Countdown to Christmas is On!
With Thanksgiving out of the way and Halloween around...
As you prepare to dive into the world of franchises in Canada, one big area to explore is advertising and specifically the new social medias. There are many different types of social medias available to use for free or low cost, and they often take the place of more traditional advertising.
Here are four hot social media tools to explore:
1. Network, network, network! Creating a profile or business page on websites like Facebook.com and Google + give you a chance to connect with local followers. This type of networking encourages a back and fourth dialogue with customers and is a great platform to encourage repeat business by promoting events and specials. Its is also a great place for customers to share feedback and for you as a franchise owner to respond to feedback. While some of your branding is taken care of by which ever franchise group you buy in to, social media networking allows you to also create a local face for the location.
2. Check in so people will check you out! There are a good size group of websites that focus on putting your business in front of locals. These websites include foursquare, citysearch and Facebook places. Foursquare in 2010 partnered with metronews.ca to offer you the opportunity to encourage customers to "check in" to your business in order to earn rewards. The partnership also connects you with new customers as new customers can link up each time a review is posted on metronews.ca. For franchises in Canada, this means you have a unique chance to see your business put in front of new customers. The focus on location for sites like foursquare and Facebook places allows you again to establish your specific franchise location as a part of the local community and a stand alone establishment as you create a connection with local repeat visitors.
3. Blog, blog and blog some more! Blogging yourself is a great way to connect on a personal level with your community. If blogging isn't something you want to keep up, you can also connect with local bloggers by inviting them to visit your business or providing them with merchandise so they will write a review. Getting you mentioned on a blog with a large following can mean new business. You can also get yourself out there into the blog world by commenting on a regular basis on well established blogs. As you comment more often and establish yourself as a knowledgeable source, other readers may check out your profile and this is where you link up to your business.
4. Leave the hands on work to the pros! If social media seems a bit overwhelming to you, there are companies out there who offer the service of managing all your social media needs. BeTheBoss.ca are the experts on managing the specific social media needs of franchises in Canada.
