Category: Social Media/Digital Marketing

Social Media in Franchise Organizations: Who’s Responsible?

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I work with many franchise groups in developing and implementing social media strategies. Right now, there’ s a pretty equal split in franchisors handling all social media activities and franchisees participating in the activities. This includes financial and operational activities and responsibilities.

Personally, I believe franchisors should embrace and participate in social media from a brand standpoint. They should develop a basic social media presence and manage it accordingly. Of course, they should be responsible for related costs as well.

As for the franchisees, I believe they should have a presence as well, but with the franchisor’s guidance, training and direction to maintain brand consistency in appearance and message. As for day-to-day activity, franchisees should be responsible for their own posts, which of course, will be complemented by posts on franchisor’s site. Franchisees should also be responsible for the costs involved in day-to-day activity just as they are for marketing activities.

The most effective programs I’m working with include a very detailed, comprehensive social media training program for franchisees. Many franchisors are now incorporating the same into their initial franchisee training. The training provides know-how, basic understanding and the information necessary to move forward in social media effectively and efficiently.

The problem I have found with the franchisor taking on all responsibility, financial and operational, is that franchisees never really realize the effort, nor the results. And, they never truly understand what social media is and they never fully appreciate the benefits of social media. Programs in these scenarios are certain to fail.

Social Media, with involvement and responsibility at all levels of a franchise organization, should provide multiple benefits including creating brand awareness in new markets and improving brand awareness in established markets, generating consumer interest in the brand and building franchise candidate interest in the concept, driving business to franchise locations and generating leads for franchise development, providing firm base for due diligence efforts by both consumers and candidates, enhance marketing efforts through integration of social media activity with traditional marketing to consumers and candidates alike, and develop a foundation for transparent and honest communications and information sharing throughout the franchise organization.

With proper planning and diligence, social media can be a very effective tool for franchise organizations and will be a stepping stone to embracing more and more social media as it continues to expand and develop. Done haphazardly and off-the-cuff, it can be very frustrating and disappointing and as such, will be considered a failure and a waste of time.

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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Do You Hate That You Love Facebook?

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I recently asked the question, “Do You Hate That You Love Facebook?” in the general Q & A section of LinkedIn, and as anticipated, received many responses. Some were quite interesting. A few confirmed the love-hate relationship. Others expressed love for personal use, but hate for business purposes. And some focused on the dependency of having to check Facebook, almost incessantly. I thought it would be fun to share some of the responses here. Upon reading the same, please feel free to share your thoughts.

This response was from a Senior Vice President who stated, “The only thing I hate is that FB is addictive! I spend way too much time blogging about nothing & the not important things in my life, as well as making comments on others’ profiles than I should. Years ago, we spent time outside – now we are glued to our computers. I am off on vacation tomorrow for the weekend – and decided not to take my computer along. Since I am not a Blackberry or iPhone user – it’ll be a real test…”

A Business Development Manager added, “No emotional attachment to Facebook or whatsoever..just another online tool to connect with friends and family overseas and former classmates…. nice to check out the apps once in a while and add some amusement in reading funny statuses from people..and sometimes expressing myself too…just a tool but not something I can’t live without :)”

An entrepreneur and self-professed non-executive stated, “Sometimes i am confused as to exactly why i love it / like it and other times i hate that i cant work out why i am using it….Every now and again i realise that there are moments when i love it (its a nugget of insight or a lost connection)”

A Virtual Assistant posted one of the longer responses… “I like that I like Facebook. I actually don’t love it. I keep a Facebook page and a Facebook Fan Page for business. The issues some have mentioned can be easily remedied using the many available features on FB now…segmenting friends into lists, setting up a Fan page with using the FBML app that truly represents your business, connecting it to LinkedIn and other social networking sites. Facebook is a very valuable tool for driving traffic to your business web site or blog. It is so flexible, now, though you have filter and segment it so that you only see what you want to see and share what you want to share to who you want to share it with. There is no need to ever be bothered with comments, posts, etc. that are not relevant for you.”

