How To Use Social Media Marketing To Promote Your Franchise

Social media marketing has become a cornerstone for promoting franchises, providing a powerful platform to build brand awareness and engage potential customers. Brandon Naughton, the franchising marketing manager for  Repicci’s Real Italian Ice & Gelato, spoke with 1851 Franchise to highlight several key strategies for leveraging social media to effectively market a franchise.

One of the primary benefits of social media marketing is increasing brand awareness. However, as in many cases with franchising, maintaining consistency across locations can be challenging. “The biggest issue we’ve seen over the last 10 years is just getting all of your franchises to use it consistently,” said Naughton. 

Ensuring that all franchise locations adhere to a unified branding and messaging strategy is crucial. This consistency helps in establishing a recognizable brand image across various platforms. 

“Providing franchisees with guidance regarding the branding and messaging and the feel of the content is really important,” said Naughton. “But another really important thing to do is to establish your hashtags from the beginning. It seems like it’s nothing at the beginning, but then it gets bigger and bigger as you grow. Ten years down the line, your hashtag has been repeated over and over, and it starts to propagate out in the world and with Google.”

The use of consistent hashtags helps build a consistent online presence and image for a brand, increasing visibility and searchability across various platforms. Beyond providing consistency, a hashtag related to a product or service can build a repository of user-generated content and brand recognition.

When it comes to selecting the most effective social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn stand out. Naughton points out that Instagram is particularly effective due to its visual nature. Facebook serves as a solid baseline platform, while LinkedIn is valuable for business networking and B2B interactions, particularly for catering and corporate services.

However, regardless of the platform, successful social media campaigns require careful planning and execution. 

“If you’re going to do a campaign, you really need to focus on having four to six campaigns lined up at a two-week interval,” said Naughton. “When somebody sees something in one place, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to buy it. They’re going to be more inclined to potentially act if they see a product or service on LinkedIn and then a month later, they see it on Facebook and then maybe another month later they see it on Instagram. All of a sudden it piles up in their subconscious.”

This approach of overlapping social media campaigns ensures that the brand’s message remains engaging for longer. Initial results may show a spike in engagement, but sustained effort is necessary to maintain visibility and effectiveness. Repetition across multiple platforms helps establish a connection with potential customers.

For franchise owners new to social media marketing, Naughton recommends that franchisors provide tools to streamline content creation. His franchise provides new owners with a Canva team account, offering access to branded templates and a content calendar. 

“We walk them through how to use the brand template, which includes the brand colors and the logos already saved in the brand folder,” Naughton said. This support helps franchisees create professional-looking posts without needing extensive design skills.

Social media marketing for franchises involves a blend of consistency, strategic planning and the use of supportive tools. By maintaining a unified brand presence and utilizing platforms effectively, franchises can enhance their visibility and attract potential customers, leading to long-term success.

Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.