Recently by Frances Leary

Each social media platform has different users that are engaged, and those users want to see and interact with different types of content.

This makes social content marketing all that more complex because company's must tailor the content they distribute in order to benefit audiences in different places and in different ways.

The only way to know for sure what content resonates with your audiences on different platforms is to test it and adapt your content strategy based on results.

However, this is a brief overview of what users on each platform are looking for:

Facebook Facebook Users like to interact, to be engaged. They want to participate in a conversation. They want to feel part of something and be related to on a more personal level. In a nutshell, this means you do not simply regurgitate news by posting articles and information. Use interactive media. Ask questions. Post conversations that inspire and motivate. Get them involved.

Twitter Twitter Users like things to be quick (which, of course they have to be when limited to 140 characters). They like links and short tips. They also like photos and videos they can click on quickly, and short quotes seem to appeal to the Twitter audience. With your Twitter posts, aim to inform, entertain, network and inspire. Then share links to sites that do the same. Make sure you use hashtags with keyword phrases, too.

LinkedIn LinkedIn Users are professionals seeking professional information. Link to relevant and informative articles. Use only highly professional and well-respected resources. This doesn't mean that posts should be stuffy or overly academic. Not at all. Just know that LinkedIn users trust what they read on LinkedIn as being accurate, so you want to provide them with beneficial information that is also bang-on. Using keyword phrases in your posts is also of benefit.

Pinterest Pinterest users like images. Go figure. Pin images that will inspire users to take action or will solve a problem they have. Use humour, entertain, make them think and above all...have fun.

Google Plus Google Plus Users are largely tech-savvy and interested in information related to technology and strategy. This may not be a fantastic resource for social engagement for many of you, however for Google rankings it is GOLD. Use keyword phrases in your posts and link back to your site often.

On all platforms, sharing your original company content (ex: blog posts) is very important. This increases your credibility, benefits your audience, and helps you build a stronger relationship with them, as well.

What to write, what to write, what to write. Think, think, think. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

We've all been there. Complete brain freeze.

The only problem? You need, need, need to get this blog article out. You've already pushed it to the last minute, and you're down to the wire. It simply can't wait.

So you're in a predicament. What do you do?

Truth be told, we often find ourselves in this predicament, and when we're in it, these are some of the things we do...hopefully they can be a starting place for you, too.

●Tell a success story - Think of moments big or small that have happened in your business recently that can be a celebration. Did a client give you a pat on the back? Can you give an employee a pat on the back? Did you achieve a new benchmark? Successes come in big and small packages, and your audience always wants to share in them. So let them.

●Turn a frustration into a teachable moment - Has something frustrated you recently in your business? Why? How can you use that frustration to educate your audience about your business?

●Repurpose a presentation - Look through old presentations you've given. Choose one and put the highlights together in a blog post. It can be bullet points and very high-level. You don't need to give it all away. Just an overview will do.

●Make it personal - Share your story. Talk about you. After all, people do business with people, not businesses. Whether you write about yourself or your boss or your employee, give an inside glimpse into who you, the people behind the business, really are.

●Spread the love - A.K.A. Delegate - Not every blog has to come from you. Ask employees to contribute their stories. This gives your audience even more insights into who you are as a company. Plus, it keeps content and writing styles fresh and new.

●Invite a guest - Ask someone you respect from another business that somehow compliments yours to contribute a blog. This will benefit them because it will give their business added exposure and boost their credibility. It will benefit you because you're showing your audience a larger spectrum of content that is beneficial to them. It's a win-win, and you didn't have to write anything. The only downside? You typically have to plan this one a bit in advance.

●Ask your audience - Seriously, ask them a question. What's something you want to know. Start a conversation. Create a poll or a survey. Make it fun or make it market research or both.

●Make a Top 10 list - Top 10 menu items, top 10 dress styles, top 10 favorite performers, top 10 learning tips, top 10 blogging tips J.... Think of 10 things your audience should know about and put them in a list.

●Write a How-To - You know you're the expert at what you do. You have knowledge that your audience needs, so share it. Tell them how to do one thing they need to know how to do. Just one thing. Save the next thing for another blog.

If you still need help with your content marketing and blogging, connect with me on LinkedIn using the business card below and let's talk.

As a franchisor, of course you want to have a brand that is well-recognized and well-respected in the marketplace. Sometimes, however, things are going on behind the scenes that you may not even know about...and they may be causing your online brand damage.

Answer these 10 questions to determine whether your franchise brand is in good shape online or if your franchise needs some help to get its online brand management on track.

For each "no", deduct 10%.

