As technologies evolve, cultures change and customers slowly become wise to the same old marketing techniques, businesses need to develop and adapt the way they reach their target demographic. Today, integrating WiFi access into a business’s promotional strategy is becoming increasingly popular. But why? And is such an approach something that can have a marked effect or should it always be just a small part of a much larger promotional puzzle?
Marketing your company
There is no such thing as a free lunch. You know that and so do your customers. In some ways, the more patent you are about your motives, the more likely your customers are to trust you. This means that, rather than acting as if you are completely altruistic, being upfront and honest about your intentions may actually be a positive move. Showing that all you want in return for access to your internet is for customers to like or follow you on their social media accounts is likely to seem more than fair. After all, if they visit your premises on a regular basis, they could get a huge amount of free internet time from just a click of a button.
To businesses, these ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ can be of great importance. Those who spend time in your premises could well be the same individuals who will come back time and time again. Being connected to your customers via social media will allow you to personalise their experience, keeping your brand fresh in their mind and allowing you to promote products, deals or services that will appeal to them.
When customers hit that ‘like’ button, it is not just the individual themselves who will get a long-term reminder of exactly who you are and what you do. With such information showing up in news feeds, many of their friends will see your business’s name too, and brand recognition could increase as a direct result.
By offering free WiFi, you also give your customers the perfect opportunity to talk about the experience they are having within your premises, whether they are enjoying a lovely meal, having a great time with friends or have found the perfect dress to wear. The potential this can open up for a business is massive, and those offering free internet access will quickly find customers are talking about their business online with an array of their friends and acquaintances.
Marketing knowledge
By choosing the right WiFi solution, your business will be able to collate a huge amount of information about your customers, allowing you to analyse your demographic effectively and to target marketing materials in a more appropriate way as a result. From age and gender to data usage, there are many things that can be learned about your core audience, and plenty of ways in which such knowledge could help inform other aspects of your long-term marketing strategy.
As technologies develop, it is also becoming easier for businesses to target specific smart devices based on the area that a customer is in, sending offers, promotions or information direct to those individuals who opt in to receive such data. This approach may allow businesses to retain customers more competently as well as helping them to turn interest into tangible sales.
The right WiFi solution can help boost customer retention and loyalty, prompt shoppers to do a huge amount of marketing for a business, and help businesses to better manage their own WiFi-enabled devices. As a result, those that are not utilising such solutions are likely to find themselves being quickly left behind.
