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Consumer spending matters more than anything two-thirds of the US economy. With inflation and economic uncertainty, customers’ buying habits are changing. Although spending has remained strong due to inflation, 90% of respondents indicate a survey of Wildfire say they were more interested in discounts, coupons and incentives.
Entrepreneurs now have to adapt to this changing consumer behaviour. The good news is that emerging technology is making influencing consumer behavior easier than ever. One solution that is gaining popularity, particularly within the hospitality, tourism, dining, retail and franchise industries, is integrated WiFi marketing.
For franchise and multi-location business owners, there are several specific ways that integrated WiFi marketing can enhance and enhance business functions. Some of them are:
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Drive regular customer promotions to extend time in store locations
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Once a month, encourage customers to come more often
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Bring back “lost” customers
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Motivate customers to share their visit on social media, increasing awareness
Related: As inflation rises, consumers want more rewards and shopping incentives. Here’s how to give them what they want
What is Integrated WiFi Marketing?
Uniquely, Integrated Wi-Fi Marketing leverages on-premises Wi-Fi to run highly targeted campaigns across an integrated group of digital spaces, some of which include social media, text messages, and other digital displays. Using free Wi-Fi on site, they provide contact details or log into their social media on the first connection. That data is then collected and evaluated by artificial intelligence (AI) to send messages and offers that are most tailored to each customer’s preferences and behavior.
From there, communication with customers can best facilitate a continuation or change of their purchasing behavior with your multi-site or franchise establishment. For companies and customers, it is a mutually beneficial relationship. Customers get free Wi-Fi and a personalized experience based on their data, and businesses get more tools and information to deliver the experiences customers are looking for. It’s also a big reason why, according to Ciscobusinesses using integrated WiFi marketing are expected to grow from 169 million to 628 million by 2023.
Owning customer data leads to better customer experiences
Multi-location businesses and franchises can provide little more than a ubiquitous experience for customers without access to their data and an effective means of implementing data-driven decisions. Customers today understand the inherent value of their information and are not afraid to share their data under the right circumstances. According to a report by PWC, 82% of consumers would share some of their personal information to receive a more customized and unique customer experience. Just by getting a customer’s basic demographics, visit information, and other determinants, AI from integrated WiFi marketing can effectively segment and target customers. In addition, research presented in McKinsey highlights that 80% of customers want and expect a more personalized experience as standard.
Learning this behavior yields a highly tailored and personalized plan that ensures offers are relevant and desirable to each customer. For example, a company has no reason to send a daily customer with an early morning schedule the same message or promotional offer as a biweekly customer who is retired and starts their day late in the morning. By understanding each person’s behavior and buying habits, customers can receive marketing that is unique to them. Own data is therefore the most important outcome of WiFi marketing.
Related: Are you giving your customers personalized experiences? This is why you can’t afford to ignore it any longer.
Build a lasting relationship with your customers
Over time, the relationships built with customers pay off and deliver exceptional returns. According to the Bond loyalty report, customers involved in loyalty programs will spend 66% more than non-loyalty members and will adjust the amount they will spend with a company to maximize their benefits from the loyalty program. Through data collected in integrated WiFi marketing, AI can identify significant purchases and buying habits over time and provide greater discounts and offers to these customers. For example, if a loyalty program member purchases multiple computers for their business from a tech franchise, that customer may receive a discount around the same time of year when they usually make their annual purchase. On a smaller scale, someone who gets coffee every morning from a franchise or multi-location company might receive a voucher for a free cup of coffee, along with a text message saying something along the lines of, “Thank you for choosing to start your day with our company, here’s a free coffee from us!”
Over time, these actions can yield huge results for your business, as up to 80% of future profits come from just 20% of existing customers. So building trust and loyalty is essential for any business to grow and prosper. Social media is also vital in marketing and sales, especially when considering 77% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media than from a brand they don’t follow.
Related: 5 proven customer loyalty programs that really pay off
Integrated Wi-Fi marketing is a catalyst for organic social media followers and engagement when customers access their social accounts through a company’s Wi-Fi. Text messages sent to customers over in-store Wi-Fi can encourage customers to follow the business on various social platforms. With WiFi marketing integrated, text messaging simplifies the process and can reduce the process to a single click on a link.
Earnings for businesses in uncertain economic times can be a source of panic for franchisees and multi-site entrepreneurs. With integrated WiFi marketing and its solutions, business owners can rise above the chaos and tap into consumer behavior through strategic messaging and offers that align with customer wants and needs.
