Can Facebook WiFi help your business?

I have not been especially kind to Facebook in this blog only because a lot of business owners see it as a panacea of marketing. But while I’ve tried to discourage people from putting all their eggs in the Facebook basket I also do recognize opportunity in the world’s largest social network. And, for a brick-and-mortar business, Facebook WiFi is definitely an opportunity. What is Facebook WiFi and how can it help your business? 

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Facebook continually changes how they show your customers your business. This is one of the reasons that I tell people to be wary about relying on this channel for so much of the success of their business marketing. But what cannot be disputed is that the more engaged your Facebook audience is, the more successful you will be at using Facebook in your marketing. 

For those with a physical location, I would highly recommend looking into providing free WiFi and if you’re doing that, ask the users of that WiFi for something in return for your providing it. With Facebook WiFi you can ask them to check in to your business in exchange for access to the free WiFi - certainly a reasonable request. 

The way it works is that you purchase a Facebook WiFi-compatible router and set it up so that users are required to check in via Facebook to gain access to the WiFi.  More check-ins and engagement with your Page will improve how it ranks in search and the Nearby tab on the Facebook mobile app.

When customers check in to use your WiFi, their friends can discover your business by seeing the story in their News Feed. After checking in, people will be asked if they also want to like your Page so you can continue to connect with them on Facebook.
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This is a relatively new and obscure thing for Facebook but it can absolutely help you get reach. This was one of the many things I learned about at Social Media Marketing World 2017 and really is a legitimate tool for those with a physical location who want to improve their service to customers and also gain greater reach with Facebook.