If you got 70% or less, your brand needs help. Connect with me and let's talk about how Wired Flare can help.

If you liked this, you should sign up for the LinkedIn Marketing & Advertising Tips from Franchise-Info newsletter.

Or, for more information on the Franchise-Info Business Directory, call Joe at 1-443-502-2636 or email Joe direct [email protected]

Social media communication can actually be a great indicator as to how a franchise system supports its franchisees.

Once you've narrowed down your potential franchise choices, take some time to look at their social media and consider the following things.

Is There a Social Media Presence?

First, determine whether the franchise has a social media presence at all. For example, does it have links to Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus on its corporate website? If not, this is likely an indication that the franchisor has not prioritized social communication.

However, don't stop there; look for them on your own. Search Facebook and Twitter to see if there is any franchise presence. If not, this should be a huge flag for you. With 91% of consumers today making purchasing decisions based on online experiences, social media is absolutely necessary for business growth.

Is Social Presence Corporate Only or Local?

The second step, assuming the franchise passed the test in step 1, is to determine the level of presence it has. Are social profiles only representative of the corporate franchise? For example, when doing your searches do you only find one Facebook page and one Twitter profile, both of which represent the corporate franchise?

If this is the case, it may indicate that the franchisor has a very strict policy about local pages and prohibits franchisees to have their own social media presence. Depending on the products and services the franchise offers, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you need to know and understand up front.

Is Branding and Customer Service Consistent?

If you do find many local pages, you'll likely encounter one of two scenarios:

1)      All the pages are branded similarly, have some of the same types of content, and are active; or

2)      The pages all look different and have different photos and content; some are updated regularly and some haven't had anything posted for months or longer.

If you find #1 to be true, this likely indicates that there is an overall social media strategy in place. This is great for you as a franchisee because you can feel confident that the corporate team will provide support in getting your social presence off the ground. They may even manage it for you, which can be fantastic if the franchisor also empowers and trains franchisees to be involved if and when they want to be.

If you find situation #2 to be true, which is very often the case, this likely means that when it comes to social media...you're on your own.

Up to this point, the franchisor likely has not provided any support or guidance for franchisee social profiles, which can be good and bad. The upside is that you would have freedom to engage as you choose to do so. The downside is that you'd be on your own for creating and distributing content, managing social platforms, providing customer service and building relationships with your audience. This can be a very time-consuming task.

Is Your Social Media Audience Engaging with the Franchise Online?

Finally, whether the franchise has one social profile or many, it's important to take a look at the types of conversations that are happening. Is the content dull and/or pushy, or are the posts ones that get the audience really excited about the franchise and prompt audience engagement? Are people liking, sharing and retweeting franchise posts?

If you find a lot of engagement, that's a fantastic indication that social media audiences already enjoy following the franchise online. For you that means that if you choose to be a franchisee, you'd have an audience that already knows about the franchise and will likely be excited to have a local profile to engage with on social networks.

Whatever you find when you investigate the franchise's social media presence, it's crucial to open a dialogue with your potential franchisor and ask them what, if any, corporate support is given to a franchisee's social media management. Of course this isn't the only factor in your decision to purchase a franchise, but it should definitely be one of them.

Among many other things it can do, social media is a powerful tool for brand communication and marketing.

One would think this might go without saying, but many businesses still aren't quite sure how it fits into their traditional marketing plan.

First, it's important to understand that brand isn't what you say it is...it's what your audience says it is. You can only shape their definitions by the way that you communicate with them, and social media can be a huge part of that process.

Second, a key element to understand is that brand communication and marketing through social media is most effective when it is focused on the audience first and foremost.

Social media provides a way of communicating to your audience at a deeper level what your company truly is and everything it stands for: mission, values, products, passions, community involvement, character, the people behind the company, and more.

It's a way of telling your story so that it resonates with your audience and reveals the deeper side of why your company is here and why it provides the products or services that it does.

It's about being real.

Social media is an extension of everything else you do to shape your brand - website, print collateral, signage, business cards.

All of that works together to shape how your audience sees you and to tell your story,  so as you craft your brand communication plan, it is important to develop an overall strategy (and budget) that involves all the pieces working together.

Conclusion:  Social media also allows your organization to gain exposure to a large audience (thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands) at a very low cast. Five years ago it would have cost you tens of thousands of dollars to reach those kinds of numbers .

With social media you have the opportunity to spread the word about your company to anyone and everyone online, and when your communication plan is audience-focused, over time they start doing your marketing for you. One person comments on your post, their friends see it, they like your page, they comment, their friends see it, they like your page, they comment, their friends see it...and over time they start buying.

