Why Your Franchise Company Needs a Social Media Strategy

Simply Googl’ing your franchise company name will likely show you the conversation already occurring about your brand online. The explosion of digital media tools, such as social networks, blogs, video sites, discussion forums and review sites, is taking the world by storm. Consumers have moved from a traditional means of sharing and receiving information to using social media as their main form of communication.

This has led to the term “social media marketing” becoming a common concept among the marketing community. Many franchise companies have started leveraging social media marketing to varying degrees – from monitoring their online reputation to developing and nurturing a loyal online community. Meanwhile, other companies have sat back and done nothing while social media continues to strengthen its presence in consumers’ lives.

Should Your Franchise Company do something with Social Media?

Most people search online to research a product, service or company before making a purchase. Often their research starts at the company’s website, but it doesn’t end there. The second step is usually to visit review sites and discussion forums. They read reviews, ask questions and receive feedback from other consumers before ever making contact with a company. The reality is people are converging online to read, chat, share and complain – whether your company has a presence online or not.

Your company needs to be there first, listening to their feedback, responding and initiating activities that encourage them to engage with your brand.

Benefits of Social Media Marketing for your Franchise Organization

• Affordable marketing – There’s no need for a large budget to conduct social media marketing
• Viral nature – Users can easily share your messages with their friends with a click of a button
• Enhances brand – Through social media you can build and enhance your online reputation
• Builds credibility – User generated endorsements are more credible than traditional advertising
• Increases traffic – A well-planned social media strategy will drive more traffic to your website
• Engages customers – Connect with your customers and respond to their feedback in real-time
• Due to its instantaneous nature, social media has the capacity to expand the reach of your company’s messages as well as attract and hold the attention of a vast demographic of people, especially those who have grown numb to traditional media.
• Leverage Your Franchisee Community – Start by pushing out the common message and voice through the Franchisor’s corporate social channels.  Franchisees can amplify that voice by sharing that content across their location’s social channels.  This increases the reach and helps build brand.

Though the majority of Franchise Companies are aware of the benefits associated with social media, many have not established a social media strategy for their Franchise Organization. Why? It could be due to limited resources or simply because they do not know where to begin. On the same token, many Franchise companies have started using social media, but have no idea how to measure it, how to integrate it in their overall marketing mix or how to take it to the next level.

Keeping in mind some of the benefits, and beginning to establish a Social Media Strategy for your Franchise Company will help you get setup and begin to start to communicate with those interested in what you have to offer.  Like any form of marketing, you have to actively manage and stay on top of it to get the best results from your

About the Author  : Google

A serial entrepreneur with extensive background in franchising and interests in multiple online business channels, Jamshaid (Jam) Hashmi has played an instrumental role in the franchise development and success of a renowned international franchise company. His most recent entrepreneurial interests include launching ClickTecs, a Digital Marketing company specializing in Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing as well as Website and Mobile Application development. In 2007 he co-founded WSI Search Result, an online marketing company that supplies services to Internet Marketing Consultants. A sought after public speaker, Jam has been the featured keynote at many franchise conferences and international summits. He regularly trains ‘C’ Level Executives and supports both new and seasoned business owners on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization, Mobile Marketing, Brand Reputation Management and Conversion & Measurement through web analytics. When he’s not scaling the heights of the Internet world, Jam ‘unwinds’ on extreme thrill-seeking adventures from the jungles of the Amazon to the highest summits. His passions include working with NGOs on humanitarian missions to areas around the world affected by disasters and poverty.