7 Tips for Results-Driven and Effective Franchise Marketing

Behind every great franchise brand, is one key element and that is the power of marketing to support it.

Franchise Marketing is no easy feat. For franchisors and franchisees, it takes a level of dedication, passion and vision to strengthen the brand and see yearly profitability. So why do some franchises flourish and others fail?

We delve into the complexities and challenges that a franchise faces and provide seven results-driven and effective franchise marketing tips to help franchisors and franchisees to see consistent growth and build their brand power.

Tip #1 Franchisees feedback is invaluable

With franchises, stakeholder management is key here, particularly with franchisees. Make sure that you involve franchisees at every step of the process particularly if want their marketing support.

Getting the franchisees on board, will let them feel involved and let them feel and know that their opinions matter. It’s important to understand that their feedback is important, particularly as they interact the most with their customers. By giving franchisees a sense of ownership, they’ll feel like they own the brand and want to support the marketing behind it.

Tip #2 Tailor the Marketing for the Locals

There isn’t a one size fit all model when it comes to franchise marketing. Talk to franchisees about local area marketing to support the national marketing campaign, it’s important that the key marketing messages are being communicated to your audience effectively and accordingly to the demographics and behaviour of your audience. Give franchisees the opportunity to contribute to local area marketing such as local sporting organisations or charities, advertising in local newspapers, competitions, customer referral incentives and local billboards.

Tip #3 Offer Guidance, Not Assumptions

If you’re looking for clear and measurable results, it’s vital that franchisees are doing everything correctly to deliver the campaign. Communicate with franchisees on the requirements and processes so that they are able to communicate effectively with their team. Offer ongoing guidance and frequent communication and the results will speak for themselves.

Tip #5 Attract the Right Franchisees

One of the key challenges of any growing franchise is attracting the right franchisees. Prospective franchisees will gravitate towards franchise brands that provide them with quality information that is easy to digest and clear.

There are plenty of ways that franchisors can help to provide this information and to attract quality prospective franchisees and these include:

• Provide downloadable online information kits;
• Attract and qualify prospects by providing an online FAQ section;
• Keep your listings on franchise business websites up to date with current information and make sure that they’re optimised with the right keywords;
• Update your website often and optimise your web pages for the right keywords so they appear on Google searches;
• Use social media channels such as LinkedIn and Facebook to advertise business opportunities.

Tip #6 Behind a Strong Brand is Consistent Marketing

A key difficulty for franchises is ensuring that a consistent message is being to prospective and current customers from the franchisor and all the franchisees. Ensure that franchisees understand the importance of message consistency by communicating clearly defined messages, goals and objectives. Franchisors need to protect their brand by creating strict rules about how the trademarks are used and also with the creation of advertising and marketing materials.

Tip #7 Build Your Brand With a Comprehensive Marketing Plan

Franchisors and their Franchise Brand will benefit greatly by developing and executing a comprehensive marketing plan for the overall franchise. Commitment and execution are key here, while also having the right team with the right skill level to deliver clear and measurable results.

The Marketing Plan should consist of a promotional schedule that includes clearly defined messages and goals along with the scheduled advertising campaigns. Different promotional channels can be implemented including tv and radio commercials, social media, public relations, direct mail and digital marketing. A successful campaign is one that is results driven and measurable and focused on key goals such as brand awareness, increasing foot traffic to stores, increasing leads and enquiries.

Desketing are experienced and trusted franchise marketing and design specialists.

Having worked with variously sized franchises, Desketing is experienced to help nurture and consult franchises on marketing campaigns and provide marketing and design support for point of sale materials including menus, posters and displays, catalogues brochures and other print material.

Desketing is furthermore helping franchisors to integrate digital marketing into their overall strategy for example through franchise website development, maintenance, search engine optimisation, digital advertising including Google Adwords and Display Advertising and social media advertising.

You can speak to a Desketing design and marketing specialist by calling 07 3220 3962 or request a callback.

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