WAVESPOT

Get "Liked" for your free Wi-Fi. Local merchants can turn patrons into Facebook fans in return for giving them free Wi-Fi. Many local merchants have discovered the value of *Facebook fan pages* as a marketing tool, just like the major brands. It enables interaction, social recommendations to their fan's friends, ease-of-use, and range of rich media. Similarly, merchants are paying "Daily Deal" sites lots of money to bring them new customers -- and want to break the cycle of paying again to b... ring them back. Signage and in-store promotions have limited effectiveness to get patrons to "like" the merchant on Facebook, in order to build a relationship. With more patrons carrying smartphones, tablets, and laptops, there is greater demand for free Wi-Fi while waiting for service, to check for messages, or to pass the time. While some can access 3G wireless, they prefer local Wi-Fi because of faster speeds, better coverage, and no data caps. Wavespot enables the merchants to offer free Wi-Fi, and asks that patrons "like" the merchant on Facebook in return. That "like" appears on the patron's wall as a social recommendation. And the "like" creates a new fan for ongoing marketing.More