Power in presence: why social media is vital for franchise success in 2023

Gone are the days of social media’s sole purpose being an archive of funny cats and dogs. While ‘entertainment’ is still very much at its core, social media has become a well-oiled marketing machine. In fact, a staggering 78% of consumers today determine their willingness to buy a product or service on whether they have a positive experience with a brand over social media¹. Here, Frank Milner, the Global President of Tutor Doctor, discusses the power of effective social media usage for franchise brands in 2023.

Over 4.74 billion people use social media, with the number of users increasing by 4.2% in 2022 alone². Put simply, there is nothing quite like social media when it comes to brands finding their core demographics, captive audiences and communities. But what does this mean? And what should franchise brands – in all industries – be considering when expanding their digital footprint? With today’s diversity of platforms enabling consumers to openly discuss and scrutinise the online presence of businesses, it should be a priority for franchisors and franchisees to ‘steer into the skid’ by utilising the platforms that, whether we like it or not, are here to stay. 

There truly is a power in presence. It often comes as a shock to hear that some people or businesses you might expect to use social media still do not. The very same can be said for franchise brands. Succinct and consistent social media usage is one of the most effective marketing tools available today. Want to make the most out of your targeted ads budget? Use social media. Hoping to build an online community so trusted consumers have all the information they need to remain fully involved and invested in your product or service? You guessed it – use social media. While more consumers report finding the perfect product by seeing a targeted ad (49%) over an organic post (40%)³, it is vital that franchisors and franchisees develop a strategically planned, well-crafted social presence. 

Not only for the benefit of the modern consumer, but a strong and cohesive message in today’s saturated media-scape can truly be the difference between a successful or an unsuccessful product or service offering. And while it may be tempting to fill the character count or use all of the available tiles, we should, as business owners, be receptive to what our consumers best respond to – simple, easily digestible and fun content. Social media usage for franchise brands is one of the most efficient ways to bridge the gap between ‘business’ and ‘customer’. As a social society, we find strength in real human connections and social media is the ideal route to achieving that. This approach to affirming a brand’s authenticity builds trust. Trust, in turn, builds marketing receptiveness and drives new business. And social media platforms are undoubtedly the best place to get real!

A ‘main page’ for a franchise is the ideal way to give the franchisor a voice and to establish a strong tone on social platforms. However, allowing franchisees to run their own social media accounts gives them the opportunity to reach out to their local communities, to build relationships and to market to potential customers with targeted local messages. And as with all effective franchise processes, robust training and monitoring will be central to the success of this approach. Similar to marketing training, franchisors should establish a franchisee’s social media tone of voice and approach early in their franchise journey. If done effectively, franchisors eliminate the risk of confused messaging which often damages the reputation of a business. Guidelines covering the tone of voice and language to be used, rules around visual imagery, a toolkit of premade visuals and sample posts are all perfect ways to ensure consistency between franchisor and franchisee social accounts.

Social media is, undoubtedly, one of the most impactful, relevant and exciting ways that franchise brands can reach customers today. Platforms that enable franchises to celebrate brand values, demonstrate why a product or service is relevant and enable a franchisor or franchisee to put the interests of employees and customers first, are just a few of the reasons why social media should be utilised to its fullest extent. With 52% of social media marketers believing social media positively influences their company’s revenue and sales⁴, it is impossible to ignore the staggering impact such a simple, social concept has on the success of a franchise brand in 2023.

_{¹ Lauren Cover, 2021, 7 statistics that prove the importance of social media marketing in business}

_{² Hootsuite, 2023, 160+ Social Media Statistics Marketers Need in 2023}

_{³ Mahnoor Sheikh, 2023, 50+ of the most important social media marketing statistics for 2023}

_{⁴ Giana Reno, 2022, Why Social Media Is Important for Business Marketing}