Franchise Marketing: Everything You Should Know to Succeed

If you’re looking forward to starting a franchise or are just curious about what goes into marketing one, you’re in the right place. This guide will explain everything you need to know about franchise marketing.

Whether you’re looking for tips on creating a successful franchise marketing plan or want to know how to get started with advertising, we’ve got you covered.

Essential Terms You Should Know

Here are key terms should you understand before coming to franchise marketing:

Franchisor

A franchisor is a big company that licenses its brand and business model to franchisees. In return, the franchisee pays the franchisor an initial fee and ongoing royalties.

Franchisors typically offer franchisees comprehensive training and support, which can help them successfully run their businesses.

The relationship between franchisor and franchisee is one of partnership, with both parties working towards the common goal of growing the business.

Some of the world’s most successful companies grew through franchise development, including McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, and Subway.

Franchisee

A franchisee is someone who owns the right to operate a franchised business. A franchised business uses the same name, products, and methods as other businesses in the same franchise.

Franchisees usually pay an upfront fee and then ongoing royalties to the franchisor. In return, they receive access to the franchisor’s proven business model, which includes training and support.

Franchise

A franchise is a license that a party (franchisor) grants to another party (franchisee) to allow them to carry out certain activities and use its business model and brand for a prescribed time.

The franchisee pays an initial fee and ongoing royalties to the franchisor in return for these rights.

Franchises are popular in many businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, cleaning services, and even some types of manufacturing.

Key Franchising Statistics to Consider

Before you dive into franchise marketing, let’s explore key franchising statistics from Statista:

There are 7,74,965 franchise establishments in the United States
Around 8.19 million people are employed by franchise establishments in the United States
Franchise establishments give $ 787.7 billion economic output in the United States

Are you wondering about the leading franchises in the United States? The top five franchises in the United States are McDonald’s, 7-Eleven, KFC, ACE Hardware, and Burger King.

What Is Franchise Marketing?

Franchise marketing refers to the process of creating and executing a marketing plan that is specifically designed to promote a franchise.

This may include developing branding and advertising initiatives and planning and implementing local marketing campaigns. An effective franchise marketing strategy can help increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.

It can also help franchisors attract more businesses to apply for becoming franchisees.

Who Pays for Franchise Marketing?

There’s no easy answer to the question of who pays for franchise marketing.

In most cases, it’s a joint effort between the franchisor and the franchisee.

The franchisor typically provides some financial support, whether through an advertising fund or by covering the cost of specific marketing activities.

Meanwhile, the franchisee is usually responsible for generating customers and driving sales. This often includes paying for local marketing, such as print ads, radio spots, or online directories.

In some cases, the franchisor may also require the franchisee to pay back a percentage of their sales into the advertising fund.

Ultimately, it’s up to the franchisor to decide how to divide marketing costs between themselves and their franchisees.

Franchise Marketing Funds

Franchise marketing funds are funds a franchisor sets aside to help franchisees with marketing and advertising expenses.

While some franchisors provide these funds as an ongoing monthly allowance, others make them available on a per-project basis.

However, structured franchise marketing funds can be a valuable resource for franchisees looking to build awareness of their business and attract new customers.

One of the great things about franchise marketing funds is that they can be used in various ways.

For example, they can be used to cover the costs of print or online advertising, PR or social media campaigns, and even website development or improvements.

They can also be used to fund special promotions or events or to sponsor community initiatives.

Why Do You Need Franchise Marketing Fund?

When opening a franchise location, you need to let the public know you’re there. Marketing is a crucial part of getting people in the door, but it can also be one of the most expensive parts of starting a new business.

A franchise marketing fund can help offset some of those costs. The fund is typically used for advertising and promotions, and it can help get your franchise off to a successful start.

Of course, you’ll still need to spend some money on marketing, but the franchise marketing fund can help you stretch your budget further.

How to Approach Your Franchise Marketing Strategy?

