2017 is Coming. Are You Ready?

IT IS TIME. Specifically, it is Mid-October and our minds have to be on 2017 already.

Yes, it was just yesterday when you were in the city celebrating what would turn out to be the weirdest year in American history. But now we can hope to turn the page on something brighter and more important: future business plans.

“But why make the push when the busiest time of year is headed right our way?”

Before you know it, the new year will be here and the budget will have to be finalized for the entire year. Start now and realize where adjustments can be made throughout the remainder of 2016 in order to monetize every dollar and every investment necessary.

“From a marketing perspective, where do I start for my business?”

Many times one of the last aspects to be covered in the annual budget, it is still extremely important to place weight to the marketing plans for 2017. Especially with the extreme evolution of social media usage just over this past year, allowing for enough to cover all changes that take place in the medium is imperative to success.

Think about it for a moment: In just this year, Facebook started to place more focus on friends and family posts, Twitter discounted @names and images out of the 140 character count, Instagram adds stories to compete with Snapchat, and Snapchat lowered the importance of its Discover feature as of this past week. Some of these alterations came as a huge surprise while others will go by unnoticed. But either way, the way things are changing is quick and not even the biggest advertising companies in the world can always keep up.

So be prepared. Get on these platforms, keep up with their blogs, and talk with professionals about what can be done to see what may be coming and how to best utilize new features in the near and far future. Plan what you want to do now so that when these changes come, you can make a big swing and hit the home run before anyone else in your field.

In a year from now, this article will be just as relevant as it is now as the world is only moving faster and if you haven’t started to plan for 2017, you’re already behind.

Pokemon Go & Your Business

“Gotta catch ‘em all!”

No, that is not just a lyric from a smash television show that suddenly became relevant again, but it’s a phrase that every business should take to heart as the Pokemon surge continues to spike Nintendo’s market share up $20 billion as of the writing of this post.

As zombified light-faced consumers walk the streets of your local coffee shops and town squares, turn them up from their augmented reality filled screens and figuratively knock ‘em out with some great deals and opportunities that make them coming back to your business.

Here are a couple great ways to take advantage of the Poke-craze and sell ‘em and keep ‘em:Screen Shot 2016-07-20 at 4.43.02 PM

Put up a few lures!

In the game, there is an item called the lure that can be utilized to bring more Pokemon to your Pokestop for 30 minutes. Now, if that confuses you, then you need to join the madness and open the app! When lures are placed, virtual purple confetti fall from the Pokestop leading trainers to your direction to capture the locals.

Give deals to trainers who come on by!

Many businesses have placed signs out front and offer discounts for local players. For instance, since getting more lures cost money, have trainers place the lures for you, have them show you that they actually did it, and give them a free drink or half-off their next purchase.

Make a game out of the different teams!raymundospokego

For those unaware, the game consists of three teams: Team Mystic (Blue), Team Valor (Red), and another one (Team Valor [Yellow]). To bounce right off of Idea #2, creating discounts, deals, or games out of the teams is an effective way to bring together the online and real world for the craze that continues to sweep the nation.

Have fun on social media!

Businesses have already made posts on Facebook, Instagram, and more to commemorate the success of the little application. For example, for our client Raymundo’s, we posted a photo on Instagram of the Pokemon Alakazam ready to eat some of their delicious gelatin. The kids and adults alike eat that up! (Every pun intended).

The moral of the story here is, as Hillary Clinton would say, “I’m trying to get them to have ‘Pokemon Go to the polls!”

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