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When franchise businesses are looking to increase their social media followers, they have to keep one fact in mind: social media users today are more distrustful than ever of advertisements, or anything that resembles them. According to Hubspot, 75% of people don’t accept advertisements as truth! 

Posting ads on social media can work great, but it’s not enough. Building a relationship with users is essential to keep getting more customers to come to your store. Let’s take a look at the 5 reasons why a user would want to follow you so you can start building a relationship with more consumers today.

1. They want to follow you to learn about sales, promotions and coupons

The pandemic has caused everyone to reexamine their budgets and reevaluate where they’re spending their money. A survey by Clutch.co last year indicated that only half (49%) of all Americans felt prepared for the economic impact of the pandemic.

Discount coupons and promotions can help customers have access to the items they love, and that’s the top reason they would want to follow you!

Pro tip: If you try different things like asking users for their stories or for photos so that they can participate in promotions or sales, there are other great benefits like 1) user-generated content and 2) feedback/customer insight.

2. They want to follow you to keep up with new items available

When a consumer already likes the items your franchise sells, they’re likely to want to know what new ones are becoming available. In 2020, Sprout Social reports that 57% of consumers will follow a brand to learn about new products or services.

Be sure to always post any updates about new items that are available or will soon arrive.

3. They want to follow you to show support for your local store

There is a big cultural movement that’s making brands focus on doing social good. It helps make a better world to live in, but it also pays off for your business. In the search for new accounts to follow, 33% of consumers look for brands they admire.

Do positive things for the people in your community. Help any way you can. Some examples are donating your items to non-profit events or organizations and supplying local students with school materials.

4. They want to follow you to laugh at your funny and entertaining content

Humor adds an immense amount of value for brands on social media. Wendy’s, for example, does a great job at interacting with the audience, and they have grown a massive amount of followers just from their humor and snark. They infuse all the product releases and seasonal promotions with funny captions and images. 

Check out some of Wendy’s funniest tweets over the years here.

5. They want to follow you because you have a good online reputation

People want reassurance before they purchase your items, and it’s the same when it comes to following you online. According to Bright Local, in 2020 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. 

You should be interacting with users online when they mention you and work on getting your social media channel to be another customer service channel. When users see your positive interactions, they’ll definitely be more likely to follow you.

In conclusion

Users will want to follow you if: you’re consistently providing content that lets people know about sales and new products, you’re showing you care about your community and your customers, and you’re being funny and showing your lightheartedness.

Though increasing your social media follower count shouldn’t be something you obsess over, it’s something you can improve easily when you keep all of the above in mind.