First and foremost, you must create a solid franchise marketing strategy. This will be the foundation upon which all your marketing efforts will be built.

It would help if you took some time to consider:

Who your target market is
What needs and wants they have
How you can reach them most effectively

Once you understand all of this, you can start to put together a plan of attack.

There are a lot of different marketing channels out there, so you’ll need to decide which ones are suitable for your business.

Traditional advertising methods like print, radio, and television can be effective but can also be expensive.

You may consider cheaper options like online advertising or word-of-mouth marketing.

The crucial thing is that you should take the time to develop a comprehensive strategy that will help you reach your goals.

Franchise Marketing Plan

A powerful franchise marketing plan includes both online and offline marketing tactics to reach the target audience.

Online Franchise Marketing

The following are proven tips for successful online franchise marketing:

Set Clear Brand Guidelines

Having clear brand guidelines helps ensure everyone involved in creating franchise marketing materials is on the same page, which can save a lot of time and prevent wasted effort.

It also helps make a more professional appearance for your franchise, which can help attract new customers and franchisees.

So if you’re not already doing so, set some clear brand guidelines for your online franchise marketing.

Understand Your Target Audience

Unless you’re marketing to everyone, which very few businesses have the luxury of doing, understanding your target audience is critical. And this is especially true when marketing a franchise online.

Why? Because the internet provides a wealth of data that can be used to segment audiences and deliver highly personalized messages.

So you can miss out on ample opportunities if you’re not taking advantage of knowing your target audience.

Understanding your target audience can help create marketing content that resonates with them, build trust, and drive conversions.

Leverage content marketing

By creating high-quality content, franchises can attract attention and build trust with potential customers.

In addition, content marketing can help franchisees to connect with their local community and promote their business in a cost-effective way.

When used effectively, content marketing can be a powerful tool for supporting franchise marketing.

You can lose out to your competitors if you don’t utilize social media platforms to market your franchise.

With over 4.62 billion people using social media worldwide, there’s a vast audience you could be tapping into.

And with so many different platforms to choose from, you can tailor your marketing efforts to reach your target customers on the channel they’re most active on.

But it’s not just about quantity, and it’s also about quality.

Posting relevant, engaging content will not only help you reach more potential customers, but it will also encourage them to take action, whether that’s visiting your website or making a purchase.

And with social media analytics tools, you can measure the success of your marketing campaigns and make required adjustments to ensure you’re getting the most return on investment.

In today’s digital age, there’s simply no excuse for not incorporating social media into your franchise marketing strategy.

By doing so, you’ll be able to reach a larger audience and achieve better results.

Run Email marketing Campaigns

Email marketing is an essential tool in franchise marketing. With email marketing, you can reach a large audience with minimal effort.

You can also target your emails to specific groups of people, ensuring that your message gets the right people.

Franchisees can save money using email marketing compared to traditional marketing methods such as print ads or direct mail, for it is a cost-effective way to reach potential customers.

Email marketing also allows you to track the results of your campaigns, so you can see how effective your efforts are.

When less than 44% of franchise business owners employ email marketing to engage customers, you can get an edge over your competitors if you use email marketing.

Overall, email marketing is a powerful tool that should be included in any franchise marketing plan.

Utilize Local SEO

Even if your main website ranks high for relevant search terms, you cannot ignore the need for standing out in the local market.

So you must ensure you’re doing everything possible to reach your local audience. And these days, that means being visible in local search results.

With local SEO, you can ensure that your franchise comes up when people in your area are searching for relevant keywords. This is important because 78% of local searches result in offline purchases.

In other words, if people can’t find your franchise when they search for it online, they’re not likely to visit in person.

Here are best local SEO practices your can follow to succeed:

Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) profile
Get reviews from your customers
Create content targeting local audience
Design custom landing pages
Build location pages

Local SEO is an integral part of any franchise marketing strategy and should not be overlooked.

