A Comprehensive Guide for Franchisor Marketing

A rock-solid marketing plan sets the stage for franchise success. But before you do anything else, you need to define your target market. Who are your franchisees’ customers, and what makes them tick? You’re more likely to hit a bull’s-eye every time if you speak your customers’ language and address their needs head-on.

Here are three questions to help identify your target audiences and buyer personas:

Who are your current customers?

Take a look at your existing customers. What characteristics or demographics do they have in common? Do you notice more women or men? Individuals or families? People who live in apartments, or houses? Pay attention to the types of customers all of your franchise locations attract.

Who is looking for your service?

Why do people come to your business? Say you sell landscaping services. Your customers likely live in a home in a suburban area with a yard that they take pride in, and they likely entertain guests there. Knowing their purchase intentions helps you create targeted ads and determine which geographic areas to focus on.

Who is not going to buy your product or service?

You can also narrow down your audience by identifying who isn’t part of it. Following the same example, people who prefer urban living and value comfort and convenience likely have little or no yard to attend to. Prioritize marketing efforts that resonate with your customer base.

Once you know your audience, you can establish clear marketing goals that align with both your objectives and your franchisees’ objectives. Set strategic targets that will drive the entire franchise forward. By aligning goals with your broader vision and the specific needs of the franchisees, you establish a road map for success that everyone can get behind.

And let’s not forget about brand awareness, especially as you venture into new markets. When you’re looking to expand into uncharted territories, solid brand awareness establishes trust and credibility among franchisees and customers. A strong brand presence attracts prospective partners and cultivates a sense of familiarity and loyalty. This is what drives conversions and nurtures long-term relationships! 

We’ve provided some resources below for you to pass on to your franchisees to help them be successful as they start their journey to owning a business.

In franchise digital marketing, producing content that converts requires a deep understanding of your target audience. When you know their needs, preferences, and pain points, you can tailor your messaging to spark interest and engagement. So what makes great content, and how do you ensure it will win over your audience and drive successful leads?

1. Develop a Content Strategy

Your content strategy is like your GPS for finding leads. First, set clear objectives and understand your audience. You probably want objectives aligned with generating new franchisees by showing them how to work with you, and how beneficial it is for them—AND objectives around educating your end clients, so you can generate leads for your franchisees. Consider serving up video tutorials, podcasts, and checklists as different types of content to keep it interesting. And do your homework! Conduct thorough market research, focusing on key themes. Make sure your strategy aligns with your franchisees’ goals and audience’s preferences; does it fit with what your franchise is all about?

2. Lean into Multimedia Content

“Multimedia content” sounds fancy, but it’s pretty simple: It’s just content that includes two or more different types of media. Media typically falls into these four categories:

Text	Audio	Graphics	Video

Whether it’s a blog post, video, infographic, or case study, each content format offers a unique opportunity to engage with your audience. Let’s say you want to showcase a new service offered by your day spa. Create an Instagram reel with captions and audio that takes viewers through the experience, or share a blog post with visuals to provide a detailed description of the service and its benefits. Providing multimedia content can help your business connect emotionally with your services by helping them feel at ease, or excited. That in itself provides value and supports your franchise marketing objectives.

3. Leverage Storytelling and Franchisee Success

Using real stories to make real connections? We’re all about it. When you share your achievements, you paint a vivid picture of what’s possible within your franchise system. These stories aren’t just testimonials; they’re real-life examples of the opportunities, support, and growth available to new franchisees.

What is an organic digital channel? Great question. Organic channels are online platforms or methods that engage with your audience and don’t rely on paid advertising or promotion. They include social media, email marketing, SEO, and content marketing. Unlike paid media (we’ll cover that in another chapter), organic channels rely on content’s quality and relevance to attract and retain customers.

Social media isn’t just about posting pictures and memes. Social media is your golden ticket to connect with potential franchisees, build brand awareness, and create meaningful engagement. Show the world what makes your franchise special! Not only will you generate interest and engagement from potential and existing customers, but you’ll also attract top-notch partners to grow your franchise network.

In the world of communication, email marketing is the Dr. Watson to your Sherlock Holmes. Use it to craft personalized, targeted emails that speak directly to your audience’s needs and interests. 

Use tools such as Google Keyword Planner or Semrush to identify high-volume, low-competition keywords that relate to your franchise.    Incorporate keywords into your website’s meta tags, headings, URL structures, and image alt text.    Use responsive design principles and prioritize fast page load times to improve usability and ranking on mobile search results.    Create a logical internal linking structure on your website to help search engines understand the hierarchy and context of your content.    Build high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your industry to improve your website’s authority and credibility.    Optimize your website for local search by optimizing your Google Business listing, creating location-specific landing pages, and obtaining positive reviews from satisfied customers.

