06 Apr What is Social WiFi and why is it so powerful?

Social WiFi is the latest trend to hit the world of digital marketing and it is changing the way in which companies engage with and market to their customers – potential, new, existing and old.

It works by providing (largely free) WiFi to customers via mobile devices. Customers sign in via their social media accounts to access the free WiFi (bonus for them) and in doing so give marketers access to some very useful information such as the kind of sites they like to visit, the places they like to go in their vicinities and of course their contact details (bonus for marketers).

Online orders made using mobile technology (smartphones and tablets) in 2013 were 8.0% of all online sales in Europe but as high as 13.8% in the US.

It sounds like a mild form of spy wear but it’s not for the simple fact that the marketers using this information don’t have the ability to track individuals – it’s only the key tends they can see. For example, a retailer might be able to see that more women than men come into their stores, their stores are busiest at 11am and whilst in store, most people access their competitors site…possibly to compare prices.

Social WiFi is changing the way in which marketers approach their marketing strategies.

Imagine having access to this kind of information? It would allow you to do so much. For example, you could place your main point of sales where you see the greatest footfall. You could bring more staff on to the floor at 11am because you know that’s when they’ll be needed.  You could offer vouchers that are only valid at 2pm because that’s your quietest time.

Social WiFi is changing the way in which marketers approach their marketing strategies. The information that this new software is providing is in real time, it’s rich and it’s free! No more buying list of customers’ data, or working tirelessly to collect followers who might not even like your products. Through Social WiFi, marketers are getting exactly the kind of information they need.

Of course, there are downsides to this. Aside from the security fears some critics might have there are fear marketers should have too. For one, some marketing departments just can’t stop themselves from blanket messaging large groups of people; spamming them with special offers and information and you could argue that Social WiFi just provides another way for them to do this.

It’s true and it could ruin the reputation of this new technology before it gets off the ground. That’s not we’re about at Konnectifi. In fact, one of our aims this year is to help marketing departments make better use of their data, teaming insight with ideas to effectively target their next customer and do so in a way that builds engagement, brand affinity and mutual trust and respect between sellers and buyers.

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