Franchise marketing requires a different approach to traditional marketing and is ofter far more challenging. Franchisors and franchisees are both involved in the brand's success, and it can be a challenge to pull everyone in the same direction to build and maintain the brand's reputation.
To help you, we'll explain what franchise marketing is, why you need it, and how you can design and implement a successful franchise marketing campaign.
What Is Franchise Marketing?
Franchise marketing is the process of helping a franchise grow by attracting end customers and potential franchisees. Some marketing tactics franchises use include pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing, SEO, and content marketing. There are two types of franchise marketing:
- Operational franchise marketing involves any marketing activity franchisors and franchisees participate in to acquire and retain customers.
- Franchise development marketing is any marketing activity a franchisor does to acquire and retain more franchisees in new locations.
In this article, we're going to focus on operational franchise marketing instead of franchise development marketing.
Why Franchise Marketing is Key for the Success of Franchisor and Franchisee
To get the best possible results for a franchise marketing campaign, both the franchisor and franchisee must work together. Franchisors need to create a consistent brand and business model that franchisees can easily replicate across different locations. However, franchisees need to maintain that brand reputation while at the same time adapt to local conditions for a successful marketing campaign.
A franchise marketing strategy is key because it guides franchises in curating a single cohesive brand story and creating campaigns that promote the business in the regions that it operates in and introduce the brand to the target audience.
How to Design and Implement a Successful Franchise Marketing Campaign
To design and implement a successful campaign, there are five steps you have to take.
Step 1. Set Your Campaign Goals
You can't have a successful franchise marketing strategy without clearly defining your goals and what you want to achieve. Having a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve will come in handy later so that you can measure your campaign's performance in accordance with your goals.
So make sure you're setting quantifiable goals and keeping key performance indicators (KPIs) in mind. For example, you might want to bring in x number of leads, or maybe you're looking to reach x amount of revenue over a certain period.
Step 2. Focus on Brand Standardization
When it comes to franchise marketing, brand consistency is paramount. You need a unified brand message and comprehensive brand book that franchisees can follow. This prevents franchisees from going off message.
To develop a consistent brand image, you need a compelling brand story. This involves developing a brand voice that resonates with your target audience. Establish the words and phrases that will regularly appear in your brand messaging and stick to them across the board.
Step 3: Segment Your Audience
Having a consistent brand voice and story is key, but delivering it to the right people is even more important. So to make the most of your franchise marketing efforts, you have to keep your core audience in mind. Think about your product/service's best features. What makes it special? On which channels can you catch your ideal customer's attention? What is their income? How did they come across your website or location? Why did they choose you and not a competitor?
Asking these questions can help you get a sense of how your ideal customer thinks and behaves and gives you insight into their basic characteristics. Gaining this information can help guide your marketing campaigns for more personalized and relevant messaging.
Step 4. Leverage Several Marketing Channels
There are a variety of marketing channels you can use to reach your target customer. But it's important to do some research on what channels work best for your franchise. Find out which channels your current customers are most responsive to, and go from there. Don't try to be on every platform out there. Prioritize the channels that you can invest money and time in and where you reach as many ideal customers as possible.
Here are a few different marketing channels you can choose from to grab the attention of your target audience.
Social Media
Social media offers a direct line of communication to the targeted audience like no other medium. It helps brands establish a brand personality and make them appear more human to customers. Social media also creates a two-way dialogue with consumers, allowing franchises to gather valuable feedback and deliver personalized messaging.
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are where people are spending a lot of their time. With billions of daily users, social media provides franchises with a wide net of consumers to target. Being active and interacting with your audiences on a personal and non-sales-focused level gives you the ability to gain consumer trust and build your reach.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an organic way to attract customers to your business. By optimizing your franchise website for search, you can improve search visibility, which allows your brand to be front-and-center at your target audience's moment of need.
Aspects of SEO for franchises to focus on include:
- Local SEO (Google My Business, Google Maps, reviews, etc.)
- Internal links
- Site audits
- Keyword research
- Landing page optimization
- High-quality content creation
PPC Advertising
SEO can take some time to master, as gaining rankings doesn't happen overnight. PPC ads deliver faster results. PPC ads allow you to reach the right person at the right time. Using platforms like Google Ads and Bing lets you deliver ads to people based on the keywords they search for.
Don't just rely on search engine PPC ads. Leverage social media ads too. Facebook and Instagram are a great example of a social media platforms that allows you to use laser-focused targeting based on user behavior, demographic data, and previous purchases.
Direct Mail
Direct mail is still an effective marketing strategy. Just make sure you meticulously plan it and closely track it to get the best results. Use trackable phone numbers and URLs, coupon codes, and QR codes to measure your direct mail campaigns.
Step 5. Measure the Results of Your Campaign
To get a clear understanding of how your franchise marketing efforts are performing, be sure to measure your results. Look at the number of leads that came from each franchise location. Keep track of how visitors behave when they reach a location-specific page. Looking at these results, you can learn what you need to do to improve for future campaigns.
How Marvia can Help
Whether you are just starting with franchise marketing or have a strategy in place already, Marvia is here to support the marketing strategy of your franchise. Book a free demo to try out Marvia 's Franchise Marketing Software today, or feel free to contact us anytime if you have any questions. However, we've answered all of the most frequent franchise marketing questions for you already.