What Pokemon GO can teach us about Game of Thrones

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Sorry to break it to you, but absolutely nothing! Nor it will teach us anything other than the way in which the internet marketing machinery works.

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[dropcap]S[/dropcap]orry to break it to you, but absolutely nothing! Nor it will teach us anything other than the way in which the internet marketing machinery works. Namely, this question is just an example of the headline bloggers, journalists and marketers have been bombarding us with for some time now.

They aspire to capitalize on the overwhelming buzz generated around pop culture icons and emerging trends. And under the veil of hype, pure nonsense is served as practical advice and wisdom.

The magic formula

With Pokémon Go spreading like wildfire, many people are wondering about the driving force behind this phenomenon. The dilemma is whether to try your luck with this hot topic or not. So, let us take a look at the pattern as simple as ABC, to which a bulk of the content on the Internet adheres. It can be drawn like this: X (number) + tips/lessons/tricks/ways + Y (a popular TV show, movie, game) + can teach us about + Z (an important concept such as digital marketing). We have all stumbled upon these canned titles countless times.

If you did not have enough, just type “What can Pokémon Go teach us” into Google and see it for yourself. Doing the same with Game of Thrones brings up outrageous claims that the TV show is a great resource when you seek to get into real life lessons, business strategies, customer service, and whatnot. Of course, any popular TV show or a superhero movie gets the same kind of lame treatment from marketers. This suggests that the competition is pretty steep, and the level of noise to cut through staggering.

Sitting on the throne

The constant barrage of click baits and wily articles give rise to an oversaturation in the cyber realm. Content fatigue is real, and users will never abandon the quest for quality information. They are getting more sophisticated in the way they use the Internet, and many of them can see right through flashy titles. Alas, the problem is that these tools simply do the trick more often than not. They attract clicks and shares as people flock to them, wanting a piece of buzz-packed experience.

Still, the bitter truth is that no amount of social signals can mask the lame nature of these topics and the piles of content that form around them. This raises suspicion about the ultimate outcome of such a strategy, since a shift towards quality of content is clear as day. Also, to make the masquerade complete, posters tend to attach meme pictures, (un)funny GIFs, and showcase their shabby Photoshop skills. These eye candies and similar attempts only undermine the long-term efforts to display trustworthiness and credibility.

Likewise, going full on mainstream is not the best way to make a name for yourself. You are better off focusing on what you know best. Also, while Pokémon Go-related articles might be in the spotlight now, will it be the case in the few months’ time? Such doubts are nonexistent when creativity and hard work is put into crafting relevant, swell content with timeless appeal. In fact, evergreen content tends to perform exceptionally well, bringing benefits long after publication. Now, this is not to say you should steer clear of well-liked pop culture.

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First of all, the great success of hip bloggers implies we have some important lessons to learn. What is more, experts from King Content Agency consider pop culture a worthy piece of weaponry in the content marketer’s arsenal. Not only does it simplify publishing, but it also draws in a large number of followers who like to read about their favorite Pokémon, tragic Game of Thrones character, superhero, etc. Those who commit to generating a steady stream of content cannot afford the well to run dry. Just note that ideation is one thing, and exploiting trends shamelessly is another matter entirely.

A perfect storm

The Pokémon Go took over the throne and became the King of the Click Bait Kingdom, protector of the Content Marketing Realm. It took the world by storm, or to be more precise, created a perfect storm for the similar pop culture trends to gain traction. Digital marketing landscape is a crowded place, however, what you want is to have a distinctive voice. Do not build your marketing and content strategies on the quicksand of passing trends. Use them to widen the reach, enhance the appeal and add another dimension to the marketing activities. Producing real value for the online community has no alternative.