A retired manager exclaimed, “Facebook has very little utility any more for me, particularly for business. It is compromising its security with frivolous features that defy focus, foster meaningless exchanges and updates every time someone breaks a fingernail. Other than for close family contacts, pictures of the cute kids in my relationship and staying in touch with family, it is annoying beyond belief. My address book is shrinking to a bare minimum.”

A Plilanthropic Advisor pronounced, “I love that I love Facebook! I just don’t use it for anything related to business or e-commerce. I’m a serial contact purger – if we haven’t talked in person or on the phone or by email in the past year, I purge that person from my friend list until that happens. Try to keep it to 100 friends or less that I’m actively in touch with. Simply purge out the people who have annoying updates and that seems pretty rare right now. Love the updates, love the humor, love the photos that my friends post and love staying connected to people and groups that I like.”

A Lead Business Analyst responded, “I like that I hate it as I bailed out.. too much serial status updaters with useless information – such as “I cooked pot roast for dinner” and too many people I hardly knew in high school acting like we were best friends.”

And this, from a Chief Marketing Strategist, “As Marketing platforms, can we hate unlogical Reality TV shows? As Marketing platforms, do we still use yellow pages, neighborhood brochures etc? If above questions makes us think, then we can’t hate Facebook. No matter how useful or useless, no matter how simple of complex, no matter how time consuming or efficient, if a platform has 550 million users, 2/3rd people, 14 and above as part of it, one of the top traffic generators to your website (when you see analytics for referral site), marketing personal or business operator for sure need to be serious about it. Now how to optimize and utilize these numbers to our benefit, is what differentiates between the “Yes” or “No” of this answer. Having said that, I’m no Facebook fan, neither I have been able to optimize it fully for my business yet, but for sure we are getting more and more out of it every day.”

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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Social Media Metrics: Not Yet a Science!

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In continuing to simplify Social Media, let’s take a peek at Social Media metrics, or better yet, how to figure out if it’s working effectively for YOU and your franchise organization!

If, the net result of online activity adds up to effective social media engagement, then, what is the monetary value of a visit, comment, link or friend? Well, the ONLY honest answer is, “it depends.” Only YOU know how much these interactions matter to your brand, and how they relate to YOUR goals and objectives.

Measuring Social Media is not yet a science. Nor, is it rocket science! But, we can break it down to five key factors, Attention, Participation, Authority, Influence, and what I like to call the “X-Factor,” Sentiment.

Attention – The amount of traffic to your content for a given period of time.  Similar to the standard web metrics of site visits and page/video views.

Participation – The extent to which users engage with your content in a channel.  Think blog comments, Facebook wall posts, YouTube ratings, or widget interactions.

Authority – The inbound links to your content – like trackbacks & inbound links to a blog post or sites linking to a YouTube video.

Social Media Authority
Influence – The size of the user base subscribed to your content. Subscribers for blogs, feed or email
Followers on Twitter or Friendfeed. Fans of your Facebook page.

Sentiment, the “X-Factor” – The spirit driving user participation, because it really matters!

brand passion

Yesterday, we noted some specific goals that are typically listed in discussions with franchise executives about venturing into Social Media and determining exactly what they would like to accomplish. This list includes:

Create or improve brand awareness
Increase business at unit level
Create or improve interest in franchise opportunity
Generate qualified franchise sales leads
Improve franchise sales efficiency
Improve communications throughout franchise system
Locally, regionally or nationally

But, as your Social Media program is moving along, don’t lose site of the not so obvious results that are often mixed in with the obvious results.

System-wide revenue – obvious
Customer satisfaction – not so obvious
Corporate profitability – obvious
System-wide stability – not so obvious
Franchise development – obvious
Vendor / Supplier reaction – not so obvious

I look forward to your questions and comments.

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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An Hour a Day with The Big Three Social Networks

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I often hear many individuals state they don’t have enough time in a day for social media. Well, I know we can all squeeze in an hour of social media work somewhere, but the key is to do it efficiently to accomplish doing it effectively.