That same type of exponential audience-led brand exposure doesn't happen with billboards or magazine ads. That doesn't necessarily mean you don't need billboards or magazines, but it does mean you need social media as part of your overall plan.

An ad provides one message. It offers one solution to solve one problem.

The messages you can send out on social media are endless. As your company grows, so can its social media change and adapt with it. It's thousands of messages, each one giving just a bit more of a glimpse into what you are, what you do, and why you're the best at it.

Social media is so powerful because it allows you to build relationships and foster loyalty and trust with your audience. You can't buy those relationships - you have to develop them over time by communicating in an audience-focused way.

And the best part of it all is that when you use social media effectively as part of your marketing process, the value you bring to your audience goes far beyond the products and services you can provide for them.

The types of content you share on social channels work together to communicate with your audience, and the most effective content strategies are those that are focused on bringing value to the audience, not in pushing sales.

Each piece of content should be related to your company's industry and do one of five things:

• inspire your audience
• inform your audience
• motivate your audience
• educate your audience
• entertain your audience

Each of these five things is beneficial to your audience in one way or another, and depending on the company some work better than others.

There are many types of content you can use that will accomplish those five goals, and ideally in the course of a week, for example, post content might achieve all five.

Consider the following types of content to include in your strategy:

Audio/Visual
Consider media such as videos and images. People love to be visually engaged. Consider creating unique infographics, photo postcards or videos. Stay away from "commercial" advertising videos and focus on videos that help your audience, such as how-to tutorials or web TV episodes. Entertaining (and audience-appropriate) clips from YouTube can also generate a good response.

Quotes
Look around for quotes by other experts in your industry. Consider adding these quotes to images to make them more visual. Sharing quotes from one of your own experts can be very effective, as well, and it magnifies your brand expertise.

Articles
Locate articles that would be of benefit to your audience. LinkedIn ; is a great resource, as well as other news sites. Blog directories like alltop.com grant access to large quantities of current articles.

It is also very important to create original articles that would be showcased on your company blog. These, more than anything, provide an opportunity to showcase your company's expertise and provide a valuable service to your audience. Post these articles on your company blog and share on social networks. This is also one of the best ways to direct people to your website.

There are many, many types of content that accomplish the five goals that will benefit your audience. For example:

• Illustrations

• Quotes

• Infographics

• Memes

• Articles

• How-to's

• Photos

• Videos

• Statistics

• SlideShare presentations

• Facts

• Stories

• Blogs

• Press releases

• News

• Jokes

• And more

Once you identify the types of content that work best for your company, posts must be created for unique audiences on each social network. The same content should not go out to every social network because users want different things.

Find out more about how to create content that will engage users on unique platforms by clicking here.

Remember that creating and distributing content is only one part of the social media communication process. In order for your social media to be effective, your company has to be listening to its audience. You must monitor what's happening, respond to their posts, engage with them, deliver superior customer service, and consistently tailor your strategy so that your content is most effective.

LinkedIn now makes it very easy for users to endorse skills listed by their connections. Typically, as soon as you open your LinkedIn window, there it is...that box with four of your connections asking you to endorse them for specific skills.

LinkedIn makes it very easy to do so. Simply click Endorse all, and you have done just that. Then the box disappears and you can get back to your LinkedIn business. You may also choose to click on individuals if you do not want to endorse them all, and you can search for other endorsement suggestions.

So, here's the sticky point to consider:

While you likely want to support your connections, what does it say about you if you endorse someone for a skill you are not actually certain they possess?

Every endorsement you make of someone else is a reflection of you. While they may be taken less seriously than an official recommendation letter, they still represent you.

Consider that if you do not know first-hand whether someone is truly skilled in an area, providing them with an endorsement may actually be a breach of trust. It can potentially devalue your word and decrease the respect others have for you and your recommendations.

While many on LinkedIn approach endorsements as just a friendly way to lend support, consider that there may be ways to provide support to your connections and still resist the temptation to endorse someone for a skill you truly do not know that they possess.

Sharing their content is one  way to do this. Also, if you truly want to be able to endorse them, then perhaps it's time to setup a meeting so you can get to know first-hand what it is that they do and the ways they do it well.

So, the next time that endorsement box pops up, consider carefully whether the recommended endorsements are a true reflection of who and what you would want to recommend.

Social media can be an amazing way to connect with friends, family, clients and potential clients. It can be a vehicle for personal communication and business growth.

However, it is also very public, and very quickly our private lives can become very un-private.

When it comes to protecting our families, especially, this is a scary thing. The reality is that there are predators and bullies out there who will use the Internet to take advantage of or harass others.