Pro tip: Strategically generate five-star reviews to boost business growth through targeted, ethical campaigns.

What is paid media, anyway? Think about the sponsored posts and videos that pop up on your Instagram every day: the newest shoes from your favorite running brand, the latest spring collection from a clothing retailer ... These are examples of paid media in action.

With paid media, franchisors can directly regulate influxes of leads by adjusting their campaign budgets. Whether you’re working with a shoestring budget or investing heavily, you can build strategies that drive results toward your goals. Your campaigns can build brand recognition, nurture potential leads, promote a service launch, or re-engage existing customers. The beauty of paid media is that it offers instant results and budget control, and it’s completely trackable. Most importantly? It helps franchises cut through the digital noise across various platforms.

In this chapter, we’ll dive into traditional paid media channels as well as the strategic use of geolocation for multilocation franchises—and more.

Building Your Paid Media Strategy

There’s a lot to think about when crafting an effective paid media strategy. Here are some key factors to keep in mind as you create your plan:

BUDGET How much can you spend on paid media? Even if you have a large budget, it’s important to allocate your resources wisely. Working with a tighter budget? Concentrate on one or two key channels rather than spreading yourself thin across numerous channels.

GOALS Want to enhance brand awareness, drive traffic, or boost conversions? Paid media offers all of these opportunities and more. For the best results, let your goals steer your choice of channels and the services you promote within them.

CREATIVE ASSETS Your paid media assets—keywords, text, images, and sponsored content—should be eye-catching and fit the platform seamlessly. Opt for a clean design and compelling copy that reflects your brand’s personality.

LANDING PAGES Paid media provides instant exposure to new audiences, unlike inbound marketing, which takes time to gain traction. Choose landing pages with a proven track record of high performance, compelling brand storytelling, and clear messaging for optimal conversions.

AGILITY Paid media is all about responding to performance and data. With robust reporting features, you can easily track and adjust your campaigns. Regular monitoring and updates are key to reaching your goals effectively.

The Don’ts of Paid Media

It’s a good idea to explore a variety of paid media strategies, but you should steer clear of these three methods under all circumstances.

1. Spray and pay: When you cast a wide net without aiming for a specific target, the result is wasted ad spend and minimal return on investment. This method fails to reach your target audience and leads to inefficient resource allocation and less-than-optimal campaign performance.
2. Buying lists: Buying contact lists may seem like a shortcut to boost your outreach, but it goes against the principles of inbound marketing. It also risks irritating potential customers. Moreover, purchased email lists can harm your email deliverability and lead to being marked as spam. Instead, focus on organic opt-ins to build a genuinely interested audience.
3. Artificial reviews: Before trying out your franchise, customers often check Yelp and Google, and potential employees might browse Glassdoor. It might be tempting to buy reviews, but this practice is dishonest and easy to spot, and it damages credibility. Focus on addressing negative feedback openly and honestly, and use genuine reputation management strategies to build trust. There’s always an opportunity to reach out to a disgruntled customer and delight them to encourage them to make an update to their less-than-stellar review.

Traditional Paid Media Channels

Paid media offers a range of strategies and channels for every franchisor. Whether you opt for a single channel or a mix of several, these options offer the flexibility to enhance both current and upcoming inbound campaigns.

• Pay-per-click (PPC): PPC advertising is the turbocharged version of organic search results. Instead of blending in with regular listings, PPC ads pop up first, giving a boost to franchisors who struggle with SEO.
• Retargeting: Retargeting uses cookies-based technology to remember who visited your site or gave you their email. It tracks those people online and shows your ads wherever they go. Retargeting is especially effective when paired with a larger digital strategy that is already driving traffic to you. Increased privacy regulations may disrupt third-party cookie retargeting in the future, but there are alternatives—including contextual targeting, first-party data collection, and consent-based advertising—that can function similarly to retargeting strategies.
• Display ad networks: Display ad networks are like giant billboards. They let you reach an audience the size of the internet across different websites and apps. No matter what you’re selling or who you’re trying to reach, there’s a network out there for you.
• Account-based marketing (ABM): ABM is like having personal conversations with different groups of people. If you know certain customers have a particular problem, you can send them ads for direct solutions to that problem. It's all about tailoring your messages to each group, guiding them closer to making a purchase.
• Paid social: There are tons of social platforms out there for advertising, and many have different ad options. With paid social, you can manage everything right on the platform, from setting your budget to analyzing your campaigns. Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) are the top choices for paid social ads.
• Niche publications: Franchisors can easily target their audience by partnering with publications that align with their personas. With thousands of publications to choose from, each with its own audience, you’re sure to find ad products tailored to your needs.
• Video: Adding video to your paid media strategy can significantly enhance your ability to reach potential leads. Platforms such as Facebook Live, YouTube Ads, and Wistia Turnstile provide effective tools to elevate your paid advertising efforts. You can also include video in your paid social campaigns by using tools such as Instagram Stories and Reels.

