STOP! Before you set up a Facebook or Instagram page for your second business location, read this.
Everything is set up and you are close to opening the doors on your second business location, CONGRATS! With a new location, new employees, etc. you may be thinking it would be a good idea to start new social media pages for this second location. And while that may sound like a good idea, I'm going to stop you right here.
Setting up multiple social media pages for multiple locations isn't a good idea, and here's why...
Are you creating a new website for this second location?
Chances are you aren't. You're probably simply listing the address to your second location on your current website. This should be how you should approach your social media pages. Facebook allows you to list multiple locations under one Facebook profile. You can still receive separate reviews for each location but keep everything under one profile.
"We're going to have different specials at each location."
That's great! Whenever promoting those specials make it clear to your audience which location they are offered at. If your second location is in the same city, you might just inspire your current clientele who is already visiting one location to check out your other location. Just because you plan on offering different specials isn't a good enough reason to start separate social media pages.
Starting From Scratch
You've already spent countless hours building and nurturing your current audience who is already loyal to your business. It doesn't make sense to start over and build and nurture a completely new audience. The same audience that loves your first location is the same target audience that would support your second location. If your second location is too far away for them to visit, they may know someone on that side of town or in your new town that would be interested in your business. When they see a special at that location that they can't take advantage of, they'll tag a friend to encourage them to visit and use that special. Harness the power of your online supporters! They are your biggest fans.
Social Media is Community
Don't simply treat your social media pages as a marketing platform or source for prospecting to clients or customers. This is often the mindset of a business owner that creates multiple pages for each location. You should be building and nurturing an online community with your target audience through your business. You don't want to segment your audiences by location, this dilutes your brand and decreases your overall reach.
Managing Multiple Social Media Pages is a Hassle
Finally, and likely the most obvious reason, managing multiple social media pages is a lot of extra work. You'll have to come up with different content for each location, post on multiple pages, keep track of and respond to conversations on each page, etc. As the same business, selling the same products or services, it's not necessary to come up with different content ideas when what you're doing at each location is the same. The location and staff may be new, but the core and personality of your business should stay the same.
Are you managing multiple locations under one social media page? We'd love to hear your approach to marketing each location on your social pages! Drop a comment below and help inspire other business owners and marketers.
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