While we cannot prevent all this from happening, it's essential that we take every precaution possible in order to protect our own lives and the lives of our children.

Here are some ways we can protect ourselves and our families on social media:

Step 1: Know the Facts

Understand how each platform works (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchapt, etc.). Then go through the settings on each platform in order to control privacy as best as possible. Here are some tips to consider:

●Whenever possible, make sure only your approved friends can see the content you post.
●Remember that almost all platforms allow you to block people.
●Almost all platforms provide some way for you to report inappropriate conduct.
●For many platforms, content is "public" by default, so you have to go into settings and change this so only your friends can see your content.
●Many platforms keep archived copies of the content that you post. Even if you delete it, they still have it.
●Some platforms will allow you to "approve" your friends and followers in advance. When possible, select this option.

To learn more about the platforms below, follow these links:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/help/445588775451827
https://www.facebook.com/safety

Twitter: https://twitter.com/privacy

Instagram: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/

Snapchat: http://www.snapchat.com/static_files/parents.pdf

Step 2: Be Proactive with Your Privacy

Here are some proactive measures you can take on many social media networks in order to maintain your privacy.

Locations  - Turn Off Locations settings so that people do not know where you are when you are posting content.

Passwords

●Make them hard to guess.
●Don't share them with others (except for a member of your family, who should have it for protection)
●Consider changing your passwords every 6 months and keep a record of them.
●Don't use the same password for everything

Nickname - Consider using a nickname (not your real name) whenever possible

Contact Information

●share it - your friends will have your phone number; they don't need to find it on social networks.
●Never put your address
●Use a special EMAIL just for social networks that does not have your name in it.

Cookies - Delete cookies and browsing history on your computer regularly. This makes it more difficult for websites to store your information.

Account Separation - Consider not linking social networks together. Keep Facebook separate from Twitter, separate from Instagram, etc.

Step 3: Consider your "Friends" Carefully

Social media is for you to engage with your true friends. This is especially true for young people. Remember that you do NOT have to connect with everyone. Rather, only connect with people you truly WANT to connect with.

Also remember that in many cases you have the ability to block, unfriend report, keep your profile private and make your profile unsearchable. Use these things whenever you need them.

Do what feels right. If someone requests to be your friend, and it doesn't feel right to you...don't accept!

Step 4: Consider Your Content

We recommend that you do NOT post the following:

●Photos that show conduct you wouldn't want anyone but your close friends seeing
●Photos or posts showing conduct that is illegal, against the law or unethical
●Photos that show any parts of you that aren't meant to be exposed in public
●Personal information that could tell the public more information than they need to know (times, locations, plans)
●Inappropriate or defamatory language
●Negative or hurtful comments - Why? Because they are often said in the heat of anger or sadness, they don't reflect what you really mean, they could seriously hurt others, they could damage your reputation, and they could impact your future.

This is our rule of thumb:

If you wouldn't post it on a BILLBOARD for your GRANDMOTHER to see, DON'T post it online!

The Internet (and friends and future colleagues and admissions counselors and bosses) have very long memories. NOTHING is really private on social media. Your Digital Footprint stays with you FOREVER.

And remember... Sometimes it is just best to TURN IT OFF rather than post anything at all.

If your mind isn't in the right space, don't post anything (you may regret what you post later, and then it's already out there).

There are many potential consequences to posting "inappropriate" content, including:

●Physical harm to yourself or someone else
●Loss of job
●Impact on reputation
●Loss of friends
●Loss of university acceptance
●Criminal investigations

Step 5: Create a Family Social Media Agreement

Families can be the best support for each other. Staying connected online will help your family stay protected. We recommend that you:

Connect

●Stay connected with your family online
●Be friends, follow each other, etc.

Share what's happening online within your family group.

●Be honest about what's happening on social media
●Teenagers, talk with your parents
●Parents, talk with your kids
●Openness = more trust
●Sharing your account information with your family and asking for help with privacy settings will increase your protection.

Create a family online engagement contract.

●Teenagers, let your parents know that you value your privacy and independence on social networks
●Parents, let your kids know that you trust them and simply want to be there when they need you to help keep them safe.
●Define "rules" that address everyone' needs so the entire family is in agreement and understands.

Go forth, have fun and stay protected!

We spend a lot of time at Wired Flare teaching others about effective ways to engage on social networks.

Sometimes, in order to get a clear picture of how best TO communicate, you also need to understand how NOT TO use social networks.

Keep in mind that our thoughts are our own and intended only as a starting point for your thoughts.

