For Franchise Brands, an Updated Social Media Presence is More Important Than Ever

Social media has come a long way since its inception. Once upon a time, Facebook, for example, was a platform to let your college friends know your relationship status and show off that one photo that captured all of your best angles. Today, social media outlets provide brands with platforms to address their stance on major social issues, in addition to letting consumers know about their latest offerings. 

Social media is especially important for franchise brands. Franchise brands operate on two main levels: the franchisor level and the franchisee level. For this reason, many franchise brands will have franchisees create social media pages for their individual franchises. This is an excellent practice, especially during major events such as COVID-19 when reopening guidelines vary significantly from state to state. Franchise brands also have their corporate social media accounts, where they can expound on topics related to the brand in general and share media placements and other stories related to their brand. Both levels of the franchise brand need to keep their social media accounts regularly updated if they want to attract consumers as well as prospective franchisees. 

At the franchisor level, social media is crucial for franchise development. The number-one reason for the corporate team to update their social media pages on a regular basis is to prove that the leadership team cares about the brand and its online presence. An outdated social media presence can give the impression that the brand is either severely neglected or out-of-step with social trends. Prospective franchisees, many of whom are younger and tech-savvy, will want to partner with brands that prioritize social media and outreach. More than ever, franchise candidates understand the importance of online marketing and being easy to find via Google. For these reasons, franchisors need to keep their corporate social media presence up-to-date and make sure they enthusiastically — and consistently — share news and updates about their brand. 

At the local level, social media accounts help businesses let their customers know whether they are, in fact, open for business. (Case in point: There is literally a hashtag right now to help with this: #openforbusiness.) When a consumer visits the local social media pages for their favorite pizza franchise or spa franchise, they shouldn’t have to dig for information to find out whether that location is open. Hours of operation should be easy to find on all of the locations’ social media pages, as well as their website, as consumers would rather find the information that way rather than make a phone call. 

Social media can even be used to directly or indirectly address other online criticisms. In an age when so many customers love to go on Yelp to either post or read reviews, an updated social media presence can help address any arguments made against a brand online. At both the franchisor and franchisee level, the brand can interact with and engage customers.

Bottom line: This is not the time for franchise brands to take an old-school route and simply depend on their main websites and development websites to relay accurate information to their customers. A lackluster approach to social media during normal times is bad enough, but in this current climate, it’s a huge red flag for both consumers and prospective franchisees.