Outsourcing social media management for locations

In brief: outsourcing social media for franchise locations

• With outsourced social media management, we create the content and adverts for all locations, within the brand identity.
• Franchisees only occasionally send in photos or news via WhatsApp.
• We work with one content calendar that your team sees and approves in advance.
• The best account structure depends on your sector: one brand account or local pages.
• You see reach, clicks and leads per location in one monthly report.

Why does social media per location so often grind to a halt?

Because it is a daily task that nobody really owns. Franchisees lack the time or knowledge, the marketing team cannot post for thirty locations, and the result is outdated pages, posts in a style of their own and adverts that do nothing for the brand. In our experience, many franchise brands have more inactive than active local accounts.

What do we take over in social media management per location?

We work with three layers: brand content that every location shares, local content per location and local adverts with a fixed radius. Everything is in one content calendar that your team sees in advance.

How do we protect brand identity on local accounts?

With templates, a short style guide and central access to all accounts. Franchisees may share something locally within the rules; we make sure the rest is right. The full approach is set out in brand protection on local social media.

Which structure should you choose: one account or accounts per location?

That depends on your sector and the number of locations. In hospitality and retail, local accounts often work well because customers follow their local business. In services, one strong brand account with local adverts is often better.

How do we measure social media per location?

By reach in the region, clicks for directions, website or bookings, and leads per location. Those figures appear in the same monthly report as the other channels. Read more about the discipline under social media service for chains; we discuss activating passive franchisees in when franchisees do nothing with marketing.

What does a month of social media management per location look like?

A fixed cycle, so everyone knows what happens when. Your team approves the brand content in advance, franchisees supply local input, and we plan, publish and report.

Can you also use social media per location for recruitment?

Yes. Local accounts and adverts are also a strong channel for recruiting staff per location and new franchisees. We keep those campaigns separate from customer communication, with their own audiences and their own budget. Read more about franchisee recruitment under franchise recruitment marketing.

What does outsourced social media management deliver compared with doing it yourself?

Mainly time and consistency. A franchisee who posts themselves quickly spends a few hours a week on it, often without a plan or measurement. A marketing team creating content for thirty locations no longer gets round to strategy. By outsourcing it centrally, you create content once that works thirty times, with local adjustments. And you can see per location what it delivers in reach, clicks and leads.

Who is behind this approach to outsourcing social media for locations?

The approach on this page comes from our team's practical experience. Gijs Bodenstaff built up a franchise brand himself and therefore knows both sides: the head office that protects the brand and the location that has to attract customers with it. Together with Stanley Leijnse (chair of Stichting LODAK), he studied 500 Google Business Profiles of the 100 largest Dutch franchise chains. Angela, Elisabeth, Peter and ten trained freelancers carry out the work per location, using one method and with weekly training on changes at Google.

Read more about the team about Franchise-Marketing.nl; the author's background can be found under Gijs Bodenstaff.