Social Media Helps Fastest-Growing Pizza Franchise Increase Guest Visits

Marco’s, the fastest-growing pizza franchise in the country, tops 160,000 Facebook fans and 4,000 Twitter followers

With more than 500 stores soon to be up and running across the U.S., Marco’s Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza franchise in the country. But it’s not just our commitment to top quality pizza that keeps customers coming back. Marco’s also drives more business using Facebook and Twitter, something all of our franchise owners can benefit from whether they’re active on social media or not.

The fact is, businesses that take the time to make an authentic connection with the community are much more likely to be successful than those that don’t. And these days, one of the best ways to make that connection is through social media.

Marco’s has more than 160,000 Facebook fans and over 4,000 Twitter followers. That’s good news for franchisees looking to capitalize on Marco’s already huge fan base, or who want to learn more about social media best practices themselves.

So what exactly makes Marco’s so popular in social media? It’s because we know that Facebook and Twitter aren’t just about what we want to tell our customers. It’s about what our customers want to tell us. Social media is where consumers go to interact with brands, whether that means raving—or ranting—about their latest experience.

Experts agree the key to successfully using social media is to consistently engage your customers when they reach out to you. That means both using negative feedback as a chance to make things right, as well as showing genuine appreciation for positive feedback.

Take for example a Facebook user named Michael, who posted a photo of a heart-shaped pizza on Valentine’s Day.

“My local Marco’s accommodated a special request from my partner,” read Michael’s caption. “Love your pizza and I love the extra effort to brighten my Valentine’s Day even more. Thanks!”

The customer’s glowing thank you stands on its own, but Marco’s made sure to thank the customer for passing along the feedback. The result? Other customers feel encouraged to post about positive experiences, because they know someone is listening and will respond.

The same goes for negative feedback. Let’s look at the classic example: the less-than-perfect pizza. A Facebook user named Rick posted a photo of a pizza that had obviously slid to one side of the box in transit, with toppings dripping off the side and stuck to the lid. Needless to say, Rick wasn’t pleased.

“Sadly, this is what was just delivered,” said Rick.

Sounds like a PR nightmare, right? It doesn’t have to be. While social media gives customers a public forum to air complaints, it also gives businesses the chance to show their commitment to customer service.

Marco’s handled it by quickly replying in a courteous manner, owning up to the mistake and making it clear their number one goal was to fix the problem.

“We are so sorry for delivering this unacceptable pizza, Rick,” Marco’s replied. “This obviously is not the type of product we strive to serve our customers and we’d really like the chance to make things right here (and to address the issues that caused this). Could you please fill out this short form with a few more details (store location, contact info) so we can have the appropriate person follow up? Once again, our apologies for the disappointing pizza!”

Once the mistake was corrected, Rick had one more thing to say.

“The replacement pizza was still delicious! And WAY better than Papa John’s.”

By making it right with the customer, Marco’s turned a public mistake into a marketing win. Their handling of the situation made Michael so happy, he was willing to rave about it, going so far as to call out a competitor. It’s that kind of authentic feedback—what marketers call social proof—that makes social media so powerful for growing your customer base.

Social media can also drive more customer visits in other ways, too. For example, consumers often turn to social media to find coupons and other promotions, which Marco’s franchises across the country effectively use every day. Businesses also use social media to get crucial insight into what customers want and need.

Like Twitter user Carrie, who tweeted, “Do you make a gluten free pizza? I sure hope so!”

Marco’s replied, “We’re working on it, but it’s not widely available yet. We’ll announce when it is!”

Again, not only did engaging with Carrie show that Marco’s actually cares about its customers, it also encourages other customers to share their preferences, too. Something that’s really valuable when it comes to gathering market research.

While the main Facebook page and Twitter feed we talk about here are maintained by our corporate representatives, Marco’s store owners can also set up Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for their individual locations. The most important thing is to be active on social media if you use it, so that complaints (and compliments) don’t fall through the cracks.

If you’d like to learn more about joining a fast-growing pizza franchise that’s already hugely popular on social media, fill out the form at right or give us a call at 1-800-262-7267 to start a conversation. And while you’re at it, go ahead and check out our Facebook page and Twitter feed!