Just like eating an elephant, take one bite at a time. Never try to do too much at one time. And, try to make all your social media activity relevant and in line with your goals and objectives for entering social media in the first place. Once you’re past the development stage of setting up accounts at the Big Three social networks, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, including establishing “complete” profiles, dedicate 15 minutes to each network which I recommend doing so at the beginning of the day. Total time spent – 45 minutes.

Check previous days’ activity, making sure to use each networks “notifications” features effectively. Respond to direct comments and requests accordingly. Check discussions and respond as necessary, review other individuals’ responses, always keeping an eye open for new contacts. Post a discussion, status statement as appropriate Again, keep your goals and objectives in mind. Last, post a few tidbits of information through links to items of interest to your target group. Hey, I hate to beat dead horse here, but make sure everything you do is in line with your goals and objectives for being involved in social media in the first place.

Establish Google Alerts so you know what is being said about you or your brand throughout the day. As you check your email, whether by computer or mobile device, take a glance at any alerts that have come through, and only immediately address negative comments. Then, at the end of your day, take five minutes to review each of the three networks activity, respond only to activity that is very pertinent or urgent, and mentally prepare for your next morning’s activity. This will give you some time to think about discussion responses, etc. Total time spent – 15 minutes.

Shortcuts and Tools Help!

As for posting links to tidbits of information, as you progress through the day, keep an eye open for information through newsletters you subscribe to and in reading news online. When you find something of relevance, bookmark it for later in the day. Use tiny urls to convert long links to manageable links and to accommodate 140 characters within Twitter. Learn how to use key tools such as Facebook applications that convert your Facebook activity to Twitter activity, and applications that enable you to post in advance throughout the week.

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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Starting your social media program with the “Big Three”

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Once your social media strategy has been developed, the resources have been committed and everyone is on board, it’s time to put the plan into action. Just like when you first started to read and count, you began with the “Big Three” of A-B-C and 1-2-3. Well, in social media, we’ll start with the Big Three of L-F-T, otherwise known as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Here are some very simple activity highlights that should help you along:

LinkedIn

Develop company LinkedIn profile
Each LinkedIn group has a discussion feature
Start out responding & answering questions
Earn the right to post questions / discussions
Be proactive in LinkedIn Q & A forum

Facebook

Create Facebook page for your brand
Frequently post items of interest & links
Routinely post information about your concept
Utilize photos, videos & blogs

Twitter

Post links that “touch” your franchise concept
Post links to your concept’s website and blogs
Post links to press releases, events and appearances
Search and follow celebrities for causes to align with
Research followers’ profile and follow significant individuals
Search and follow individuals and companies within ideal franchise profile
Post general items of interest and importance to your concept and franchise customers

As you progress in your social media efforts, follow the list below to enhance the foundation you’ve established with your activity:

Develop and promote a company blog
Develop and promote webinars
Post photos on Flickr
Post videos on YouTube
Explore niche social networks
Explore internet radio
Tag, Tag, Tag, wherever possible
Link to social networking sites
Integrate efforts with traditional strategies

Simple enough, right?

I look forward to your questions and comments…

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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Who, What, When, Where, Why & How of Social Media within a Franchise Organization

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So, you may be thinking that it’s about time you and your franchise organization jumped into the social media pool. Of course, it’s not too late! Throughout the day, we will take a shot at simplifying social media with the hope that all phobias and concerns will be put to rest and venturing into the social media pool will be a piece of cake. So, here we go!

