Franchises can increase business with social media promotions

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Franchise Gator Admin

One of the best ways for franchises to increase the amount of business they receive is to offer promotions to customers.

These money-saving incentives often set a franchise apart from other competition and allow shoppers to start building loyalty to a certain brand. The promotions are usually set up by the corporate leadership at the franchise after it conducts careful, market research-based studies. With the rise of social media, more businesses than ever have been allowing customers to take part in various parts of their operations-everything from choosing the next menu item to choosing a new flavor for a product.

One of the most beloved pizza franchises in the country recently hopped on the social networking bandwagon with a money-saving idea. Pizza Hut launched a Facebook promotion in order to highlight the franchise's new Big Italy Pizza. The first 1,000 Facebook fans to sign up received a free $15 gift card as part of the deal.

"The launch of the Big Italy Pizza calls for a big celebration," said Brian Niccol, chief marketing officer at Pizza Hut, in a statement.