Tag: franchise social media

Social Media in Real-Time at The IFA

IFA

Here are lots of links to sites, apps, and content surrounding the 2011 International Franchise Association Convention. 
 

 

Thanks to Paul Segreto for hosting me today on Franchise Today. We discussed how to experience the conference in real-time via social media channels. Listen to that conversation on demand here.

Also, check out Social Geek Radio’s discussion on Social Media at IFA here with Deb Evans, AK Stout, and Greg Pitkoff.

 

 Twitter Searchable Hashtag for IFA conversations: #IFA

 
RSVP to Tweetup, Sunday 2/13 at 8:30pm: http://tweetvite.com/event/ifa


IFA Blog: http://franblog.tumblr.com/


IFA Convention Downloadable Application  


IFA’s Tweets


My Tweets


Do you have others? Let me know and I’ll post them here!

Franchise Today: Social Media and The IFA

IFAPlease join me Thursday 2/10 at 12pm CT on Paul Segreto’s radio show Franchise Today.  Here’s a preview:

 

 
 
 
On the next segment of Franchise Today, Paul Segreto welcomes as his guest, Jack Monson, Vice President at Engage121, a social media and pr software solutions providor.

With the International Franchise Association Annual Convention kicking off in Las Vegas on Sunday, February 13th, attendees will be able to enhance their convention experience with real-time social media. Jack and Paul discuss how to effectively utilize the IFA Mobile Application to create a personal convention schedule, navigate the exhibit hall and interact with exhibitors, download powerpoint presentations from education sessions, and stay on top of breaking news and alerts.

Effectively integrating the relatively new Foursquare, along with social media mainstays, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and You Tube into the mix also lends to an enahnced convention experience. As Engage121 is a co-sponsor of the IFA Convention Tweetup, Jack and Paul also discuss the benefits of attending the event and interacting with fellow IFA Tweeters.

 

 

Listen Live!

 

 

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Social Media Marketing for Franchises – Webinar

 
I’m pleased to be part of an upcoming free webinar with some smart marketers in the franchise industry. And, this is your invitation to join us for free! On Tuesday, February 8th, Engage121 is hosting a free online panel discussion called Social Media Marketing for Franchises: Approaches to Making it Work. Panelists include:
  
AK Stout: Founder, Saying It Social 

Bill James: CEO, We Engage LLC 

Jack Monson: Vice President, Engage121

Tammy Nienaber: Communications Director, Great Clips, Inc.  

Thomas Scott: CEO, Brand Journalists 

Moderated by: Nick Perold, Marketing Manager, Engage121

 

See below for more details and click register to reserve your spot. This is highly recommended for Franchisors, CMOs, Marketing Directors, PR Execs, and Social Media Managers and will be a terrific lead-in to more marketing conversations at this year’s IFA Conference.

  Register Now

 

Title: Social Media Marketing for Franchises
Date: Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
Cost: Free

The franchisor-franchisee relationship is a unique one – combining oversight and support. As a result, when it comes to marketing and promotion, franchisors and franchisees often find themselves asking “whose responsibility is this?” – and the answers are different for every system. Join Engage121 for a webinar on February 8th as we host a panel of franchise industry experts who will present different approaches to making social media marketing work for franchisors and franchisees alike. We’ll spend an hour discussing topics and answering questions from the audience such as: 

–  Should franchisees operate their own Facebook pages? 

–  Is social media marketing covered by the national ad fund? 

–  How do brands protect brand guidelines on the social web? 

–  Can franchisees opt-out of (or into) social media promotions?

Social Media: Candy for Franchises

  Social Media Hearts

 
Social Media is a means to give your brand a voice, put a face on your corporation, and give consumers “someone” to engage. Remember, people don’t buy from companies; they buy from people.

  

Nowhere is the opportunity greater than in the Franchise Industry, where even the biggest global brand is represented by a local business owner (and many times literally mom n’ pop)! The explosive growth of social media platforms means most of your potential customers are now reachable. Smart franchise systems are reaching those customers by empowering their franchisees with training and tools to be that local voice, face, and identifiable part of the community.

  

And, last but certainly not least, a social media plan and tools will give your franchise sales team a boost by presenting franchise candidates with an attractive – and affordable – benefit to selecting your system above others. The very fact that you have a plan of attack in social media may a deal-maker for some potential franchisees.

 

If you’re in franchising, I hope to see you at the 51st Annual International Franchise Association Convention . Perhaps we can continue this discussion!

 

I have organized a Tweetup at the IFA show with Deb Evans, Matt Haller, and my colleagues from Engage121. If you’re attending, please join us on Sunday evening. Here are the details: http://tweetvite.com/event/ifa

 

 

 

To Friend or not to Friend? What Small Business Owners Should Consider

Welcome Guest Blogger Jillian Gile from Pounding the Pavement with some Facebook advice for small business owners.
 
 Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that Facebook is the hottest social media tool for small businesses.  Facebook can be the tool you need to make that personal connection with customers that is so critical.  There are many reasons to use Facebook in your marketing campaigns, but there are also a few pitfalls you should be aware of. 

Pros:

It’s the ultimate word-of-mouth

Facebook is where people go to post what they’re having for dinner, what they think about their favorite TV show, and yes – even where they shop.  Having a Facebook presence means you can be personally involved with getting your name out there.  If one customer “friends” you, all their friends will see your name, even if they don’t actively post about your store. 

Big returns on a small investment

Maintaining and updating a Facebook page does not take up large chunks of time, and Facebook is free, so any return is a huge profit.  You can even sign up to advertise your business on Facebook, and ad packages are affordable for even the tiniest budget – think $5/day or less. 

