audience by giving the players a boost. \u00a0For a whole day event (8 hours), $15.84 will get millennials in the door and staying on site for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n Walter Chen figured out the most cost-effective method of using Lures:<\/p>\n What’s even more incredible is just how affordable luring is. Let’s do the math. With $100 netting you 14,500 Pokecoins and an eight-pack of Lures costing 680 Pokecoins:<\/p>\n 14,500 Pokecoins \/ 680 = 21 eight-packs of lures<\/i><\/p>\n (21 * 8)\/2 = 84 hours<\/i><\/p>\n $100\/84 hours = $1.19 per hour<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n According to Chen\u2019s method, $100 would buy you ten and a half days worth of Lures – for only $9.52 per day!<\/p>\n Bonus: You can stack lures as well! \u00a0By stacking lures (using two or more at the same time in close proximity), you can double the amount of Pok\u00e9mon appearing on site!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget:<\/b> Tweet or post about your Lures on Social Media! \u00a0If you tweet out that at a specific time, you\u2019ll be hosting Lures, players will come. \u00a0Have staff nearby ready to answer questions and guide players to the Lures, or even offer free WiFi to enable players to avoid using up their cellular data.<\/p>\n You can even do a test of this, purchasing one Lure for $0.99 and seeing what happens. \u00a0We bet the results will speak for themselves!<\/p>\n How to Purchase Lures:<\/p>\n Want to really attract players and show off your museum? Make it an event!<\/p>\n Hold an after-hours hunt specifically for Trainers, so as not to bother other visitors and focus on introducing players to the awesome collections in your museum. \u00a0Have a designated \u201chunt master\u201d or \u201cbattle master\u201d that players can find to battle for special prizes. \u00a0Offer up fun trivia challenges about objects on display as a way to get insider tips on where the best Pok\u00e9mon are to be found. \u00a0You can also offer Google Play or iTunes gift cards as prizes, which players can use to purchase in-app items.<\/p>\n Better yet – add a Pokemon Lure to an upcoming event to attract more visitors. \u00a0The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area had a BioBlitz event planned, and quickly saw the potential. \u00a0They added a few Lures to the Visitor Center and in-person tote board next to their existing board to draw in Pokemon Trainers.<\/p>\n You can also add more fun with Pok\u00e9mon-inspired drinks, food, and fun crafts! \u00a0Hold a Pokemon Crafts Day, which is especially good for younger players. \u00a0You can link the Pok\u00e9mon found to objects on display:<\/p>\n There are so many ways to connect Pok\u00e9mon to the real world. \u00a0All you need is to let your imagination run wild, to talk with players, and to embrace the notion that Pok\u00e9mon is a virtual counterpart to much of our real-world experience.<\/p>\n Want to embrace players, but also ensure that your site\u2019s rules are followed? \u00a0Implement guided tours for Pok\u00e9mon GO players. \u00a0Have a staff member who knows the app (or plays it) guide players around your site. \u00a0By offering Pok\u00e9mon GO tours, you can cater to players, while ensuring that they learn proper etiquette for your site and don\u2019t disturb other visitors too much.<\/p>\n For example, the Schenectady County History Society is hosting \u201cTake the Stockade! Pokestop History Tour<\/a>\u201d on July 14. \u00a0<\/a>They\u2019ve invited players to join them for a Thursday evening full of lure modules, gym battles, discussions about different Pok\u00e9mon, and exploration of the Stockade while presenting stories behind the different Pok\u00e9Stops. \u00a0As of time of writing, they already had over 103 people interested in the event and 25 going!<\/p>\n How can Pok\u00e9mon fit into your current exhibitions?\u00a0 One museum is currently investigating how the app could attract new audiences:<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of what’s next, I want to see if there is a way to further engage with these visitors once they are in our doors – virtually and inside the physical museum walls. Do we connect the Pok\u00e9mon game experience with the history of play and playmaking?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n By meeting visitors where they are, and connecting Pok\u00e9mon with existing programming, museums can showcase that they want to be engaging spaces for visitors. \u00a0It also provides a doorway to showing off awesome collections and stories in a way that is meaningful and relevant to visitors.<\/p>\n On Reddit, lots of examples of institutions embracing the app are being shared by Pok\u00e9mon GO players. \u00a0One brew house, that is also a Pokemon Gym, is offering discounted drinks to Pok\u00e9mon GO players who are part of the team that holds the gym. \u00a0All the players have to do is show that they belong to the team on their phone\u2019s app, and they get discounted drinks or free t-shirts!<\/p>\n Museums can capitalize on this – and here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n Know what got players in your door. \u00a0As John Rudy of the National Park Service explains in the video below, Pokemon is a cultural phenomenon that\u2019s not going away anytime soon, and the \u00a0Pok\u00e9mon GO app is a blessing for museums, historic sites, and other public institutions.<\/p>\nHow to Find Out if Your Museum is a Pok\u00e9Stop or Gym<\/h2>\n
Promote Your Local Pok\u00e9mon on Social Media<\/h2>\n
Advertise Your Pok\u00e9mon with Boosted Posts<\/h2>\n
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Throw Down a Lure, Sit Back, and Watch Them Bite<\/h2>\n
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Create a Pok\u00e9mon GO Event + Promote It on Facebook<\/h2>\n
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Create Guided Tours to Catch \u2018Em All<\/h2>\n
Integrate Pok\u00e9mon into Exhibits<\/h2>\n
Offer Discounts or Comforts<\/h2>\n
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Most Importantly, Understand<\/h2>\n