Cisco and Facebook have teamed up to present a pretty simple barter system to the social media giant’s users: free Wi-Fi in exchange for a “check-in” that shares their location. The consumer gets Wi-Fi in a place they would otherwise be unconnected and Facebook gets data — tons of data. The thought of the content marketing plans that will be devised around this information is mind blowing.
Cisco and Facebook have piloted their Wi-Fi offering with 25 local businesses in San Francisco to some degree of success. Facebook has been trying to break into the small-to-medium range businesses and this is their chance. They will be able to break down local areas into which age groups are attracted to them and collect a slew of additional demographic details.
This week’s Content Marketing News Roundup looks at Cisco and Facebook’s Wi-Fi offering, what it means for the people who take them up on it and what it means for marketers.
Facebook, Cisco Target Local Business With Wi-Fi Check-Ins by Kate Kaye at Ad Age: “Merchants using the wifi system can target ads to audience segments comprised of people who have visited their establishments. However, considering those audience pools may be relatively small, the data derived through the wifi check-ins is more likely to help advertisers get a better handle on the types of people who visit their stores. So, merchants are likely to use the added layers of data to help find larger groups of people to target via Facebook ads.”
Why Facebook Is Giving Out Free Wi-Fi For Check-Ins by Jennifer Van Grove at CNET: “For Facebook, the Wi-Fi-with-check-in initiative is part of a broader plan to attack the local market by encouraging merchants to set up and maintain Pages on the social network. Participating merchants will get additional distribution with each check-in, receiving exposure that could help bring in more customers or inspire more ‘likes.’”
Facebook And Cisco Let Brick-&-Mortars Demand Customers Check-In To Get Wi-Fi by John Constine at TechCrunch: “Here’s how it works. Merchants use the existing router and broadband subscription they pay for. They integrate the ‘Cisco CMX for Facebook Wi-Fi’ software, which creates a special landing page for anyone trying to access the business’ Wi-Fi. Instead of having to wait in line to get a password they might type in wrong, customers simply connect to the business’ Wi-Fi network through their laptop or mobile device. They’re strongly encouraged to ‘Check in for free Internet.’”
Facebook, Cisco Bring Free Wi-Fi To Shoppers by Kristin Burnham at Information Week: “Facebook also sends merchants demographic data from people who use CMX for Facebook Wi-Fi, which includes age, gender and geolocation details. Hajela said that merchants can use this information to improve their marketing campaigns by delivering targeted advertisements and promotional deals based on the real-time information received from consumers in the venue. This also makes it easier to reach customers through merchants’ Facebook pages to deliver the latest news, services and promotional information, Hajela said.”
Facebook’s Free Wi-Fi Play May Improve Its Local Ads Data, Business Pages by Christopher Heine at Adweek: “For CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s firm, the development should bolster its location data on users, potentially bettering local-ads targeting on the social platform. Secondly, Facebook hopes that more consumers ‘like’ retailers’ pages while taking advantage of the offer, strengthening the platform’s local-business presence.”
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