Social Media Driving Engagement Through Free Wi-Fi Service By Tennyson LaJeunesse
I
spend a considerable amount of time traveling for business. Because of this, it’s essential I find locations that offer free Wi-Fi services to work from. On rare occasion I hit the jackpot, but it never ceases to amaze me the number of venues that offer Wi-Fi services that simply don’t work. I’m confident in saying that most of us have experienced these never ending “connecting” issues no matter where we travel, and we often experience the same thing right here at home. Users become frustrated in trying to access poor Wi-Fi and will often reflect negatively on their experience based on this issue alone. The bottom line is Wi-Fi that doesn’t work is worse than not providing Wi-Fi service at all. If you really want brand awareness, then social media engagement should be at the forefront for all hospitality marketing managers out there today. Instead, I’m seeing their efforts to engage customers through the use of traditional printed materials such as table tents, coasters and signs. Additionally, many do very little in the way of marketing to loyal recurring patrons. This is mainly due to an information gap; a lack of email addresses for example. In the past I have written articles on how to build successful Wi-Fi networks. Today I will extend this conversation to show how you can drive social media engagement with success. • First, invest properly in the infrastructure to provide a stable and robust connection. • Segment guest users from internal and POS systems.
• Make use of a captive portal page to “sign in.” This is the true “key to success” by using social media logins, e.g. “Like us on Facebook” to gather customer information. • Employ a marketing automation system like Google Analytics, MailChimp and Constant Contact to set up time injection advertising. • Now take the gathered information and market to your regular patrons as well as new ones. Our company has developed several products that directly address this situation. SEC360 (Firewalls), LAN360 (Switches) and WLAN360 (Access Points) all improve security and compliance while giving your customer exceptional quality and performance. The service along with our hardware provides internet security, user segmentation and a rock-solid Wi-Fi connection. CP360 is our captive portal solution that provides easily customizable captive portal pages, social login capabilities, revenue generating mobile billboard, and it also improves search engine ratings— and our solution costs less per month than a meal for four people! So as business professionals look to you to provide high quality Wi-Fi remember that more and more customers are Instagramming their meals, posting photos of themselves with your business in the background, all while writing reviews of their experience while in your establishment, and they are doing it in real time! Tennyson LaJeunesse is CEO/Founder of RedCell Technologies, Inc.
Data Security Small-to-Midsize Businesses Reviewing Data Security Benefit From By Jacey Kaps, Partner with Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A. a Lawyer in the Middle
R
etaining counsel to conduct a review of data security carries with it more than just the benefit of a neutral opinion. The process can help create an attorney-client privilege that can prevent discovery of potentially harmful communications. Conversations between the SMB client and an attorney are privileged. The same is not true for communications with consultants that are hired by the SMB to review, investigate and train about data security and privacy. However, when the attorney conducting the review retains the consultants as part of the delivery of legal advice for the engagement, the communications between the SMB, its attorney 28 W I N T ER
2016
and the consultants are likely protected by the attorney-client privilege. This tri-partite relationship can create a safe shelter where confidential information can be frankly exchanged in a space where potentially harmful information about data privacy and security would have to be produced in litigation or regulatory investigations. To maintain the protection of the process, it is necessary that the attorney retain consultants, guide the consultants, and be the “man-in-the-middle” when it comes to all communications. By contrast, SMB direct engagement of a consultant, even with later involvement of a lawyer, will likely not qualify as confidential communication and may be turned into evidence against
F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N