I recently read an article on a very hot topic, written by Frances Leary, President of Wired Flare, and posted on franchisegrade.com, the article discusses Frances' conversation with a franchisor that believes a hands-off approach to the social media of its franchisees is best. I believe this franchisor is mistaken, and could create a whole host of problems for their franchise system.
Given the premise that franchising should produce a uniform customer and operational experience throughout the franchised system, to allow each franchisee complete control of their own social media content could create a disparate image of the system. Many franchisees are used to Facebook and other similar sites to keep social awareness alive with friends and family, but creating a business image to maintain compliance with the overall experience and image of the brand is another story. The potential for posts that offend, degrade the brand, or just cast a less than professional image over the franchised system is too great to leave unmonitored by a franchisor.
Managing social media properly, in a commercial climate, is a full-time job, and requires a unique skill set, which I'm confident most franchisees do not possess. There has to be a balance of local flair, yet systemwide brand awareness and marketing, that should be monitored and managed at a 30,000 foot level, not by the boots on the street.