Franchise Industry Trends: Social Media

With the recent release of Google+, social media is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways for consumers to stay connected and an outlet for franchise internet marketing. The web is becoming more important now than ever for franchise owners in particular, due to its ability to gain visibility and boost customer engagement. Moving forward, one of the biggest trends in franchise marketing will center on embracing the benefits of social media as the general public continues to become more digitized.

Franchise owners will be able to take advantage of social media in a variety of ways, ranging from different platforms to various online practices, but the fact remains that the Internet will continue to play a large part in determining the success and recognition of a business through franchise marketing.

Untapped Opportunity

Countless businesses have profiles on websites like Facebook and Twitter, ranging from big-name franchises like Coca-Cola to smaller organizations within local cities.

For franchises, creating an online presence will continue to be a growing trend in their basic franchise development services because it is one of the best ways to reach a larger audience; after all, word of mouth can take a while to reach the numbers of customers a small business might need.

Social Media Tips

Facebook alone has over 500 million users (and growing), and the micro-blogging platform Twitter hosts 150 million accounts; despite these numbers, only 9% of companies are using Facebook as a business tool and franchise marketing.

Industry experts maintain that using tools like Facebook Places and Google Places can be an easy way to begin to delve into the world of social media; by setting up a franchise business profile on these sites, users can easily “check in” when visiting certain businesses registered with Facebook, and having a Google Places profile can help prospective customers locate information about businesses with ease. Similarly, Twitter can be a great franchise internet marketing tool if used consistently; author Andre Kay of Franchise.com recommends the “80/20 Rule,” in which “80% of your tweets should be about facts, menu, community information, customer stories, tips” and 20% “tweets about your daily deals, specials, contest, and giveaways.”

This is just an example of how franchise owners can make the most of the opportunities offered by social media; the possibilities are endless, particularly with such a large audience at hand. Overall, the web will continue to be a way for small and large businesses alike to gain visibility because it enables franchises to connect to customers who might not have known of their existence beforehand, particularly since people are far more likely to see content from online franchise marketing media than traditional print advertising. Without question, the Internet is and continues to be one of the best tools the franchise industry can ask for.