Ultimately each organization (and each individual, for that matter) in Facebook conversations must define its own unique and fitting "rules of engagement."

So, in no particular order, here is the Wired Flare list of Top 10 Business Facebook No-No's:

1. Don't post promotions for your business on other business pages. Even if you're trying to be "helpful" (like promoting your free business listing opportunity or offering them a free service), this is just bad form. If you sincerely want to help another business, reach out to them personally through email or phone (or at least through private social message)...NOT on their public business page. This comes across as very self-serving, even if you did it with the best of intentions.

2. Do not add people to promotional business groups without their permission. This is a very unwelcome practice. It forces the "friends" you have added to the group into this position where they must risk offending you to leave the group...OR they get notifications each time someone posts in the group. (Of course, they can turn off those notifications, but do you really want to put them in that position?) Groups are intended for just that - groups of people who want to communicate with each other about a certain interest. Think of them more as support groups. Adding people willy-nilly to your business group comes across again as very self-serving. If you want to invite people to join your group, send them private messages or emails that have the link to the group that they can click on to request to join.

3. Don't send messages to a huge group of people at once. For example, if you send a message to everyone invited to an event, it comes through as a group chat. Every person then gets notifications every time someone responds to the message thread. This forces your friends to leave the message thread in order to prevent receiving notifications each time. If you want to get messages out in bulk, we recommend using a contact manager to send personalized email messages to your contacts. To use the Facebook message feature, send emails to individuals, not to groups.

4. Do not double-post. Many solopreneurs, for example, tend to post content on their business page and also on their personal profiles. This should only be done on rare occasions, and the best way to do it would be to share the content from the business page onto the profile. We recommend doing this only for special posts and only rarely.

5. Do not send promotional messages to your friends on Facebook. Promotions should be kept to a minimum, anyway, but sending unsolicited promotional messages through Facebook is just another form of spam. If you want people to see your business content, ask them (only on occasion) to like your page. You can also setup a regular monthly newsletter to go out to subscribers that would have promotions as well as helpful information. Spam, whether it's on Facebook or email, is never welcome.

6. Do not constantly post promotional content on your business page. Facebook is about building relationships and engaging with your audience. No one wants to see coupon after coupon, sale after sale, featured product after featured product. If you want them to fall in love with your brand, give them a reason why. Show them you truly care about them by offering them value...not only promotions. The 80-20 rule is a good standard to follow: keep promotional posts under 20% of total content. (We actually recommend much less than that.)

7. Do not connect Facebook to Twitter or Twitter to Facebook. When your tweets go to Facebook, it is very obvious and it devalues your brand. When your Facebook posts go to Twitter, they are most often shortened and cut off...and again, this devalues your brand. Users on Facebook and Twitter want different things. Find out what they want and give them that in unique ways.

8. Do not make negative comments about other businesses on your business page or personal profile. Whether it's the competition or simply a company that you're unhappy with, this is not a good practice. Consider how you would want your unhappy customers to approach things. If you have a beef with another company, it's best to contact them directly in a private way in order to resolve your issues. If you handle professional conflicts with other organizations in a negative way, what does this say to your audience? Perhaps it indicates to them that you will handle any issues they have with you in the same, negative manner. This definitely isn't the image you want to portray.

9. Do not complain about a customer on your personal Facebook profile (and certainly not on your business page). Even if you think this is "private" - IT ISN'T! One way or another, the message will get back to your customer and it will work against you. Plus, everything is a reflection of you. If you're complaining about your current customers to your friends, why would your friends want to become your customers? If you have an issue, it is better to deal with it privately with your customer.

10. Do not "borrow" the content that another company posts and duplicate it as your own. Whether it is a picture or content, this conveys that your company does not have its own original thoughts and does not offer unique value. Take the time to develop your own unique content, and your audience will come to have more respect for you and look to you as an expert in your field. SHARE content from other pages but do not pass it off as your own.

When you want some help with your Facebook strategy & learning effective ways to engage on social networks, give me a call and connect with me on LinkedIn.

If you liked this, you should sign up for the LinkedIn Marketing & Advertising Tips from Franchise-Info newsletter.

Or, for more information on the Franchise-Info Business Directory, call Joe at 1-443-502-2636 or email Joe direct [email protected]

When it comes to online brand management, franchises often have much more to consider than traditional businesses. Why? Because they must manage the brand online not only for the franchise as a whole but for each franchise location.

This can become a daunting task, and if it is not handled properly it can lead to disaster.

Managing your franchise brand successfully online will result in:

●Brand consistency in all local markets
●#1 Rankings in all markets
●Prompt and effective online customer care in all markets
●Prompt and consistent damage control in all local markets
●Consistent engagement and participation on social networks in all local markets

For some that may seem like a tall order, especially when considering the size of many franchise systems today.

