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Booming franchises like Smoothie King, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes and Famous Toastery are led by some of the country’s most dedicated and savvy franchisees in the country. But how do franchises find these superstars? Facebook advertising tailored for business recruitment has become more lucrative than ever.

“We’re seeing franchises like Jan-Pro and MaidRight experiencing huge returns on Facebook ads that have resulted in conversations with prospective franchisees and interaction beyond Facebook,” No Limit Agency* Social Media Manager Alia Rajput said.

Here are five tips for using Facebook advertising to expand your franchisee family:

Know your audience, and know what they like.

“The new Facebook Advertising capabilities are really elegant. Facebook has been on the forefront of geo-targeting and expanding ad reach by singling out certain demographics and behaviors of users,” Rajput said.

By honing in on specific qualities and habits of prospective franchisees, you can create the most relevant and effective Facebook ads possible.

Don’t lead with the sales pitch. Fine-tune your recruiting ad to ensure it conveys the franchise’s tone and objective without reading as aggressive. Approaching franchise recruitment as a soft sell will attract curious franchisees rather than intimidate them. Sprinting toward closing the deal could cause missteps and hasty decisions, not to mention jeopardize your authenticity as a brand.

Go with who you know. With established brand loyalty and comfort in your franchise’s space, familiar faces and loyal customers could be the MVPs of your business. Encourage current franchisees to share your recruitment ad on their personal and business Facebook pages to expand organic reach. By sifting through franchisees’ little black books, you can reach the widest and most eclectic audience possible.

Get creative. Ice cream giant Haagen Dasz changed the game when it comes to franchisee recruiting, and that’s only the beginning of Facebook innovation. Get your creative juices flowing and incorporate unexpected elements into your recruiting strategy.

“Posting relevant content and utilizing bold, dynamic images and shareable content can really amp up social media presence,” Rajput advised. “Just be sure to keep the messaging direct and concise.”

Measure effectiveness. Heaps of Facebook data lie at your fingertips—use those insights to your advantage! Evaluate past Facebook ad campaigns to assess areas in need of improvement and successful strategies. By applying constructive criticism to past efforts, you can build a more successful future for your franchise.

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Nick Powills

About the Author

Nick Powills

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Nick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.