Integrate paid digital marketing

Integrating paid digital marketing into your franchise marketing strategy can help you reach a wider audience and drive more leads.

Paid digital marketing allows you to target specific demographics and interests, and it gives you the ability to track and measure your results.

Additionally, paid digital marketing can effectively supplement your other marketing efforts, such as print advertising, public relations, and events.

Including paid digital marketing in your franchise marketing plan can maximize your chances of success while extending your reach and attracting new customers.

Here are few paid ads you should include in your franchise marketing plan:

Paid search ads
Display ads
Social media ads
Remarketing ads
Gmail sponsored ads

Also, you can consider employing geofencing marketing to attract customers.

Influencer Marketing

In today’s social media-driven world, including influencer marketing in your franchise marketing strategy is more critical than ever.

With influencer marketing, you can tap into the power of social media to reach a larger audience and build brand awareness.

By partnering with influencers with a large social media following, you can extend your reach and get your franchise name in front of more potential customers.

Additionally, influencer marketing can help you build trust and credibility with potential customers. When customers see that a trusted influencer is associated with your franchise, they’re more likely to give your business a try.

So if you’re looking for a way to take your franchise marketing to the next level, consider adding influencer marketing to your plan.

There are a few best influence marketing practices to keep in mind to ensure a successful campaign:

Identify the Right Influencers

It’s essential to identify the right influencers for your brand. Look for influencers with a large and engaged following and who produce content relevant to your industry.

Be Clear About Your Goals

Once you’ve identified a few potential candidates, introduce yourself. Be clear about your objectives for the campaign, and provide any supplementary materials that may be helpful.

Measure Results

Regularly measure the results of your campaign so that you can adapt your strategy moving forward. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your next influencer marketing campaign is successful.

Personalize and automate marketing

When you first open a franchise, the marketing process can feel overwhelming. There are so many different channels and strategies to choose from, and it can be challenging to know where to start.

However, one of the best things you can do for your franchise is to personalize and automate your marketing.

While it may take some time to set up, personalized and automated marketing is worth the effort because it will help you build a strong foundation for long-term success.

By personalizing your marketing, you’ll be able to connect with your target audience on a deeper level. And by automating your marketing, you’ll be able to free up valuable time that you can spend on other aspects of running your business.

Leverage User Generated Content

User-generated content is any form of content created and published by a user rather than by a brand or corporate entity.

In the context of franchise marketing, user-generated content can take many different forms, from blog posts and reviews to social media posts and photos.

While traditional marketing techniques can effectively raise awareness of a franchise opportunity, user-generated content can be even more potent in generating interest and driving leads. That’s because potential franchisees and customers are more likely to trust another individual’s opinion over that of a brand.

When considering a franchise investment, potential franchisees or customers often turn to online search engines and social media to find information and reviews.

By promoting user-generated content on your website and across social media, you can ensure that your franchise appears prominently in these search results, increasing the chances that potential franchisees or customers will learn about your opportunity.

Offline Franchise Marketing

When it comes to Franchise marketing, you cannot ignore offline marketing channels.

Here are a few popular ways to spread the word for your business offline:

Advertising in Print

One often overlooked form of franchise marketing is advertising in print. This can be a very effective way to reach potential customers, primarily targeting a specific geographic area.

Franchisees can also benefit from print advertising by including coupons or special offers in their ads. Doing so can help to increase traffic to your business and generate new leads.

Free Gifts

It’s no secret that giving away free stuff is a great way to get people’s attention.

And when it comes to marketing a franchise, free gifts can be a powerful tool. After all, who doesn’t love getting something for anything?

The key to success is choosing something relevant to your franchise and appealing to your target audience.

For example, if you’re franchising a quick-service restaurant, you might give away free coupons for a free drink or dessert with purchase. Or if you’re franchising a fitness center, you might give away a free one-week pass.

Billboards

Franchise businesses can use billboards to market their products or services to a broad audience.