How do you do this? The basic answer is relatively simple: you need a solid online strategy that works for both franchisor and franchisees.

There are essentially four primary components to creating a franchise-wide online strategy.

Part 1: Internet Marketing Model

This is the foundation of your online strategy and it answers three primary questions: How, Who and Where.

How?

●How will the Internet be used to ensure the franchise website lands on Page 1 for relevant searches in all of its local markets?
●How will the website be used? (Brand page vs. local pages, for example)
●How will social networking be utilized? (Will there be Brand pages and/or local pages, and which social networks will you use?)

Who?

●Who will ensure that the page 1 Google rankings are achieved...franchisor or franchisee?
●Who will manage the website?
●Who is responsible for setting up and maintaining social networks and delivering social care?

Where?

Where will funding come from to cover the cost of these initiatives?

Click here for more information about creating an effective Internet Marketing Model.

Part 2: Internet Usage Policy

This will define how and franchisees and their employees (as well as corporate employees) can use the Internet.

This is your protection. It outlines what can and cannot be done online, and it is absolutely crucial. Without this you leave yourself open to the potential of many negative outcomes, including lawsuits, breaches of confidentiality and more.

It is also an opportunity to empower your franchisees to engage online in the proper ways.

Consider these questions:

●What are your expectations for online communication?
●Are franchisees and/or employees allowed to comment on or answer questions about the company?
●How will you monitor franchisee and employee engagement?
●How will you enforce policies?

Click here to find out more about creating an effective internet usage policy.

Part 3: Social Care Policy

Good social care means good customer service delivered through online platforms. It's crucial today because more people are turning to places like Facebook and Twitter to get their customer service issues resolved than using the phone or web help forums.

For franchises, this means that you have to be there...not only for your franchises as a whole, but if anyone in any location has a customer service issue related to one of your franchises, you have to have a system in place to deal with this.

Delivering good social care is relatively simple. It is the process of the following three things:

●Monitor
●Listen
●Respond positively in each given situation

You need to have your policy in place so that you and your franchisees know exactly what to do and who is doing it.

Click here to find out more about developing a social care policy for your franchise.

Part 4: Communication and Engagement Plan

This is an ever-evolving plan for engaging with your audience online. Among other things, it will identify:

●the types of content you'll create
●where and how that content will be distributed
●how to engage proactively with your audience for online growth.

Of course...this is all just the beginning of successful online brand management. It requires consistency, dedication and adaptation in order to keep your franchise on top.

Connect with me on LinkedIn, when you need to know more about how to effectively manage your brand online.

This is a serious subject, so let's cut to the chase...

Does greasing Google's payroll by paying for pay-per-click Adwords impact your organic search rankings?

Abso-100%-lutely!

Now we're not telling you it's right, we're just telling you the facts.

Case in point...

We've been working with a client whose website was hit hard after the recent penguin updates . They dropped from ranking on page 1 for every keyword phrases to page 5, 6, 7 and even higher.

Total disaster!

Thankfully the culprit was identified and eliminated (duplicate pages left from a website change that happened a year before), however the damage was done.

Once your site has lost its rankings foothold, it's harder than ever to reclaim it, and that process takes time. Our organic search efforts had been working, and slowly month after month we were seeing things increase.

However, this wasn't fast enough.

So...we launched an Adwords campaign and....

ALACAZAM!

Page 1 in less than 5 hours.

Organic rankings don't jump that quickly. It doesn't happen. And it certainly doesn't happen with a wide range of keyword phrases all at once.

So....did paying for Adwords boost the organic rankings? Absolutely.

Is paying for Adwords a replacement for organic search marketing? Absolutely NOT!!

Why? Because when you stop greasing Google, your paid ads go away...and without any natural website credibility, your organic rankings will drop.

Where do you want to be? You want to be ranked #1 organically!

However, if you need to get there FAST, and as much as we hate to say so...forking over some dough to Google to speed things up (alongside an organic marketing campaign), could be something to consider.

When you want your website to rocket to the top of search, connect with me on LinkedIn and let's talk.

Well, Google has done it again. We knew it was coming, however it's here with a vengeance that is bitter indeed.

Penguin 5.0 (or Penguin 2.1 as Google calls it) was released on Friday, and many sites have been impacted.

The truth is that while Google is calling these updates "Anti-Spam" they are actually targeting many sites that are not "spamming" the world of the Internet.

