Last Updated: February 7th, 2024
Marketing a franchise business in the digital age is a challenging endeavor.
Franchise owners are tasked with creating and maintaining a profitable business, fostering a positive brand perception, and utilizing effective marketing channels.
However, a study revealed that 42% of franchise professionals no longer find traditional marketing channels like flyers and magazines effective.
At Scion Social, our extensive experience working with over 20 BNI Franchises has taught us that successful online marketing for franchises requires a well-researched strategy supported by a balanced blend of offline marketing tactics. This approach ensures tangible results and reinforces the online marketing efforts.
THE EVOLUTION OF MARKETING FOR FRANCHISES
Statistics show that 72% of consumers are more inclined to purchase from a brand that has provided them with a positive social media experience. Digital marketing offers franchise businesses powerful tools to enhance consistency across different demographics, locations, and audience segments.
Digital marketing overcomes the challenges faced by many franchises in working collaboratively with their franchisors to establish standardized marketing activities and branding. Automation capabilities provided by digital marketing enable the streamlining of various marketing activities, ultimately improving communication between franchisees and customers. Traditional marketing methods could not have achieved these benefits.
Nevertheless, the evolution of marketing has intensified the competition among franchise businesses, necessitating a distinctive presence in the market.
HOW TO MARKET A FRANCHISE DIGITALLY
Effectively marketing a franchise online involves more than just posting content on the internet. The initial step is to create buyer personas that will be targeted in your marketing efforts.
The next step is to understand the Modern Customer Journey (see below):
Understanding the modern customer journey is equally crucial, as it reveals where your customers spend time during their buying process. This knowledge enables you to determine where, what, and when to advertise.
Create Your Digital Marketing Strategy First
Creating a comprehensive digital marketing strategy should be the first priority before commencing any marketing activities for your franchise business. A well-designed strategy improves effectiveness, making your goals more achievable and trackable.
BREAKING DOWN YOUR ADVERTISING STRATEGY
Franchise advertising encompasses various aspects that should be addressed separately to achieve optimal results. Allocate resources to address advertising, promotions, sales, and public relations, and carefully track the outcomes of each aspect, making necessary adjustments along the way.
Key areas to solidify your franchise marketing strategy include:
- Local SEO
- PPC Advertising
- Web Designing
- Email Marketing
- Social media and online reputation management
SETTING SPECIFIC GOALS
A successful marketing strategy requires specific goals to guide its implementation. Clearly identify what you aim to achieve, such as building a strong brand and creating awareness for your product or service. Once your brand identity is established, it is crucial to expose it to customers and generate their interest in what you offer.
MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY
If you are a franchisor seeking to ensure positive brand representation by your franchisees, it is essential to establish a marketing structure that fosters consistency. You can either manage the entire marketing process yourself or create a simple framework that franchisees can follow in their local areas. As your business expands, handling marketing alone can become burdensome, so providing an outline for franchisees may be a better option.
SELECTING THE RIGHT TOOLS
As a franchisor, your role is to identify appropriate marketing tools that offer franchisees a flexible system to achieve their goals. However, franchisees must seek guidance regarding the correct usage of logos, spacing, fonts, and other factors to maintain consistent brand representation.
DISTRIBUTING YOUR CONTENT
To effectively advertise your franchise business, you need to promote it across multiple platforms to reach your target audience. Your website must feature authoritative content that builds customer trust and be user-friendly for newcomers. A persuasive copy should encourage customers to take action, and attention should be given to SEO to improve search engine rankings and increase traffic.
TOP TIPS:
Use Online Review Platforms
Utilize online review platforms to enhance your brand’s credibility through customer reviews. Consider incentivizing customers to leave reviews for your franchise business.
Build Your Email List
Build an email marketing strategy to inform customers about new developments and product improvements. Target your audience based on location, age, gender, or other relevant criteria.
Leverage Social Media
Leverage social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram to engage with customers in the spaces they frequent the most. Tailor your content to meet their needs. Establish clear guidelines for franchisors and franchisees regarding social media usage, with franchisees primarily focusing on reaching customers in their local areas.
START YOUR MARKETING JOURNEY!
There’s no better time to start marketing your franchise business across various platforms to expand your reach, attract customers, and generate engagement. In addition to gaining followers, maintain customer interest and loyalty by implementing a regular content calendar. Franchisors can also utilize this approach to attract franchisees and contribute to the overall growth of the franchise company.
