Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
The Top 5 Social Media Platforms Essential for Franchising
From launching viral challenges on TikTok to connecting with prospective franchisees on LinkedIn, here are some of the online places franchise brands have to be if they hope to cut through the noise.
Social media has become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and promote their products and services. Franchising is no exception, as franchisors and franchisees alike can leverage social media to expand their reach and engage with customers. Here are the top five social media platforms essential for franchising.
LinkedIn, the social media platform designed for professionals, has been growing rapidly over the past few years, with over 774 million users worldwide today. It is an excellent tool for franchisors to connect with potential franchisees, as well as for franchisees to connect with other professionals in their industry. LinkedIn offers a variety of features, including personal and company profiles, groups and job listings. Franchisors can use LinkedIn to showcase their brand and attract potential franchisees, while franchisees can use it to network with other professionals and find new employees.
“Social media, especially LinkedIn, is a very big part of the franchise development process,” said Chris Davenport, VP of franchise development at Buzz Franchise Brands. “Not just from a connection standpoint, but also from a research standpoint.”
Twitter, the fast-paced social media platform with over 330 million active users, is an excellent tool for franchisors and franchisees to engage with customers, share updates, and promote their products and services. Both franchisors and franchisees can use Twitter to share news, respond to customer inquiries and participate in industry conversations.
Several franchise brands have mastered the art of using Twitter for marketing, whether it be Popeyes’ legendary tweet that launched the chicken sandwich wars, IHOP’s questionable decision to change its name to IHOB or Wendy’s tendency to “clap back” at other brands. Beyond marketing, it can also be an operational tool. Domino's, for example, launched its #EasyOrder campaign that allowed customers to order pizza by simply tweeting a pizza emoji.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdO2iCswjY/?hl=en
With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is an essential platform for both franchisors and franchisees. Instagram's focus on visual content makes it an ideal platform for businesses in industries such as food, fashion and beauty. Franchisees can use Instagram to showcase their location and share photos of their products, while franchisors can use it to promote their brand and share user-generated content.
In 2021, doggy daycare franchise Camp Bow Wow, for example, launched a March Madness-inspired “Mutt Madness” social media tournament bracket. The Instagram Stories campaign used the Poll sticker to crown one winning pup “Best in Show.” It was a massive hit, with the brand seeing a whopping 590% increase in profile visits on Instagram, a 150% increase in impressions, a 111% increase in website clicks and a 49% increase in accounts reached. This can lead to more prospective franchisees checking out the brand’s website, learning about its services and reaching out to the development team.
YouTube
For franchisors and franchisees eager to create and share videos, which are quickly becoming the primary way internet users engage with content, YouTube is far-and-away the best place to be. Franchisors can use YouTube to create brand videos, tutorials and live webinars that potential franchisees can watch to learn more about the brand. Franchisees can use YouTube to showcase their location, create how-to videos for their products and share customer testimonials.
Especially considering the average time spent on YouTube comes in at a whopping 74 daily minutes, the platform is a great place to engage both prospective franchisees and customers with long-form videos.
TikTok
TikTok is a social media platform that has exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger audiences. While the platform initially gained popularity for dance challenges and lip-syncing videos, it has since expanded to include a wide variety of content, including cooking, fashion and comedy. For franchise brands, TikTok can be an excellent platform for building brand awareness and connecting with younger audiences. By creating engaging, shareable content, franchise brands can attract new customers and build a following on the platform. Local franchise owners, for example, can take it upon themselves to make fun, informative videos specific to their location.
One franchise brand that has effectively used TikTok for marketing is Dunkin'. The brand has a TikTok presence with over 100,000 followers, where they post videos about their products and promotions. But perhaps even more effective is user-generated content. TikTok star Charli D’Amelio, who gave Dunkin’ 294 million free video impressions in under two months simply because she is a fan. The brand thanked D’Amelio by creating a brand-new cold-brew tap named after the viral dancer.
In conclusion, social media is a powerful tool for franchisors and franchisees to connect with customers, promote their products and services, and expand their reach. By leveraging the top five social media platforms—TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube—franchisors and franchisees can create a strong online presence and engage with their target audience.