Many sites have spent a great deal of time and money creating and distributing quality content over long periods of time in order to link back to their sites and boost traffic. No cheating, no shortcuts , no black hat techniques.

Unfortunately, many of you are now getting your hand slapped for working so hard to create all that content and get it out there.

If the sites you put content on weren't high-ranking enough, if they had other people using it improperly, all those things now count against you.

The biggest irony of it all??

If you never worked hard to get your site ranked organically - never wrote blogs, never setup Google plus, never used social networks - and ONLY paid Google for your rankings, guess what? Your site is now ranking front and center.

Unintentional? We think not.

Regardless of the fact that Google is fast becoming the closest thing to the Terminator's Skynet we've ever seen (is anyone else a bit afraid of all the power they have?)... the reality is that if your site has been hit, you need to deal with it.

So, how do you go about doing that?

The likely culprit is what Google would call "bad links," and whether these are actually bad or not doesn't matter. Google has deemed them as such. So, they have to be either manually removed or disavowed.

1. The first step is to identify which ones have been identified as "Bad." In order to do that, use Google's webmaster tools. Click here for more information about how to identify bad links. 

The next step is to remove them. There are a few ways to take care of this.

If someone at your company or a firm you were working with manually built these links, then they may be able to be manually take them down.  Easy-peasy.

2. Another option is to contact the webmaster and ask them to remove the links to your site. They may or may not do this, and they may or may not charge you money to do it (which they shouldn't).

3. The third alternative is to Disavow the links using the Google webmaster tool.  Click here for more information on how to disavow links. 

After that is all done, it's likely going to be a waiting game. You may not see the results or an impact on rankings until the next Penguin update.

Is this infuriating? Yes. Is it "fair"? No. Is it reality? Indeed.

If your site has been impacted, for now we recommend that you stop distributing content on outside sites and focus on your own blog and social networking. Then you can re-evaluate after your site gets back up where it needs to be.

Have questions? We're happy to help. Connect with me on LinkedIn below.

Yes, content is king. AND...using it properly through social networks is a crucial component of franchise growth.

Consumers today trust the information they find through social networks - what their peers have to say, the posts they find, the way franchises treat their audience - more than most other resources.

More than 70% of consumers purchase from brands they follow online.

So, what does this mean for franchises? They need to be using social networks properly. This means more than simply setting up a Facebook page. It means carefully choosing which networks to participate in and then engaging with them consistently.

The first step, of course, is selecting which networks are right for your franchise's participation.

Here are the issues.

1. Is your audience there? Is your competition there? If yes to both, you most certainly need to be there. If your audience is not there, it may not be a place you need to be.

2. Once you've decided where you need to be, you must determine whether to setup brand pages only or pages for each franchise location. This decision would ideally be part of setting up a whole-franchise online marketing model, created with input from franchisor and franchisees.

After you have pages setup, content is the new task at hand.

1. What types of content do you post and where? Different platforms require content to be presented in different ways. However, before deciding what goes where comes the process simply of identifying what types of content your audience would want to see from you.

2. Keep this in mind while creating content: limit self-promotion to less than 20% of your content. This means that if you put out 10 posts each week, only two of them would be "promotional" in nature. In our opinion, this is still too much.

We recommend staying under 10% and to focusing on how you can benefit your audience rather than how you can sell to them.

This does not mean hiding from your products and services, however. It simply means engaging with social media in such a way that you are focused on helping others rather than helping yourself.

For example, posting a photo of a newly created menu item with its ingredients (except for your secret ingredients, of course) is a great way to engage the audience. It is also helpful to them because they could try something similar on their own.

Realize here that you're not "giving it away" by giving them an idea for a recipe. You're inspiring them to create a delicious dish, and when they want the "real thing" they'll come see you.

Compare that with simply posting the photo with words such as, "Today only special - $9.95." That type of post feels very different. Instead of being inspiring it feels self-serving. The audience picks up on that.

Using that as a guide, consider the following: What could you post that would help your audience in some way?

1. How can you inspire them?
2. How can you inform them?
3. How can you entertain them?
4. How can you motivate them?
5. How can you educate them?

And...how can you do those things by posting content that is relevant to your industry?

Consider media such as videos and images.

People love to be visually engaged. You may want to consider creating your own infographics or photo postcards, as well. Videos might be ones you create yourself, such as how-to tutorials or web TV episodes. They may also be entertaining clips from YouTube that you know your audience will enjoy.

Look around for quotes by other experts in your industry. Consider adding these quotes to images to make them more visual, too. Sharing the quotes form one of your own experts can be very effective, as well.

Locate articles that would be beneficial to your audience. LinkedIn can be a great resource for that, as well as other news sources.

