From a marketing perspective, a franchise business owner has an immediate advantage thanks to the solid foundation of the franchisor’s established brand and reputation. That doesn’t mean however that they won’t have to carry out any marketing and every franchisee must be prepared for the fact that they will need to continually put in effort when it comes to getting word out about their business.
What kind of help will the franchisor provide?
Most franchisors will be involved in the early days when a new franchisee is going through the process of setting up the franchise and launching the business. Franchisees will usually be given help with things like setting up their website or landing page to provide them with an online ‘shop window’. They can normally expect to be provided with a range of branded materials, both electronic and printed, to help with ongoing marketing activity. And it’s likely the franchisor will be conducting overall brand marketing too, which will have knock-on benefits for all franchise business owners.
Beyond that point, support can vary quite a bit depending on the franchise. In some cases, franchise business owners might pay a marketing fee which contributes towards targeted ongoing larger scale marketing, like advertising, that’s carried out by the franchisor on the franchisees’ behalf. Others might not have much involvement at all.
It’s important to take this into account when thinking about which franchise to ultimately invest in. The level of support you might want from the franchisor will depend to some extent on the skill set you already have. If you have a background that includes sales and marketing then you might feel comfortable doing it to promote your franchise business. But if it’s not an area you feel so confident in – or maybe you simply don’t want to have to allocate too much time to it – you might prefer to look for a franchisor who will offer you regular support beyond the initial set up and launch period.
What can you do to market your franchise business?
Either way, as a business owner you must be prepared to carry out at least some marketing activity. Here are a few ways you can promote your franchise and raise awareness about what you do.
- Keep your website up to date
Make sure your website is kept updated and, within franchise branding requirements, personalised where appropriate. Obviously that will include practical information like contact details. But it should also include things like customer testimonials and endorsements, case studies and articles and blogs that will be of interest to potential customers, ultimately encouraging them to go on to find out more about your services. It’s worth looking out for opportunities to guest blog for other relevant sites too, to increase the audience for your content.
You could also consider building up a database of connections so you can send out emails to share your content and encourage people to click through to your website. There are rules around marketing emails though so make sure you familiarise yourself with those first.
- Spend some time on social media – but choose your platforms carefully
The number of social media sites available can feel overwhelming. But your franchisor should be able to guide you in terms of which ones will help you reach the client base you’re targeting. In many cases they might even set up branded accounts for you but you will still need to run them. Don’t try to have too extensive a social media presence however because that can in itself turn into a full-time job!
While it’s fine to talk about your work and promote your business, including sharing relevant content, don’t forget that social media should be used to build relationships. That’s a two-way process, so it’s really important you engage with others and share their content too.
- Build relationships in your community
Even if your business doesn’t specifically focus on the geographical area you are physically based in, you’ll enhance your reputation by being a supportive member of your community. By sharing what you’re doing, you’ll benefit both the cause you are helping but also your business too by putting it in a positive light. Quite often this type of activity can be of interest to local press, and it’s a great thing to share on social media and on your website as well.
- Find time for some face-to-face networking
In recent times face-to-face has meant on screen rather than being physically in the same room as other people but either way, networking remains a valuable activity for introducing your business to more people. But it’s a slow-burn approach so don’t attempt a full-on sales pitch when you’re doing it. Effective networking is more about building relationships that are mutually beneficial. It’s as much about what you can do for others as what they can do for you.
- Review your marketing plan regularly
The franchisor will have developed expertise over the years about what works and what doesn’t. So they should be able to help you create a marketing plan identifying the actions that will have the most impact. At Jackson Fire and Security, our marketing manager works with franchisees to develop an ongoing marketing plan that they can use to guide their activity in the most time efficient way for maximum return. If you are in the position of having a plan that’s regularly reviewed with the franchisor, take advantage of that and make sure you are putting all of the identified steps into action.
Become known for doing an excellent job
The ultimate goal is to be in the position where you are gaining business as a result of other people recommending your services. If you’re known as someone who does a great job and who offers excellent standards of customer service, over time you should find delighted customers will effectively end up doing a lot of the marketing for you.