Recently, we addressed developing a social media plan of action around our simple Social Media e-IDEA. Well, let’s simplify that even further and get you to do a little homework beforehand. Your assignment is to answer the key questions of Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? to make certain you’re heading in the right direction.

wwwwwhWho? (Identify your targets)

Know your ideal franchisee profile
Know your targets

What? (Manage the conversation)

Determine and integrate social media responsibilities within current job function or position
Identify and train “voices” of the company and brand
Develop social media guidelines for the entire franchise system including negative response protocol

When? (Plan accordingly)

Review previous day’s activity
Determine today’s objectives
Determine corresponding activities
Divide the day accordingly
Be certain to monitor alerts
Use social media tools wisely
Encourage regular participation
Prepare for evenings & weekends
Key: Quality over Quantity

Where? (Locate your targets)

Know where your targets “listen and speak”

Why? (Some possible goals and objectives are listed)

Create or improve brand awareness
Increase business at unit level
Create or improve interest in franchise opportunity
Generate qualified franchise sales leads
Improve franchise sales efficiency
Improve communications throughout franchise system
Locally, regionally or nationally

How? (Making it happen)

Determine specific goals and objectives
Focus all marketing efforts
Know what’s going on at all times

*This post was originally published on this site March 2011


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Social Media – KISS for Optimum Results!

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Of course I’m referring to a term we all know, Keep it Simple Stupid, when referring to KISS. Sure, social media has so many different facets that it’s difficult to simplify. Especially in its entirety. Well, so is using social media. I would not recommend attempting to work with multiple social media at one time without perfecting skills one platform at a time.

The following is an article I had published in the August 2010 issue of the IFA’s Franchising World magazine that addresses simplifying social media. And as we’re all focused on results, focus is clearly on utilizing social media to achieve optimum results. An easy path? You be the judge. But, remember to keep it simple!

Simplifying Social Media for Optimum Results
Franchising World – August 2010

Social-media technology is evolving at a rapid pace. New tools enabling increased communication with various constituencies are being introduced on a frequent basis. While the franchising community is not yet embracing social media at the levels of the public-at-large, its members are beginning to understand the multi-tiered value that social-media participation can provide to their firms. This value includes:

• Creating or improving brand awareness that drives business to franchise locations,

• Creating interest in franchise opportunities or franchise-candidate lead generation, and

• Establishing or improving communications and information-sharing throughout the franchise organization.

A frequently-cited impediment to the franchising industry’s adoption of social media is the perceived time commitment required to achieve optimum results. There are many implementation methods and technology tools that can be utilized to execute a firm’s social-media program in a way that will maximize ROI, minimize time requirements and achieve complete integration into its overall marketing strategy, all of which will serve to achieve optimum results.

Read the full article in Franchising World, August 2010


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Facebook for Small Business Q&A

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Below is an excerpt from a recent interview by USA Today with Facebook’s Director of Local, Emily White. I thought you might be interested in reading the same as it addresses some of the same questions many within franchising continue to ask…

Facebook exec says, “Tools can promote small businesses.”

Q: Let’s start off by talking “Likes.” There is such an emphasis now by companies on getting customers to “like” them, by clicking the “Like” tab on Facebook. Why are likes such a big deal?

A: A “like” is an endorsement, a lightweight action that allows a user to say “I like what you’re doing in this area; I like your product; I like your photo; and I want to put in a vote for you.”

It’s a way for your customer to say, “I like this business, and I’m going to tell everyone about it.”

Q: Competition for “likes” has gotten so heated that many companies are actually offering to sell “likes,” by paying folks to hit the “like” button over and over again. How does Facebook feel about that?

A: We’re not fans. They’re disingenuous and don’t mean anything. If that page is publishing to an individual’s profile, they’ll start marking it as spam. You want a genuine “like.” You want someone to “like” your business because they really do.

Q: How often should businesses post to their customers? Hourly? Daily? Weekly?

A: “The general rule is, you’re in pretty good shape if you’re posting three times a week. That gets you to a pretty sweet spot. Any more would be just too much.

Q: Many businesses offer special discounts for Facebook members, free items if you mention the Facebook post and the “like.” What’s the best-performing offer?

A: It’s all about authentic content. The great thing about Facebook is you can try something and see how it works with your customers. Ask them, and see the response.