Billboards can effectively reach potential customers, as both drivers and pedestrians can see them.

Additionally, billboards can be customized to target a specific audience, such as those living in a certain area or interested in a particular type of product or service.

When used effectively, billboards can be invaluable for franchise businesses seeking to grow their customer base.

Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail marketing is still a popular and effective way to reach potential customers, even in the digital age.

But you should understand that direct mail marketing isn’t just about sending out a bunch of random ads and hoping they stick.

To be effective, your direct mail campaign should be carefully planned and targeted to your audience.

You’ll need to research to determine where your target market is located and what kind of messaging will resonate with them. .

Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing can be an excellent option when you’re on a tight budget. This form of marketing relies on creativity and resourcefulness instead of large budgets. And it can be especially effective for franchises, which often fight for attention in a crowded marketplace.

One popular guerrilla marketing tactic is to hand out free samples or coupons in high-traffic areas. This can help to generate buzz and get people talking about your brand.

Radio and TV Ads

Advertising on the radio or TV is a great way to reach a large audience and get your message across. Plus, it’s relatively affordable compared to other marketing methods.

And if you’re worried about creating an ad that stands out, there are plenty of professional franchise marketing agencies that can help you with that.

Just make sure to do your research and choose an agency that has experience creating successful ads for franchises.

Associations And Trade Shows

Attending trade shows and conferences can be a great way to meet potential franchisees and get the word out about the franchise.

Make a list of leading events relevant to your business and start participating in them. This will create buzz for your business in your area.

Franchise Marketing Challenges and Solutions

Regardless of what people say, franchise marketing is not easy. From choosing the most effective marketing channel to crafting cohesive marketing strategy that resonates with your audience, you will face many hurdles.

Here are a few common franchise marketing challenges and their solutions:

Lack of Franchise marketing Understanding

When marketing a franchise, there are a few key things you need to understand to be successful. You need to understand the brand. What does the company stand for? What are its core values? Once you know the brand well, you need to figure out how to market it in a way that resonates with your target audience.

This can be a challenge if you’re not familiar with marketing or if you don’t have a clear understanding of who your target audience is.

So it would help if you were willing to invest the time and effort required to make your franchise marketing campaign successful.

This includes developing a solid relationship with your franchisor, creating compelling content, and staying up-to-date on the latest marketing trends.

Absence of Unified Goals

One challenge that franchise marketing face is the lack of absence of unified goals.

For a successful franchise, all locations must share a common goal and work together to achieve it.

However, this cannot be easy to accomplish when franchises are operated by different people with different ideas about the business.

As a result, franchise marketing efforts can be fragmented and inconsistent, making it challenging to build a strong brand identity.

A lack of unified goals can also lead to conflicts between franchisees, further damaging the brand.

For these reasons, franchises need to have clear and concise goals that all members of the organization share.

Only then can they hope to achieve success in their marketing efforts.

Broken Inbound & Outbound Marketing Strategy

A successful franchise marketing strategy is built on a foundation of inbound and outbound marketing efforts that work together to attract and convert leads.

But what happens when one or both of these components are not working as they should be?

This can create many challenges for franchise marketers, including:

Difficulty in Attracting Leads

If your inbound marketing efforts are not generating enough leads, it can be challenging to grow your franchise. This can be a problem if you rely on outbound marketing methods, such as cold-calling, which can be very costly.

Difficulty in Converting Leads

If your inbound marketing efforts are generating leads, but you’re having difficulty converting them into customers, this can also impact your bottom line.

To convert leads, you need a strong outbound marketing strategy that includes follow-up communications and offers an attractive proposition.

Reduced ROI

If you are not seeing a good return on investment from your franchise marketing efforts, it may be time to re-evaluate your strategy.

To achieve a good ROI, ensuring that your inbound and outbound efforts are working together effectively is essential.

If you’re facing any of these challenges with your franchise marketing strategy, it’s vital to take action to address the issue.

