If your franchise business isn’t engaged in social media marketing, it’s time to get started.
Social media marketing is one of the best and most effective ways to grow your franchise business in today’s competitive franchise market. However, as more franchise businesses start getting their social media strategy off the ground, many are making the same set of mistakes.
Below are four social media marketing mistakes you’ll want to avoid as you plan your marketing strategy.
1. Not enough interaction. In today’s digital world, the number one way franchise businesses are communicating with their customers is through social media. Rather than simply responding to questions on your social media pages, find ways to really engage with your audience. Remember to create dialogues with your followers, rather than just talking at them. Adding visual elements – pictures or the new Facebook live videos – related to your franchise business can help generate comments and shares, building your online buzz.
2. Too much promotion. If your social media stream is simply sponsored post after sponsored post, with no content other than advertising, your followers won’t stay with you very long. Mix up your franchise ads with other content like links to helpful and informative articles that relate to your business. Posting informative articles on franchise funding options or a review of the hottest franchises on the market will keep your followers interested and help position you as a trusted advisor and thought leader in the franchise field.
3. No call to actions (CTAs). Even after you’ve acquired a substantial base of followers, you need to convert them into clients in order to generate revenue. Rather than always having your social media posts link back to your website’s homepage, create a series of special offers or promotions. Everything from e-books, newsletters to informative guides are effective means for lead building.
4. Too many profiles. You don’t need to use every single social media platform in your marketing strategy. To maximize the benefits of social media, select three platforms that will work best for your franchise business. Examine each platform to get a feel for their user base’s demographics including things like age. Platforms like Snapchat are widely used by millenials, but are they your target audience? Focus on growing your impact on strategic platforms rather than spreading yourself too thin across every platform available.
