2024 AFDR Data - The Use of Social Media with Franchise Recruitment

Franchise Update Media has been researching franchise lead generation and franchisee recruitment processes for more than a decade. An annual in-depth online survey queries franchise development professionals about a number of issues related to their lead generation and recruitment strategies.

All the responses are collected, aggregated, and analyzed to produce a detailed look into the recruitment and development practices, budgets, spending allocations, and strategies of a wide cross-section of franchisors. The results are presented each year in the Annual Franchise Development Report (AFDR), which can be ordered online at afdr.franchiseupdate.com.

The 2024 AFDR report is a valuable resource that can provide crucial insights on franchise development lead generation and recruitment best practices. It’s the kind of information that can help brands assess what they are doing right, and what needs improvement.

This is part of a series of articles that will draw out a few important insights from this year’s AFDR in upcoming issues of the Franchise Leadership & Development Report. It’s hopefully the kind of information that can give you an edge in your lead generation and recruitment efforts.

For perspective, this year’s study surveyed 120 brands. The franchisors had 2,533 company-owned units and 24,101 franchise units. The brands represented a variety of segments, including food, retail food, nonfood retail, brick-and-mortar service, and service based on population and territory.

The rise of social media in franchise development

Social media has emerged over the past decade as a primary method of news, communication, and engagement with audiences of all sizes. It stands to reason that it is no different in the development world, as franchises are increasingly using social media as another way to promote their brand and attract prospects.

Survey respondents indicated they conduct franchise recruitment through at least nine different social media platforms. LinkedIn and Facebook were the two most popular responses with more than 80 percent of franchisors using both advertising methods. Instagram (42 percent), YouTube (31 percent), and the company blog (29 percent) were the next-highest totals.

Accordingly, franchise development teams spent the most on those top four social media channels. Spending was weighed more heavily on Facebook, however, as 71 percent said they spent the most on that platform. Franchises said their other highest spends came on LinkedIn (41 percent), Instagram (18 percent), and YouTube (7 percent).

Slightly more than half of the respondents (54 percent) said they have sold franchises in which social media advertising was the lead source. Facebook proved to be the most successful social media platform of producing sales with 69 percent of the responses. LinkedIn (29 percent), Instagram (8 percent), and YouTube (8 percent) were the other most successful sources of franchise sales.