This may involve changing your inbound or outbound marketing efforts, or both.

You can overcome these challenges and succeed with your franchise marketing strategy by taking corrective action and ensuring that your inbound and outbound marketing efforts are working together effectively.

Lack of Data to Better Plan Franchise Marketing

A key challenge for franchises when planning marketing activities is the lack of data. This is because each franchise is a separate business, with its customer base and marketing activities.

As a result, no centralized database can be used to track customer behavior or target marketing efforts. This lack of data can make it difficult to plan effective marketing campaigns, as franchisees are left to rely on their intuition and experience.

However, there are some ways to overcome this challenge.

One is encouraging franchisees to share information about their customers and marketing activities. This can help to create a more comprehensive picture of the franchise’s target market.

Another way to collect data is to invest in market research. This can provide invaluable insights into customer needs and preferences, which can inform marketing strategy.

While the lack of data can be challenging for franchises, encouraging collaboration and investing in market research are ways to overcome it.

How to Hire a Franchise Marketing Agency

So, you’re thinking of hiring a franchise marketing agency. This is a big decision; your franchise’s success depends on it.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re looking for the right agency:

Consider Your Budget

How much money can you shell out for marketing? Make sure you get quotes from a few different agencies before deciding.

Think About Your Goals

What do you want to achieve with your franchise marketing? Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive more traffic to your website? Whatever it is, make sure the agency you choose has experience achieving similar goals.

Read Reviews and Testimonials

When hiring a franchise marketing agency, it’s essential to read reviews and testimonials first. This will give you a good sense of what others have experienced with the agency and whether or not they would recommend them.

Franchise marketing can be a significant investment, so you want to ensure you’re working with an agency that is reputable and has a proven track record.

So before you make any decisions, be sure to do your research and read some reviews.

By reading reviews and testimonials, you can better understand what the agency is like to work with and whether or not it’s a good fit for your needs.

Take Your Time

This is an important decision, so don’t rush into it. Take the time to interview multiple agencies and get a feel for who will be the best fit for your franchise.

By keeping these things in mind, you’ll be well to find the perfect franchise marketing agency to grow your business.

FAQs About Franchise Marketing

Do Franchises Do Their Own Marketing?

The answer is yes and no. Some franchises will leave the marketing up to the individual franchisees, while others will have a central marketing team that produces marketing materials and runs campaigns for the entire network.

There are pros and cons to both approaches. If franchisees are responsible for their marketing, they may be able to tailor campaigns to their local market. On the other hand, centralized marketing teams can benefit from economies of scale and may be able to produce higher-quality materials.

What Are the Types of Franchise Marketing?

There are a few different types of franchise marketing. One is co-op advertising, where the franchisor and the franchisee share the cost of advertising. Another type of franchise marketing is local store marketing, where the franchisee focuses on promoting the business in their local community. Finally, national advertising to promote the franchise on a larger scale.

Why Is Franchise Marketing Important?

Franchise marketing is crucial because it helps build brand awareness and a solid customer base. Without effective franchise marketing, attracting new customers and growing your business will be challenging.

Luckily, there are many ways to market a franchise, from traditional methods like advertising and PR to more contemporary techniques like social media marketing. By investing in franchise marketing, you can give your business the best chance for success.

What Is the Franchise Strategy?

The franchise strategy is a business model that involves granting licenses to individuals or businesses to use the company’s trademarks, logos, and other proprietary information to sell products or services.

The franchisor provides the franchisee with training, support, and access to a proven business model. In return, the franchisee pays the franchisor a royalty or marketing fee.

Conclusion

Franchising can be an excellent opportunity for small businesses to grow, but it is crucial to have a well-thought-out marketing plan in place.

Challenges such as creating a consistent brand image across all franchises and hiring the right franchise marketing agency can be overcome with careful planning and execution.

By taking the time to understand what franchise marketing is and how to execute your marketing strategy best, you will be on your way to growing your business through franchising.

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