Social media can be a useful tool to not only talk about and promote your franchise business and opportunity but to also recruit new franchisees. With the right strategy it can be extremely effective in helping you to reach new recruits and to start conversations. Here are 6 key things for you to consider as part of your strategy.
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Understand your audience
Whether you are selling a product, a service or a franchise opportunity understanding your audience is the key to unlocking social media success. As a franchisor, you have an idea of what makes the right franchisee for your business but you need to really understand them to be able to find them, identify them and bring them into your network. What motivates them? What makes them want to buy your franchise? What objections or obstacles do they need to overcome to buy into your franchise? Where do they use social media to be able to see you and connect with you?
Understanding your audience makes everything feel a bit easier. When you have them in mind you know what sort of content they are most likely to engage with, what information they need to see from you, and where you can find and target them. You don’t have to connect with everybody on social media but you do have to connect with the right potential franchisees for your business.
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Build a powerful brand presence
Social media isn’t just about connecting with family or finding out what your friends were doing at the weekend. It’s where we go for discovery and inspiration. Franchisees will check you and your business out online to be able to see how you sell, and to some degree, how well you sell it. No matter what industry you are in, your social media should say a lot about you. It should appeal to customers for whatever you sell but it should also show possible franchisees the potential they could have to grow their own business.
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Complete your own LinkedIn profile
Don’t neglect your own LinkedIn profile or underestimate how useful it can be. Your LinkedIn profile should not only be up to date, (you’ll be surprised how many aren’t), but should also be a way for you to seek out and connect with potential franchisees. Start conversations, join groups, stay active and create content. Talk about franchising as an industry as well as your own franchise. It’s also important to be yourself on LinkedIn and to show a little personality. People still do business with people rather than just brands and who you are on LinkedIn should showcase not just your franchise but your passions and skills as well. If you don’t sell yourself and your franchise on LinkedIn who will?
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Build your online network
Social media shouldn’t be just about broadcast. It should be about building relationships and networking in the same way you would in real life. The platforms themselves have tools that you can use but they shouldn’t just be used to sell. On LinkedIn you can join local networking groups to be able to look for potential franchisees in an area that you have available. You can join local groups or communities on other platforms as well to network. Remember to contribute as well as sell though. You want to gain the right attention rather than be an annoying presence who only tells other members to invest in your franchise.
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Use the right platform (and the right tools)
Social media platforms have similarities but they also have many differences. Each should be treated differently if for no other reason than you are likely to have a different audience on each. Use the available tools on each platform like groups, hashtags, short form and long form video and Live broadcasts. Use them in combination to raise your profile.
Remember though that you don’t have to have a presence on every platform – you need to be where your audience are. This might mean that for your franchise customers, you need to be on Facebook and Instagram but for your franchise recruitment you need to be on LinkedIn. Your content should be adapted on each to make sure that it reflects both the platform and your audience
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Use paid advertising
Paid advertising does have a cost but it can be very effective… IF it’s used strategically. With the right platform, targeting and message it can get your franchise opportunity in front of the right people. Budgets can be monitored and managed and the platforms learn from your audience so that they can optimise your campaigns. You’re messaging and audience, however, have to be aligned and well thought through. The platforms will optimise but if you don’t understand your audience and how to communicate to them effectively the platforms can only do so much.
If you want to find out more about advertising on social media, check out our beginner’s guide to Facebook and Instagram ads.
SocialB offer a comprehensive service to franchisors and their franchisees and can help with all aspects of your digital marketing activity.
