How can you draw more customers to your brick-and-mortar location? Depending on their cell phone service provider, tapping into a hotspot via a smartphone or paying for an individual connection may not always serve the needs of individuals and small business owners. There are times you may need to meet in a coffee shop or neutral territory and pull up presentations, and Facebook WiFi can help fill the gap where other services lack.

If you own a small local business, you can offer Facebook WiFi as a perk for frequenting the establishment. Your customers may choose which place to spend their hard-earned money based on what’s available for connectivity.

More than 2.9 billion people use Facebook every month. Since most of your customers likely already have an account, tapping into this feature gives them a chance to help you promote your business to their connections.

How Does Facebook WiFi Work?

When a business uses Facebook WiFi, customers can easily tap into their internet connection by simply checking in on their Facebook page. Rather than searching for the appropriate network and possibly opening themselves up to an unsafe connection, they can show people where they’re having a cup of coffee and tap into WiFi at the same time.

Setting up Facebook WiFi requires configuring routers already in your place of business and making a few basic adjustments. However, the effort is well worth it, as you’ll gain many benefits for your brand.

1. Extra Marketing

Usually, people don’t think to check in all the time when they come into your place of business. However, when you offer Facebook WiFi, they’ll check in to use it. As a result, their friends and family will see that they are there, expanding your reach.

Imagine seeing your cousin post that she’s checking into a local coffee shop every day. You might start to wonder what’s good to drink there and try it out one day.

2. Better Security

Security is always top of mind regarding technology and sharing internet access. But the truth is, you’re actually much better off offering Facebook WiFi with a large brand and internet technicians to oversee any problems and stop them before they get out of hand.

Not only can you protect your business from being hacked through Facebook’s WiFi, but you can also eliminate the need for password sharing. This elevates your security and keeps everyone on the network safe.

3. Increased Engagement

When people check in on your page, they will then see any recent posts or photos. They can interact with your company, easily post a photo of whatever they just ordered, and make comments. As a result, people are much more likely to engage and bump your page up in Facebook’s algorithms.

Anything you can do to interact more with your audience helps improve your presence on social media. It also keeps your name at the forefront of their thoughts.

4. Gain Better Customer Insights

You’ll get a better feel for how often people visit your establishment. How many are first-time visitors, and how many return? Would a customer loyalty program benefit your business model?

You can run reports and find out who your target audience is. Detailed data about your customers help you better market to them, know what products or services would be well received, and communicate in a language they understand.

5. Better Segment Your Audience

In a recent HubSpot survey, around 30% of marketing professionals use segmented campaigns and note as high as 760% higher revenue. So when you have people utilizing Facebook WiFi, you know who has already expressed interest in your brand.

Use Facebook ads to target those who’ve checked into your brick-and-mortar location. You can send them special offers, let them know about new items, or otherwise reach out to them to thank them for their continued support.

6. Customize Settings

Do you want to limit how long people can use your WiFi to encourage them to move along to the next location so your store doesn’t become overcrowded? You can use Facebook WiFi to set up custom features, including session length.

If someone plans to park in your coffee shop all day, the least they can do is log back in and keep giving your store some free exposure on the platform.

7. Easy, Inexpensive Set-Up

Facebook WiFi is relatively inexpensive to set up, and you will need a Facebook business page. You don’t have to pay for the presence. However, you do have to pay for extras, such as ads or boosting posts, to get them in front of more eyes.

You’ll also need a Facebook WiFi-enabled router. Facebook offers a list of enabled routers on their setup page, including names such as:

• • EnGenius
  • Intelbras
  • TP-Link
  • D-Link
  • Netgear

Not every router in those brands will work, so be sure to check which devices are compatible with Facebook’s service. The rest of the process simply requires walking through the steps to set up the router and customize settings.

Is It Worth the Effort to Offer Facebook WiFi?

Whether Facebook WiFi is right for your business depends on the type of establishment you run. For example, if you manufacture items, there’s little need for setting up the program at your place of business. On the other hand, if you sell food or entertainment, you can expand your reach by gaining exposure via check-ins and mentions.

It doesn’t cost much to set it up, so any coffee shop, ice cream parlor, restaurant, or other place where people work and use the internet will benefit from offering the service to their patrons.

Charley Grey knows that reaching your audiences in new ways is crucial for business. Facebook WiFi is just one of the many ways to reach people online. While we specialize in managed website subscriptions, we consider all other aspects of your digital marketing and presence online. We even integrate social links into your website so that people can find you and our Facebook page even faster. Contact us today to learn more about all that Charley Grey has to offer!

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash