If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to advertise your business, Facebook is a great place to start. With CPM/CPC tending to be lower than paid search, Facebook ads let you target your customers and get your content in front of your desired audience.

It’s an especially good time to dive into Facebook ads right now, with usage at an all-time high. In addition, Facebook’s cost-per-click rate has dropped in recent weeks, with COVID-19 driving down demand for ad inventory, notes Mobile Marketer. These two factors make it an ideal time for franchise organizations to advertise on the social network.

“More people on Facebook are home with their devices so consumption of the platform is going up,” adds Social Media Examiner. “But fewer advertising dollars being spent on the platform overall means less inventory to serve to that increased demand. Consumers will see the same quantity of ads but it will be cheaper for advertisers to serve more impressions.

Key Takeaways

• While many marketers might be pulling back on advertising due to cost concerns, that’s the last thing we’d recommend doing. Between the increase in usage and the reduced CPM/CPC, there’s never been a better time to dedicate dollars toward social media ads.
• Franchisors have a unique opportunity to help their franchisees increase exposure at the local level. Franchisees who post and boost hyper-local content ensure they’re connecting at the local level with their customers.
• Customers want to help their community get back on its feet. When you engage with them and increase your reach with Facebook ads, you increase the likelihood of driving local business.

Read more: Franchise Social Media Best Practices You Need to Know

Now About That Hyper-Local Content

The bottom line you need to know: Your hyper-local content, when boosted, creates a personal relationship with your customers. Content that isn’t boosted won’t get seen by your followers or their extended network.

If you’re scratching your head about what constitutes “hyper-local content,” don’t worry — because we’re giving you a bunch of freebies below that we’ve provided to many of our brands. You can take any of these ideas, create content and boost it to instantly improve the engagement on your page.

20 Ideas to Keep You Busy Posting This Month

1. Create a post about a local school in your area and highlight the 2020 graduating seniors. Maybe you know a few of them in your community. Do they have any photos they can provide, standing next to a congratulatory yard sign?
2. What are some of the top products or services you’re providing right now? Take a video of an employee explaining what’s so great about what you have to offer. If your location is reopening soon, you could also post about your reopening plans.https://www.facebook.com/178906268830527/posts/2881252238595903/?substory_index=0
3. Which of your employees have been working at your location the longest? Take a quick picture of them and share why they love the industry so much and some fun facts.
4. Are there any first responders coming into your locations? Snap a few pictures with them and post a “thank-you” for their service.
5. What’s one of the most common questions you get at your location? Take a video explaining the answer. You could turn this idea into a series of FAQ videos and post them on a certain day of the week, like #FunFactFriday.
6. Put the spotlight on the pets! Do you have any pets that are sharing office space with you or your employees? Share pictures of these furry co-workers on your page!
7. Have you received any positive notes during the last 30 days? Don’t be shy about patting yourself on the back! Share that feedback with your followers and thank them for supporting your business at this time.
8. Have you been able to enjoy any outside time during lockdown? Snap a photo of the pretty sights you see on your next walk, and share it with your followers!https://www.facebook.com/2034052683289343/posts/3396082223753042/
9. Take a video explaining why you chose to be in business for yourself and what you love about your community.
10. Have your employees made any handcrafted face masks? Snap a picture of the most creative one! Or, if you have a favorite local supplier making masks, give them a shout-out and tag the business.
11. Take a picture and highlight a product of the week with any deals or specials available!
12. How is your team keeping their brains engaged while staying at home? Share a photo of them watching their favorite show, reading their favorite book or doing any activity to keep themselves busy!
13. Post an inspirational quote from a favorite author, speaker or leader. You can make it look professional and attractive using Canva.com or another design app.https://www.facebook.com/ARCpointLabsofRichmond/posts/4193686620645379:0 
14. Have you seen a positive local news story from your community? Reshare that content with your followers to keep the positivity flowing!
15. Do you have any special services your followers might not be aware of? Share a post or a video highlighting some of the unique aspects of what you do.https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5qmKkHIoP/
16. Have you been receiving questions about your COVID-19 reopening plans? Take a video explaining any information you have at this time about getting back to business. Be sure to thank your customers for their continued support! 
17. Team member highlight! We’re sure you’ve been working nonstop during this time, so take a photo of one of your stand-out team members explaining why they are outstanding and some fun facts about them!
18. What are some of the fun ways you’ve spent time with your loved ones at home? Whether you’re gardening, cooking, creating chalk art or heading outdoors, you can share your shelter-at-home lifestyle with your community.
19. Memorial Day is coming up May 25. Post a “thank you” to all the service members of your community and the nation.
20. Share a few throwback photos of your business when you were first getting started, along with a little bit of history about your location.https://www.facebook.com/148544921858641/posts/3007453889301049/

Get the Attention You Deserve

If you put these ideas on repeat and boost your posts, you’ll start to see greater engagement on your pages almost immediately. You may even start coming up with tons of new ideas on your own once you get in the swing of things.

The Rallio Local team’s full-time job is to come up with ideas like these, create and boost the content, and make sure that our franchisees’ pages are getting the attention they need. If you’re not currently part of the Rallio Local program and would like someone else to handle your social media management for you, reach out to sales@rallio.com and we can walk you through your options — with affordable initial costs.