Q: Facebook recently introduced “Deals,” a Groupon/LivingSocial type offer for Facebook customers. How can local businesses participate? What’s the advantage of using Deals instead of, say, just buying ads on Facebook?

A: Local businesses in the five cities we’re testing Deals in (Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Francisco and San Diego) can sign up at http://Facebook.com/deals/business. Since Deals really focused on things you can share with your friends, Deals is great for local businesses because it can help bring in qualified customers. When businesses run Deals on Facebook, we also help them run ads directing to their Deals. Deals are intended to drive customers specifically into the store. The purpose of Deals and ads is different, but we think they’re complementary.

Q. What about Places? That’s another new Facebook feature, allowing customers to “check in” and tell their friends. How can businesses work with Facebook Places?

A: A few months ago, we made it easier for businesses with a physical location to merge their Page with their Place. This allows people to run Check-in deals for their Page. We started testing this in November. Check-in Deals is a free product that helps businesses reward their customers for checking into their stores.

Q: Many small businesses are concerned about taking on another project — social networking. Why should they take the time?

A: The Web is changing from an information Web to a social Web. The way people are interacting with online materials is really starting to mimic what they’re doing offline. . A small business not on Facebook is missing a ton of opportunity. People are probably already talking about them, but all the positive things they’re saying are going off into the ether — and not getting shared broadly. Your page becomes a living, breathing representation of your business.

Spread the word

“There’s this idea that if you have a Facebook page, people will come,” says Krug. “No — you’ve got to do things to get people there.”

She says that just having a Facebook page isn’t enough — the social network has to be combined with your website, Twitter and e-mail marketing. All three should mention the Facebook page in an integrated way. “This takes a serious time commitment, but it will pay off.”

Read the article / Watch the video


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Integrating Social Media with Traditional Marketing

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The following is a discussion on a blog by Michelle Bonat originally posted in late 2008 but still very relevant today. Michelle discusses taking small steps towards integrating Social Media Marketing with classic (traditional) marketing programs.

Babysteps…How to integrate social media with traditional marketing programs

Social media marketing is most effective when it is an integrated part of your overall marketing efforts. But how do you jump into social media when you already have some really effective classic marketing programs in play? Here are a few ways you can babystep into the world of social media by leveraging the good stuff you already have.

1) Maintain a single consistent marketing strategy through classic and social media marketing.

Your goals, objectives and messages should be consistent across all of your marketing. Sounds simple, but unless you define and enforce this it won’t happen.

The good news here is that you don’t have to re-figure this all out just for social media. It’s really just taking your existing marketing platform and extending it.

2) Extend your reach – Reach out to your influencers in ways that they like to communicate.

Use your existing marketing knowledge about who influences your product’s purchasing decisions, and use social media tools to create a discussion with them where they hang out.

Some specific examples: Are your influencers kids? Get on the social networks catering to the younger set. IT buyers? Figure out which bloggers are influencing this community. Mobile sales professionals? Deliver content in a mobile enabled way, such as Twitter.

3) Invite your customers into the process.

While you are planning your next product, refining your messaging, or even launching a marketing campaign, figure out a way to get your customers involved whenever possible as early as possible. When you do this they feel that they have been heard, feel more engaged and valued, which results in a tighter connection with your company and product. It also gives you the benefit of upfront input. A product that people actually want? Described in a manner that speaks to them? Wonderful!

A good way to on-ramp this customer involvement include online communities (public or private, even a public group on an existing social network). You can even ask them to deliver their thoughts in video form by way of a contest – “describe what our product means to you”.

4) Turn an online forum into a social media hub.

Make people feel more at home by adding profile information and allowing the posting of pictures (or pointers to a picture posting service like Flickr).

Recognize that you have to give to get. Start a genuine conversation with your audience by having company employees contribute to the forums in their own words. For example, instead of just asking for feature enhancements suggestions, tell them what direction you are headed and, if possible, the timing for these enhancements (without giving away too much info). Then ask them their opinion.

Try these few tips to help ease into a social media program that leverages your existing marketing – and you will soon be on your way!


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