From Brands to Fans: The A to Zee guide to Facebook

One of the most scrutinized topics among social media experts today is whether or not franchisees should be allowed to have individual Facebook pages.  Focusing specifically on brands in the food industry, we want to discuss the pros and cons of having one brand page versus multiple pages. It is undeniable that a company should have a Facebook page; the decision often comes back to the executive team to allow franchisees to have their own community focused page. There are reasons behind every brands corporate guidelines for Facebook, and some have even changed their views as brand growth and recognition shift. Benefits of one brand page Examples: McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Chipotle, Five Guys, Protein Bar, MOOYAH, Red Mango Branding is consistent and marketing materials will always be updated.Facebook is a great place to use marketing materials to drive traffic and sales. Limited-time offer products can be featured with clear beginning and end date and Facebook can be used as a marketing tool to promote specific items throughout the year. The voice of a brand is key; when you have multiple pages with numerous people operating them across the country, the voice becomes scattered with no clear mission. Ability to respond and answer customer comments with consistent messaging. With Facebook’s new algorithms, it becomes more important than ever to have someone consistently monitoring customer comments. The longer negative comments go unanswered on a page, the lower the rankings Facebook will give your page in its algorithm system. This is also important to continuously build relationships with customers. If there is only one page to be monitored for the brand, it is easy to ensure information is actively being posted daily or weekly. Benefits for brands with multiple brand pages Examples: Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Qdoba, Which Wich, TCBY, Local pages are great for brands that have a specialized marketing professional in charge of each individual Facebook page who clearly understands the voice of the brand and can duplicate it at a local level. Brands that emphasize locally grown products, organic ingredients from neighboring farms or have a direct connection to produce/product growers in the area. Companies who partner with local organizations, host community events and sponsor groups who host events at the restaurant. When menu items change daily, having a local page is good to keep your customers up-to-date with offerings. Companies that have franchisees who want to communicate a brand’s vision locally find individual pages beneficial. This often takes training to ensure franchisees are set with strong brand standards and are educated on which marketing materials to use. Ultimately, every brand must find the right path which best fits their franchise system and protects the brand. Executive teams must analyze the benefits and challenges for the brand as a whole in order to determine the right solution.