Local and Multilocation Marketing

Imagine you’re walking around downtown and suddenly get a notification that a nearby coffee shop is offering a special discount. That’s the power of geo-targeted ads!

By setting up virtual perimeters around each franchise location, you can reach potential customers when they’re most likely to stop in. Additionally, you can track and analyze the effectiveness of your geo-targeted campaigns to continuously optimize and improve ROI across your entire network.

Want to reach customers across multiple locations? Use platforms such as Google Ads supplemented with Facebook, Instagram, or another social platform to hit your market at the local level. This allows you to tailor your messaging and promotions so that the right audience sees relevant ads at the right time. Google Ads also offers Local Services Ads for certain markets and industries to connect you with people searching for the services you offer. 

Pro tip: When searching for a marketing partner, look for a Premier Google Partner agency. Premier Google Partners are in the top 3 percent of Google Partners, demonstrating expertise beyond Google Partner status when it comes to skill, Google ad spend requirements, and the ability to maintain and grow a customer base.

Let’s talk about the art of connecting with potential leads. How can you cultivate those relationships and make sure leads feel valued every step of the way?

First things first: lead nurture workflows. A lead nurture workflow is a step-by-step plan to keep potential customers or franchisees engaged and move them along in the buying process. Think of this workflow like an educational series addressing their current pain points, how you solve them, and other benefits working with you provides them. This allows and encourages your audience to make sound purchases and business decisions, ultimately turning them into customers or partners.

But who has time to manually hit send all day? Not you! Enter marketing automation software. Tools such as HubSpot, Marketo, and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly known as Pardot) allow you to keep leads captivated without breaking a sweat. They’re like your tireless personal assistants, delivering timely follow-ups, personalized messages, and targeted campaigns that make leads feel like VIPs.

Email sequences are the glue that helps sales teams bond with leads and lock in those deals.

While we’re talking about marketing automation, let’s zero in on sales email sequences. Email sequences are the glue that helps sales teams bond with leads and lock in those deals. Say you own a boutique fitness studio franchise. You have a lot of potential franchisees who are interested but not quite committed. That’s where email sequences come in. Establish a series of well-crafted emails to guide these prospects through the decision-making process. Here’s what that might look like:

1. Start with an engaging introductory email that shares your brand’s story and success.
2. Then, highlight the perks of owning a fitness franchise, such as flexible schedules and financial independence.
3. As the sequence progresses, offer virtual studio tours, share testimonials from happy franchisees, address solutions to their pain points and their detractors from moving forward, and sprinkle in special incentives to seal the deal.

Through these tailored emails, your sales team equips leads with the information and support they need to make informed decisions. Ultimately, this process brings valuable new members into your franchise fold.

When it comes to marketing, franchisors and franchisees need to be on the same page. The more aligned you are, the stronger your brand recognition becomes and the more trust you build with customers. Plus, a unified front makes your brand stand out even more. This kind of teamwork not only strengthens your brand’s position but also sets the stage for serious growth across the board.

As a franchisor, it can be daunting to navigate marketing challenges while maintaining a cohesive brand. That’s where training and resources come into play. Equip your franchisees with the tools they need to understand and stick to your brand’s standards while giving them the freedom to add some local flair. This empowers your network to thrive uniquely in different markets.

A pivotal step in fostering alignment and overcoming obstacles is selecting the right marketing partner. Franchisors have two main options:

1. Choose a few agencies that will become the preferred vendors for individual franchises to vet and choose from.
   
   OR
2. Opt to partner with an agency that will service the entire network.

These marketing agencies not only help franchisors achieve their specific goals but also ensure that franchisees feel supported and valued. And with their expertise in navigating large franchise networks, agencies can ensure fair allocation of advertising budgets and help direct leads to the most opportune places.

In the world of franchise marketing, staying ahead of the curve requires more than just intuition—it demands a deep understanding of data. Welcome to data-driven lead generation! Here, we’ll explore essential tools and strategies to drive sustained growth and success across your franchise network.

1. Reporting

How do analytics tools help you gauge the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts? Analytics tools track things like website visits, user interactions, and conversion rates. With this information, you can figure out which marketing tactics bring in the most leads and sales. Plus, these tools come with reports and visuals that make it easier to interpret data and spot trends over time. 

