Reacting, responding and preparing for negative social media postings: negative posts will get lost or their impact diminished if your franchise has a strong online presence.
Many franchises have been reluctant to build their social media footprint partly because they do not necessarily understand social media/social networking and partly for the fear of the unknown. When one does not understand how, and more importantly, why something works, it's certainly more difficult to buy into it. If your company does not have a social media presence or a monitoring plan in place, it is, essentially, allowing someone else to control your message online. When someone else (consumer or franchisee) controls your message, you can lose control of your brand. Many of today's consumers or franchise prospects are doing their due diligence online long before contacting someone. Their first impression of your brand may be established by what they find surfing the Web. Without a strong social media presence, a few negative posts could be their first and only impression of your brand, regardless whether these posts are credible or not. Is it said that perception is reality and one can essentially be losing hundreds of prospects regularly without even knowing it.Recently, many franchises have jumped head first into social media by securing Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter handles, YouTube pages and even FourSquare locations. But simply securing these platforms does not classify as having a social media strategy in place. In fact, securing these footprints makes the franchise more vulnerable to negative activity. Naturally, consumers and even franchisees will speak negatively about your brand, your staff and their experience.
The Solution to Pollution is Dilution
Negative posts will get lost or their impact diminished if your franchise has a strong online presence. This starts with your Web site and trickles down to posting all of your media/ public relations accomplishments; highlighting successful franchisees on your Web site and in your blog posts; using the power of video and testimonials to strengthen those touch points; constantly celebrating and promoting your achievements through event listings, blogs, and so forth, including new openings, accomplishments, resale transitions, growth updates; and making sure all of the above is keyed into your search engine optimization plan.
The best way to understand your social media footprint is to control it. By putting a process in place, whether housed internally or outsourced, franchises can better understand the due diligence touch points of their end user-both the consumer and franchise prospect. By understanding, planning and establishing a strategy around it, a franchise can use its social media footprint to influence the due diligence touch points positively.
Understand that anyone associated with your brand will be able to find the good and the bad about your brand. If the company simply secured its social sites, but doesn't monitor them, negativity can build. If that negativity builds and your prospect (both consumer and franchisee) experiences the negative, it will serve as an influencer. An organization doesn't want a consumer or a franchisee prospect to look at a different brand based on a negative buzz. This is why organizations have to own the control.
The best way to control your social media message is to piece together a social media strategy that consists of the following pieces:
* Time Management. Before jumping into the world of social media, understand that it takes time. If a company creates a footprint, its consumer and franchisees will demand that it be in that space daily, if not more. The beauty of social media is also its demise. It is possible to blur the boundaries of business and personal relationships by interacting in people's personal spaces. But, if your franchisee chooses to blur that line, be ready to interact. Should the organization interact with its end-user for a short time and then become distant, the relationship will dissolve as well. When the relationship dissolves, negativity will brew. Understanding the time commitment first and strategizing second will be key to your ongoing campaign's success.
* Secure Your Sites. Understand where your end user lives and plays. For a service brand, Twitter may not be the answer. For a restaurant, YouTube may not be the most meaningful place to be. Ask your customers. Involve your franchisees. Question your prospective franchisees. Understand where and how they search and your company will have a better plan for building the footprint.
* Establish a Method. Do you have someone internally who can spend an hour a day reacting, responding and growing your networks? Could outsourcing some of the footprint management be a stronger option? Whatever you choose, make sure the person(s) responsible for managing your footprint understand your end goals, your brand's message, and your mission for being in engaged in social media.
* Understand that Negativity will Live. There is no way around it, but creating a positive action plan to combat it will best position your organization for controlling its social media footprint. Remember, when it comes to negativity, how the firm responds will influence the longevity of a post. Should a company respond defensively, other people within your network may flag the organization for it. The worst thing that can happen is a viral negative opinion.
* Once Created, Use Social Media for Competitive Interference, Many franchise organizations who have established some social media foot-print still have yet to figure out a way to use it as an influencer in franchise development. If someone searches your brand and sees "I love to work here", "I love this brand," immediately the buzz sways positively. Further, if your company uses metatags and other SEO-friendly tactics to interfere with competition, suddenly, it can be invited to a dinner table that it may have not been invited to otherwise. If your organization can control search terms outside of your brand name, it will strengthen the searchability of your brand. This can come from Facebook and Twitter posts, blogs and YouTube videos. Think outside-the-box when creating your communication process and brand voice.
Realistically, not every franchise will be able to afford an internal social media expert or have the ability to outsource it. However, having a plan in place is still a must.
Negativity will always exist around and about your brand and social media/ social networking has created yet another place for it to exist. You have the ability to control the messages and diminish the effects of negative posts by simply having a social media presence and plan in place.
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Sean Fitzgerald is the national vice president of franchise development of Wireless Zone. He can be reached at seanf@wirelesszone.com.
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| Title Annotation: | SOCIAL MEDIA |
|---|---|
| Comment: | Reacting, responding and preparing for negative social media postings: negative posts will get lost or their impact diminished if your franchise has a strong online presence.(SOCIAL MEDIA) |
| Author: | Fitzgerald, Sean |
| Publication: | Franchising World |
| Geographic Code: | 1USA |
| Date: | Feb 1, 2011 |
| Words: | 1129 |
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