Facebook is one of the best known and widely used social media tools. Not many franchisors are without a Facebook page and it can be an important part of their business, not only in driving sales but in terms of communication with the general public and with customers. Investors are another group that the Facebook page may be designed to reach.

This is one of the benefits of franchising that your franchise consultant can help point out to you. You are not developing a Facebook page on your own; a company with a lot of resources and specialized personnel is providing this for you.

Some companies will let you have a local page that ties in with the corporate page in look and feel and carries through the same style. Of course, what you as a franchisee can post is subject to guidelines. If you do have a local page it is important to monitor it and respond to comments, whether good or bad.

Facebook can help you as a potential franchisee see how different franchisees run their businesses. While many franchise Facebook pages look and operate similarly, some are better at Facebook than others.

Fuddruckers, the gourmet hamburger franchise, uses Facebook to not only communicate with customers but internally with their franchisees. They look to communicate back and forth on Facebook, to see what is working in different locations and listen to ideas, passing them on via Facebook to other franchisees.

Dominos, like many pizza outfits, uses their Facebook page to make customers aware of discounts and promotions. A recent page had an ad to encourage people to order online or though the Dominos app. Below that was a post for drawings to give away $10 coupons, followed by the chance to get a $15 gift card by contributing $10 to a charitable organization that Dominos supports.

TCBY uses their Facebook page to suggest flavors or advertise a new flavor and to suggest combinations of ingredients. Like other corporate pages dealing with food, they post a lot of pictures designed to tempt people to order. The feedback from what people like helps them gauge what the response might be.

Whatever the business, Facebook gives you the advantage of real-time feedback and two-way digital communication. It can build brand loyalty, drive sales and be an important contributor to the success of your business.