Here are three tools that will help guide your resource allocation and improve lead generation performance:

HubSpot 

We could write an entire e-book about HubSpot. In addition to its newer Sales, Services, Operations, Content, and Commerce Hubs, HubSpot has a comprehensive marketing automation platform (Marketing Hub) that offers strong lead tracking and conversion tracking capabilities. Franchisors can track leads throughout the entire sales funnel, from initial contact to conversion. The platform provides detailed insights into:

Lead behavior Engagement metrics Conversion rates

These insights allow you to identify high-quality leads and optimize your lead nurturing strategies accordingly. Additionally, HubSpot offers powerful reporting features that enable you to measure the impact of your marketing efforts and drive growth.

Check out how this franchise uses HubSpot to create success in its network.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the powerhouse of web analytics. This tool provides a wealth of data on website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. It tracks metrics such as:

Sessions Users Pageviews Bounce rate

Average session duration Traffic sources Conversion rate Audience demographics

Plus, with features including goal completions and e-commerce tracking, it allows you to measure the ROI of your marketing campaigns with precision.

Salesforce

As a leading customer relationship management (CRM) system, Salesforce offers franchisors advanced analytics capabilities. It allows you to track customer interactions, sales performance, and conversion metrics in real time. Even better? By integrating Salesforce with other marketing tools and data sources (such as HubSpot), you can create a unified view of your leads and customers. This enables you to gain deeper insights into your target audience and tailor your marketing strategies accordingly.

With customizable dashboards and reporting features, Salesforce gives you the power to track key metrics, measure campaign effectiveness, and optimize your lead generation efforts for maximum impact.

2. Analyzing

Monitoring key metrics is like looking under the hood of your car to see what’s working and what’s not. Does something look off? Has there been a change in the market? Does your messaging need to be tweaked? Compare your current data against historical trends and industry benchmarks to identify patterns and deviations.

For example: Say your franchise invests $2,000 in a Facebook advertising campaign to generate leads to purchase a new service offering. Over the course of your campaign, you acquire 50 leads. Calculating the cost per lead (CPL) would look like this: 

CPL = Total Advertising Cost / Number of Leads
CPL = $2,000 / 50 leads
CPL = $40 per lead

In this case, let’s say you determine that a CPL of $40 is too high compared to industry standards and your expected conversion rate. A high CPL suggests that your advertising campaign isn’t targeting the right audience or your messaging isn’t compelling. As a result, you decide to reassess your targeting criteria, refine your ad creative, or explore alternative advertising channels to reduce your CPL.

By digging into the details and sharing insights across franchises, you can fine-tune strategies and double down on what works.

3. Optimizing

As markets evolve and consumer preferences shift, franchisors must keep a finger on the pulse. By staying agile and responsive, you can stay ahead of the game and even get a leg up.

Here are four ways to adjust and adapt effectively:

1. Understand market dynamics: Keep your ear to the ground. What’s happening in the market? How are customers behaving? What is your competition up to? Is there a new trend that’s surfaced on social media that your franchises can attach themselves to? If you stay in the loop, you’ll spot new opportunities and potential challenges early on.
2. Adapt marketing strategies: When the market shifts, you have to roll with it. That might mean switching up your franchise marketing plan to better connect with your audience and hop on new trends. Keep an eye on your analytic reports—these will help you make smart moves in an ever-changing business environment.
3. Invest in innovation: Innovation isn’t always about thinking outside the box; sometimes, it’s about building a new playground. Invest in research and development initiatives to identify new market opportunities, develop innovative services (or tools and products within your services) that align with your buyers’ values, and differentiate your brand. Analyze consumer insights and market trends to come up with fresh ideas that hit the mark with your customers.
4. Foster a culture of adaptability: Encourage open communication, collaboration, and experimentation among your franchisees. When everyone is well positioned to thrive in today’s competitive landscape, you can build a strong and resilient organization.

A well-executed paid media strategy can support a steady flow of leads for your franchisees to cultivate a stable and growing network. With a strategic approach to local PPC and franchise marketing, you’ll be able to learn from your wins and leverage network-wide campaign data every time you open a new location.

Interested in finding out more about serving up leads to your current franchisees, attracting the right customers, and launching new locations successfully? With guidance and support from the experts at SmartBug Media—who work with more than 800 franchisees across 15 brands—your franchisees will be set for success. We’ll handle the nitty-gritty of a multilocation marketing strategy so you can deliver a steady flow of quality leads to your network, drive sustained revenue, and keep your franchisees satisfied.

Take a step on your path to success by chatting with us today!