Is your franchise business buckling under the weight of marketing expenses? If so, chances are you’ve considered joining a co-op to alleviate some of the financial pressure – or maybe you’ve already joined! If you have, this one’s for you.

Run by members, franchise cooperatives provide franchisees the opportunity to team up with their peers to qualify for big discounts on industry must-haves, network with other franchise owners and keep up with industry trends.

Like all business entities, franchise co-ops need killer marketing plans to increase awareness around their services and provide the highest level of value to their audiences – all while facilitating a growing community.

Social media initiatives are fundamental to the success of franchise advertising co-ops, so we’ve developed a list to help your co-op.

Social media musts to boost the success of your franchise co-op:

1. Presence on many platforms.

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube – each platform is aunique tool that offers its own value. While YouTube is a great place to share tutorials, LinkedIn is a pre-established professional network waiting to be tapped. Invest in social media services that get you on as many platforms as possible, then learn and leverage the strengths of each.

2. Variety and consistency of posts.

Be creative with your content – share about industry trends, upcoming conventions, current events or congratulate notable members’ successes. There’s nothing that repels attention so fast as an inactive social account full of stale, overused content. To maintain consistency, enlist the help of a content management tool like Hootsuite or MeetEdgar. These kinds of resources will help you schedule and manage the release of social content, then track its success.

3. Regular engagement with your audience.

While consistent posting is important, so is steady engagement. For franchise co-ops, regular engagement on social platforms involves “Liking” other users’ relevant posts, composing thoughtful Comments, and “Following” other co-op members and industry authorities.

4. Tips and advice for franchise-owning members.

While you are one, you are also many! Don’t forget the co-op exists to serve individual business owners. Fortify the community by offering value-enhancing tips and advice to members, like stressing the importance of local marketing.

5. Links to website and other social platforms.

Google prioritizes social sites due to their high web authority. That means content on a cooperative’s social sites is more likely to be seen than the content on its website. Encourage users to stay in your little corner of the internet by linking to every one of your social sites from your website.

Social media is essential to building a relationship with your audience and establishing your brand. Be present on as many platforms as possible, be creative and consistent with your posts, engage regularly, clearly define your purpose and be sure to link to your other sites. While there are countless ways to improve the effectiveness of your social media initiatives, these five are a great start!

Once you’ve mastered social media for your co-op, consider integrating social into your email marketing plan. Want some collaborative help on integrating all your marketing communications? Drop us a note.