When it comes to business, being a good neighbor means more than a willingness to periodically share your eggs and sugar. Neighboring businesses also have the opportunity to share loyal customers, especially when the retailers are not in competing markets. Brick-and-mortar retailers located in shopping plazas and other high-density shopping centers have access to a goldmine of potential new customers – patrons of neighboring businesses. WiFi Marketing offers a new toolset for brick-and-mortars on how you can market out to these potential shoppers that are oh so close, and yet so far away.Â
Physical marketing tools like outdoor signage can help in catching the eye of passerbys, but that’s exactly what those people do: pass by. In today’s consumer landscape of savvy tech advances and short attention spans, brick-and-mortar stores need a better way to engage with shoppers of neighboring businesses. Offering guest WiFi with simple marketing tools built-in is a sure way to have a leg up on the competition, and your neighbors. Â
WiFi Marketing Reaches Where You can’t
Common shopping plaza businesses like the dentist or hair salon have a common theme – waiting. Clients waiting to be seen by the doctor or their barber are spending their time waiting for their appointment to arrive. You’ve got a captive audience right next door, but of course, it’s bad etiquette to walk into their businesses and remind their customers of your shop next door. Â
If you’ve ever been in a waiting room, you also know that at least 62% of people get on their phones within seconds of waiting in social situations. Remember – WiFi doesn’t have walls! Take advantage of your neighbor’s captive audience by broadcasting promotional messages over your branded WiFi network, actively inviting local shoppers to pay you a visit.Â
Why you should never hand out your WiFi password to guests
First impressions are everything. A Smart WiFi Marketing platform allows you to introduce yourself to local shoppers using a branded captive portal. In addition to personalizing the login page, you can share upcoming events or even offer a real-time discount to incentive customers to visit you. After all, who doesn’t want to treat themselves after a trip to the dentist?Â
Smart Tip: Make sure the name of your WiFi network (SSID) is that of your business or similar to your business. When neighboring consumers go to look for a WiFi network to connect to, you want them to find you – a real business – rather than a network that belongs to a residence or local ISP.Â
Find Out Who the Consumers Are
Once you start using a captive portal for your WiFi network, you’ll be in data heaven. Smart WiFi marketing platforms can collect incredible data to feed your marketing strategy, telling you more you about those neighboring consumers without even meeting them face-to-face.Â
You can now allow guests to log in to your WiFi network using social media:Â
- FacebookÂ
- InstagramÂ
- EmailÂ
- Phone NumberÂ
- TwitterÂ
- LinkedInÂ
Any social data that guests agree to share will be populated into your WiFi marketing platform, allowing you to gain a better understanding of the demographics (age, gender, frequency of visits) of who is shopping around your business. You can also use this data to learn what social platform you should be focusing on. Â
Market Back without Ever Meeting
You can now easily remarket to verified local shoppers on social media using data collected on your WiFi network.  At the click of a button, any advertising becomes more effective by advertising to target demographics. Send automated emails asking local shoppers to visit you – share new product releases, upcoming events, or even send a coupon enticing customers to come back and visit. Â
For you venues who want to take advantage of the growing popularity of SMS marketing, you’ll want to use a WiFi marketing platform that offers that type of feature. When customers from those surrounding businesses log on to your WiFi, you can immediately reach out with a text message. To take advantage of SMS Marketing’s 98% open rate success, you’ll want to provide WiFi guests with a clear and concise message that alerts neighboring customers your business is close by.
Ready to improve the way you engage with consumers of surrounding businesses? With GoZone’s Marketing4WiFi platform, you can start acquiring key analytical data, advertise your brand in a digital space, and even send out marketing campaigns at a moment’s notice, all with GoZone’s WiFi marketing platform. Contact us to learn more or even schedule a demo. We’re ready to show you the power of Smart WiFi.