Facebook – it’s everywhere you want to be

Smart phones are almost ubiquitous – and with these mobile internet connections, Facebook is mobile, too.  Customers running errands may see your well-timed status update and be influenced to stop by your store while they’re out and about. This has happened to me on more than one occasion, when my favorite consignment store posts a photo of a dress or jacket I just have to have, right now.

Become a part of the community

So much time and energy is spent making a business an integral part of a community (think yearbook ads).  Facebook has been accused of replacing face-to-face social interaction, but you can use this substitution to your advantage.  As part of Facebook, your business can gain a prominence that makes people support your business. 

Obviously, Facebook isn’t all sunshine and roses.  We didn’t need the movie The Social Network to show us that Facebook has some disadvantages, too. 

Cons:

There is such a thing as too much exposure

Multiple daily postings about your latest deal, favorite brand, and current giveaway can annoy your Facebook friends and even make them unfriend you.  Try to stick to one post a day (or every other day) and make these announcements count – coupons, funny anecdotes, community announcements. 

Facebook isn’t business friendly

Facebook encourages businesses to create pages and advertise on their site, but they are very strict about protecting their users from fake accounts created solely for a business, and will crack down on anyone who has created multiple accounts for this reason.  Stick to the Facebook page option, and play by the rules. 

You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies

OK, we’re not suggesting you create an advertising war to get to 500 million friends, but creating a vibrant community of fans on your page will definitely take some time and effort.  Do not stalk your customers or force them to provide you with e-mail addresses so you can boost appearances.  Be patient. 

Facebook isn’t for everyone

I worked at a small town real estate office that tried to use its Facebook fan page to draw in customers with photos of homes and announcing mortgage rates.  The problem is, their fans were all clients who had already purchased homes and weren’t in the market anymore.  They had to revamp their Facebook goals, and become more of a source for community news, which made them a resource for clients and clients’ friends.  When you start your own Facebook page, give some serious thoughts to what your customers need, and what will draw them to your page. 

The point is – is Facebook worth the effort for a small business owner?  My answer is a cautious yes.  Think about what your customers need:  Do they need coupons?  A friendly reminder you’re still around?  A place to find out what’s going on in their town?  Establish what your business needs are, and don’t hesitate to poll likeminded business owners to see what’s worked for them.

Jillian Gile is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on online career training  for the Guide to Career Education.

Christmas Is Not Too Commercial

 

Heat Miser
Mr Green Christmas, aka Heat Miser

 
 
It’s the first week of October and I’m writing a Christmas blog post. Too early? Maybe. But I want to draw out an over-used complaint that Christmas comes too early and is too commercial.
 
At the same time, I admit to doing a bit of sensational headline-writing to emphasize a point about the need for Christmas to come sooner. Yep! I wanted to use Christmas to draw in some more clicks to this blog. I can’t blame traditional media outlets, TV commercials, and retailers for doing the same thing. This year more than ever, they need a little early holiday spirit from consumers to attract some attention and drive traffic early and often.
 
On a WGN radio call-in show last week, I heard callers complaining that Christmas shopping season is already creeping into their daily lives and how horrible it is to see Christmas items on store shelves already. One woman complained about seeing Christmas items in a retail hobby and craft chain so early. Hmmm…I think the Christmas Sweater-making crowd needs to get rolling on making their projects soon. So if you don’t want to see holiday goods yet, avoid craft stores.
 
Maybe that’s the solution for you if you regularly argue that “Christmas is too commercial”: avoid all commercial outlets. This includes all television, radio, movies, movie trailers, retail stores, restaurants, Facebook, Twitter, all other social media networks, and in fact, the internet altogether. Stay home, stay offline, and read a book set in the summertime, and you won’t have to worry about seeing or hearing about the holidays yet. 
 
But do yourself a favor and accept that Christmas is coming. Fire up some Bing Crosby, get some shopping done early, support your local merchants, and help get this economy rolling. Merry Christmas!

Bing Crosby David Bowie
Too early for Bing and Bowie? Nah!

Engage121 Launches Enterprise Application

   
Here’s the announcement about the latest social media tool released by my colleagues at Engage121. The focus of the Engage121: Enterprise app is social meeting local. This is critical for franchise systems, retail or restaurant chains, and brands with dealer networks or independent sales agents. 

For full details and to see the release, click here. 

 
 

Engage121 

 

Social Media and Franchisee Satisfaction

 
A recent chat with Joe Mathews revealed Joe’s top two criteria for measuring a franchise system’s health:

1. Local Financials, and

2. Franchisee satisfaction

I think Joe nailed it. I do want to discuss how localized social media can impact your local financials soon. But for today, let’s dig deeper into franchisee satisfaction.

Helping your franchisees engage in and market their businesses via social media will improve their satisfaction and retention.

Your Zees are constantly bombarded with messages about how they should be doing something in social media. They are inundated with “gotta do it” ideas from their peers, their kids, The Wall Street Journal, and Oprah.

But none of those sources of information can be resources for success the way a franchisor can. Be the hero! Give your ‘zees tools and guidance to grow their businesses via social media and keep them satisfied.

Social Media Satisfaction by Franchisors: 

  • Give guidance on using SM platforms to increase their business; NOT just a policy!

  • Provide a library of content (photos, articles, YouTube videos) for your Zees to share with their local connections.

  • Supply a tool to make engagement by zees fast and easy. 

  • Use a tool for the franchise system to speak on the Zee’s behalf (for Zees not apt to dive in themselves).

At Engage121, I speak with franchisors each day about solving business problems – including franchisee satisfaction – using social media tools. Please contact me to discuss further.

 

What is Engage121?

We’ve spoken frequently on this blog about using Engage121. A few people have asked, “what is that, exactly?” Here’s a new video from my colleagues at Engage121 to explain how companies are using the application.