Yes, this is yet another thought piece on the phenomenon of Pokémon GO. I’ve been an avid player these last few weeks, using it as an excuse to go for a long walk after work, and it’s struck me during that time, that three of its features apply to content marketing strategies as a whole.

1) You never know when a Pokémon/Inspiration will turn up

Yes, there are tools to help you see which Pokémon are around, but for the average walker it’s all about wandering around and keeping alert to new opportunities around you. Sometimes a rare Pokémon turns up when you least expect it. Sometimes you set up a lure or cover yourself in incense and hope for the best.

If you are waiting for good content to fall on your lap without a lure, you could be waiting a long time: go out and find it! Talk to people, your clients, your prospects, those outside of your normal sphere of work. Attend events, watch shows, and engage in different activities. These are the places and the people that spark connections in your brain, making links where there were none before.

Even a small change, like changing desks or altering your daily habits can prove incredibly inspiring. Essentially, it’s about making yourself look at your everyday through a different lens. An augmented reality, if you will.

2) Gamify your strategy

What keeps Pokémon GO addictive is that it is a game that operates in different gears suiting a variety of players. Some will play it exclusively to dominate gyms, others might have the goal of capturing every Pokémon there is, others yet might play it more casually, hatching eggs and catching the odd Pokémon in their downtime.

Inspire yourself from this by setting goals and rewards for you and your team as part of your content strategy. Rather than choosing one metric for success, choose several with different lengths of times to achieve them. For instance, 3 months to achieve x number of shares, 1 month to create x number of videos, 6 months for x number of downloads, etc. Provide rewards or incentives for achieving these goals - these do not have to be expensive: a box of chocolate, a trophy, would all work.

3) Be selective about your tools

The standard Pokémon backpack has limited space, which means that if you keep collecting every object a Pokéstop gives you without using it, you quickly run out of room. I rarely take part in combat for instance, so I tend to select lures, Pokéballs, and eggs over reviving potions of various sorts, as these are the ones most useful to me.

We’ve all been guilty of adding app after app – how many are you actually using? How many have access to your Twitter or Facebook account? How many are taking up valuable space or money? Now is a great time to take stock of the tools that are actually providing value and ditch the ones that aren’t. This is a great idea for your data and your wallet.

Bonus: Evolution

Evolution, unless it's for a Pokémon that exists in abundance, like a Rattata, doesn't happen overnight. It requires patience and sacrifice (who knows what Professor Willow is doing with all those Pokémon). Build a long term strategy as well as a short term strategy for what you'd like your company's content marketing strategy to evolve into. Be prepared for it to evolve unexpectedly though, Pokémon like to keep you on your toes like that....