Franchise owners today have a lot of hurdles to overcome. From keeping good employees on the payroll to managing an unpredictable supply chain, it can be rough out there. So, to help grow your franchise business, control what you can. Digital marketing is an excellent place to start.
Digital marketing can help your franchise thrive.
It’s no surprise that we’re becoming more reliant on the internet to find products, services, and businesses. A recent study showed 97% of consumers searched online to find a local business.
We’re also using local search to compare products and services. A whopping 78% of local searches on mobile result in an offline purchase. (Safari Digital) So, how can you make sure your business pops up in those local searches? Digital marketing is the key to unlocking your brand’s online search potential.
Make sure customers find your franchise business with disciplined, targeted digital marketing. Digital marketing can reveal new opportunities and help expand your brand reach in all the markets where you do business.
Create a digital marketing strategy for your franchise using these tips.
1. Identify your ideal customer.
Before you start posting or placing ads, get to know your customer first. For B2C connections, consider your product or service, and next, identify your core customer demographics: age, gender, family size, occupation, income, interests, etc. For B2B, focus on specific types of businesses, roles within those organizations, their gender, age, pain points, etc.
2. Determine what sets you apart.
After you know who your customer is, research your competitors. What makes your franchise stand out? What is your value-add? Why should customers buy from you? Then, use those detailed value statements to frame your messaging for your customer groups.
3. Outline your strategy + assign roles.
Your digital marketing strategy should include a well-organized plan to help you, your marketing team, and your franchisees know what to do, when to do it, and who is responsible for each task.
4. Research + select tech tools.
It’s essential to use the right tools to efficiently deliver your digital content while protecting your brand. These tools are what you’ll use to create content and publish your marketing campaigns—email marketing software, social media scheduling tools, CRM platforms, etc.
5. Create a content calendar.
Your calendar should detail when and what you will post on your social media channels, blog, and email campaigns, which ads you’ll run, etc. It should identify general corporate-generated content and which assets can be adapted to include personalization for local, market-specific touches
6. Use integrated channels.
To magnify your brand marketing effort, incorporate digital media and offline touches with customized content. Today, people expect products and services to be relevant to them—it’s vital for local-market brand success. Making a personalized connection increases customer engagement with your brand and drives a higher conversion rate.
7. Prioritize SEO.
When creating content for your website, be sure to include search engine optimization (SEO) in your digital marketing strategy. SEO involves using keywords strategically to help boost your ranks in search engine results. Do keyword research and optimize your website with relevant and valuable content that your customers want most.
8. Review analytics + adjust.
Check your analytics to see which posts or campaign emails are gaining the most traction via shares, likes, click-throughs, etc. Next, adjust your strategy to create content with similar elements to your best-performing posts or touches, such as how-to videos or free downloads.
To get Shamrock’s free Franchise Digital Marketing Checklist, click here.
Successful digital marketing requires ongoing adjustments—it’s not a plan-it-and-forget-it deal. Instead, create your plan, use the right tools, and then stay on top of trends, gather data, and adapt, as needed, to help protect and grow your brand.
