Social Media Tips
How To Grow
Your Franchise
With Social Media
by Michelle Hummel
As a franchisee, you know recommendations from current customers to their friends and colleagues is the fastest way to grow your business. Word-of-mouth advertising has been and will continue to be the backbone of American busi-
ness, but the way customers are talking to each other has changed drastically in the last decade. According to the most recent statistics from the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit and nonpartisan
Social Media Users By Age
fact tank, an average of 72 percent of Americans regularly use social media to connect with friends, get information and entertain themselves. Think social media is just for the younger crowd and not your customers?
40 percent of Americans age 65+ 69 percent of Americans age 50-64 82 percent of Americans age 30-49 90 percent of Americans age 18-29
When you’re busy running your franchise, finding time to deal with social media can be daunting, especially if you don’t know where to begin.
Choosing The Right Platforms There are many social media platforms, but if you’re limited on time or resources, select at least three to get your message out and connect with customers. Regardless of your franchise specialty, every business needs to have a Facebook page. This platform dominates social media and not just for its ease of use. People use Facebook as a search engine to find information, so it’s key your franchise has its own page separate from the franchisor.
ing basic information, five to seven photos and a listing of your top products packed with keywords.
audience who is tech-savvy and looking for timely information and quality customer service.
Instagram used to be the platform for the under 25 crowd, but according to Sprout Social, now 46 percent of Americans age 18-64 use the platform daily. Instagram can be successful for B2B franchises if you’re experienced on the platform, but B2C franchises definitely need to be there, showcasing amazing photos.
All B2B franchises should have a personal and company LinkedIn page. There are other business platforms, including Alignable, but LinkedIn will give you the bang for your time.
As long as your business has a physical location, Google Business is also a key platform. Make sure your page is fully optimized, includ-
Twitter is its own world with a smaller percentage of users than other social media platforms, but it tends to reach a more affluent
48 The Franchise Woman
Pinterest is an excellent platform for B2C franchises who target women aged 18-49 with an income of $75,000 or more. Like Instagram, Pinterest is a visual platform for inspirational and aspirational content.
