Using Social Media as a Franchise Lead Generation Tool When it comes to using Social Media platforms for any purpose, including lead generation, marketers need to recognize and live by a fundamental truth that, ‘It's not about them’. People do not join a social network to meet more brands and businesses. You and your brand are being invited into the new media social channels to entertain and contribute value. If you transgress and launch into a blatant sales pitch, you'll be asked to leave. No one here speaks "interruption marketing." For instance, a study last year by digital agency 360i found that 90 percent of the posts on one platform, Twitter, came from consumers rather than brands
and that
94 percent of those tweets were personal and didn't mention a brand at all. U.S. consumers, Nielsen found in August, spend almost a quarter of their online time in social networks. They aren't there to get pitched--they're there to share the details of their lives with
friends
and like-minded individuals. However, there are ways to generate new customers within social media in ways that don't violate users' expectations. Many brands are employing social media as part of their media mix in franchise sales and development. They all like what they're seeing and plan to continue exploring social media as a
franchise
recruitment tool. Have a Plan. Social media as a franchise recruitment tool is less about a traditional aggressive, big numbers sales approach and more about simple interactions coupled with a subtle, guiding approach. Choosing the right platform is vital and Francorp throughout its business in the Middle East have witnessed that major platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and franchise dedicated Blog sites are ideal for recruiting new investors. The best way to optimize the potential of these sites is to know your target audience, find out where they are, and have a strategy in place to attract their
attention. The interactive nature of the social media culture is easily the most challenging characteristic and also the singular most exploitable trait from a franchise development standpoint. Connect and Engage. Once you have a strategy in place and you know where and how to take the stage, don’t make the mistake of crying out loud why you are there in the first place. Take the time to listen to others and engage in conversations that interest both of you. Use LinkedIn as a way to engage in conversation with others in the franchise arena. There's nothing pushy about it. You're simply building a rapport, a dialogue, creating awareness of your brand and what you offer. The interested prospects then have the opportunity to follow up with you. The Bottom-line. We’ve moved into an era where trust and integrity are of paramount value. We are getting away from accepting “situational ethics,” in which all behavior is OK as long as the end justifies the means. We champion the people and organizations we trust and loudly condemn those we don’t. Trust is something a company has to earn; not freely given. ABOUT FRANCORP MIDDLE EAST: Francorp® Middle East is the largest Franchise Consulting firm in the MENA region. Being a renowned franchise company established in the US, Francorp Middle East provides franchise opportunities to companies with their comprehensive franchising resources including but not limited to Franchise Program Development, Strategic Planning, Legal Services, Franchise Operations Manual, Franchise Marketing and Sales Training through the seamless and coordinated efforts of an in-house team of expert Franchise Consultants. Over the years, Francorp has assisted more than 14,000 companies plan for expansion and to open new franchise through franchise business concept and have developed more than 4000 full franchise program including coffee shop franchise in Dubai and the UAE.