Blog directories like alltop.com can also help you identify current articles and information.

You should also create your own content, post it on your blog and share on social media, as well. This is one of the best ways to establish your expertise and to link back to your website in a non-self-promotional sort of way.

Other types of content might include how-to tips and industry facts or statistics, and there are many, many others.

This is really just the beginning. Once you identify the types of content you want to share, posts must be created for unique audiences on each social network. The same content shouldn't go out to every social network because users want different things.

As a very brief overview, which is by no means exclusive and is only a starting point for a tailored investigation as to what YOUR audience would specifically be looking for on each platform, here are some hints:

1. Facebook users want to be engaged. Post lots of visuals. Speak to the heart. Entertain them. Make it personal. Ask them questions and encourage them to be part of the conversation.

2. Twitter users want quick, short bits that can sink in quickly. They like lots of quick tips and article links, and videos and images work here, too.

3. LinkedIn users want professional, educational resources. Think informative articles from well-respected sources.

4. Pinterest users want images, of course. Google Plus users want informative, mostly tech-related articles.

Content creation and distribution is just the beginning. Monitoring, engagement and customer service all go hand-in-hand to optimize your social media marketing. The foundation of online communication and relationship-building, however, is great content.

Once you have that, you have a great start!

For more of Frances Leary's marketing advice for franchises, click here.

Many franchises have built their websites by creating local pages, which are part of the main franchise website, for each franchise location.

For example: www.franchisbrand.com/locationname.html.

In some cases these local pages reflect content that is unique to that location: specific store hours, location-specific specials, meet the staff of that location, etc.

In many cases, however, much of the content on each of those local pages is the same as the content on other local pages. Perhaps it is a welcome message, an introduction to products or services or some other general greeting for everyone who lands on that location's page.

With recent Google changes, this has become a very problematic issue.

Duplicate content (content that is written in exactly the same way) can have a very negative impact on search engine rankings. This means that if a franchise website is already at the top of local search engine rankings and it continues to have duplicate content on the local pages, rankings will likely drop.

If a franchise is not ranking at the top but is trying hard to get there, it will be a much more difficult process if there is duplicate content.

Considering other content alternatives might be the best option for franchises. Ideally, each location page would be written with unique content. Even if the subject matter were the same, the wording would need to be different.

Taking advantage of this to really craft location pages in a unique way could actually be a great benefit.

Franchises could consider using this opportunity really to highlight what sets each location apart from its competitors in that area.

Consider these thoughts: What makes the local team special? What makes the structure or setup unique and different? What could you show visually with photos or through action videos that would help capture the unique aspects of each location?

Having the franchisees provide input for their own content would help differentiate it as well.

Every franchise location is slightly different from all the others. Highlighting those truly unique aspects is a great place to start differentiating content. Then a simple rewording should do the trick for the rest.

Happy writing.

Building a strong offline and online presence in local markets is of key importance to every organization that sells products and/or services to a local audience.

For franchises, this is an ever-increasing challenge because as they grow, they expand into more and more local markets. It is a challenge that, if ignored, can lead to devastating results. On the flip side, when addressed properly, it can lead to industry widespread exposure...and that's a good thing.

One important aspect of that is securing a prime spot in the increasingly important map listing results that appear in response to keyword searches on Google.

When that all-powerful map appears, you need to be there.

While Google Local Pages are still active, Google is transitioning priority to Google+ pages, so it's imperative that franchises that need a local presence setup a Google+ page. Not just any page can be setup, however.

In order to appear in local map results, you must setup a Google+ page as a "Local Business" rather than choosing an alternative such as product/brand, company/institution, arts/entertainment/sports or other.

It's also crucial that you then go through the process and complete all the steps in order to take advantage of the power that Google+ offers:

• -Specify correct physical location
• -Choose the correct categories
• -Add a description with keywords
• -Adding a website link
• -Add a logo and cover photo
• -Post a welcoming message

And lastly...verify the page! Without verification the page will not appear in Google results...then the efforts are wasted.

It is important for franchises to determine who is responsible for the setup and maintenance of these pages. Many pages can be setup through a single Google account, which makes it easy for the corporate franchise team to maintain.

Given that in most industries audience engagement on Google+ is not as crucial as it is on other networks such as Facebook or Twitter, corporate management of the pages may be the most practical and make the most sense.

If it is decided that independent franchises will setup their own Google+ pages, then the corporate team should provide them with instructions about how to do so properly in order to maximize results.

Regardless of who sets it up, Google+ is an essential component of establishing a solid online presence for franchises in local markets.