So you have your first event coming up where you will be using social media! Cool! Congratulations! Your first event offering social media sharing might not go perfect, and it’s almost guaranteed to be a flop if you are not properly prepared. This post will hopefully prepare you as much as possible. If you have watched our First Time Setup Guide, most of the things covered here will be redundant, but it’s still a good idea to keep this page easily accessible for your first few events before you know the in’s and outs.
So without further ado… here are the 5 things you need to know before your first event wish social media sharing kiosks:
1. Never rely on venue/client wi-fi
This is a HUGE no-no! Venue/client wi-fi will always be unpredictable and you cannot control it, neither can you rely on your client to modify settings to make it work for you.
2. Always bring your own 5ghz hotspot and turn 5ghz mode ON
Your own 5 Ghz hotspots are the best sources of internet you can use at any event. For some events you can get-away with using your phone as a hotspot, but it’s not recommended. Get a 5ghz hotspot from your local phone carrier and make sure you turn 5 Ghz mode on. When you purchase the 5ghz hotspot, it is set to dual band by default.
3. Your firewalls need to be disabled otherwise you will have connection issues
You need to disable your system firewalls for PicPic Social to work properly. If you have McAfee, Norton, AVG, etc., you need to disable these firewalls. If you have disabled them and you are still having connection issues, you may need to uninstall it. It may be unnerving running your system without a anti-virus or firewall, but it’s the only thing that solves connection issues sometimes.
4. If your internet is really slow on-site, only email & text will work
You need to have at least 14MB download & 4MB Upload speeds. This is equivalent to 4G LTE speeds. Don’t look at your hotpot and say “I have 4 bars, my speeds are good.” Instead, go to speedtest.net and run a speed test, it’s the only way to know for sure how your speeds are. If you can’t even load speedtest.net, this is your first indictor that your internet seeds suck. In this situation, Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram will not work as sharing options. Email & text will work, but they will not send out immediately. Instead, they will be saved in the queue and sent out when your internet speeds improve.
5. Always set proper client expectations
Nobody wants to disappoint their clients. It’s very important you set expectations with your clients so they are just as prepared as you are. For example, let your client know that instant social media sharing is dependent on quality internet upload speeds. Let them know you will need 14MB up and 4MB down. Let them know that available internet speeds may fluctuate as the crowd of the event grows. Say all of this ahead of time and if you start to see speeds reduced dramatically, give your client the heads up but let them know how email and text will still work.
