Franchise owners know something, either they are getting enough marketing support from corporate or they need to take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately, the latter may be the usually case. In today’s era of budget cut backs marketing is often the one line item in the corporate budget using the bull’s-eye on its back. Franchisees have to take matters into their own hands and deploy the marketing strategies that Fortune 500 companies are executing.
Create An Online Presence
Most Franchisers already have a website and jot down all their franchisees. Most franchisers also restrict the franchisees to create a new website for fear of a loss of brand name control. Should you own a franchise and you are permitted to create a new website then create one toward marketing to your target demographic. If you curently have an internet site and therefore are restricted in creating a brand new one then see if your franchisor will allow you to create a Blog or separate squeeze pages. These are great options to websites and may accomplish the mission of brand name recognition and promotion.
Social Media Counts
Every franchise should be deploying social media and taking advantage of it to their benefit every day. Consider a few of these statistics concerning social networking:
-Facebook has 200+ million users adding 600,000 users per day (InsideFacebook)
-LinkedIn has a lot more than 40 million users / 12.4 unique visitors monthly (TechCrunch)
-Social Media book marketing website, Digg, receives 21 million unique visitors each month (Quantcast)
-In 2010 Twitter is projected to possess 18 million users (eMarketer)
Based on these statistics, your target audience is using some form of social networking. They’re having conversations about every topic available, chances are, your franchise has been mentioned. Shouldn’t you are taking a component in that conversation? You can easily build value and information the marketplace about your business. Social media gives us a real-time pr engine. Join the conversation, add value, and see leads being generated.
Online Advertising
Just from looking at Social Media’s statistics, we know that consumers are going to the Internet to communicate. 1&1 Internet conducted research and learned that nearly two-thirds of online shoppers carry out internet-based research about retailers before making an order. More confirmation that your business, be it a franchise, needs to be internet marketing. From pay-per click advertising on Google, Bing or Yahoo to niche specific websites like Business.com as well as Facebook internet marketing, online advertising is a superb method to market your business and provide it the additional contact with increase brand awareness and drive new leads.
Don’t Forget About Email Marketing
Which means you speak with customers every single day, remember to ask them for their email address to help you enroll them in your monthly (or weekly) newsletter to help you send them promotional coupons? Why don’t you? Email is the greatest way to take a current customer and get these phones buy more and at a you can hear. Rather than wasting another statistic like, the small business states that for each dollar allocated to email marketing, you get $57 in exchange, I’d much rather let you know a personal story. I live right outside of Washington DC and obviously, we’ve got pounded with snow this recently. Between snows, I received an e-mail from my favorite wine store located about Ten minutes the street. The subject of the email said, “Beat the snow and save 20%”. I hurriedly exposed the email and considered to myself, save 20% on any wine then been on stock? Done deal! I ordered a case and saved about $100. I fell prey to e-mail marketing, any why not? I saved money. You customers will feel the same manner. So go ahead and ask for their email and start your routine email campaign.
Online Brochures
Most franchisers will supply you with all the corporate literature you’ll need. But many won’t provide you with online PDF brochures that have your specific location and contact info on them. Never fear, ask corporate if they can provde the graphic files and get a picture designer to customize that corporate brochure to your specific needs. If corporate doesn’t have a web-based brochure make one. It is the perfect sales tool when someone calls you on the telephone and inquires about your services, ask for their email (see previous paragraph) and send them the internet brochure with your services. Online PDF brochures are a great and cheap promotional tool.
You shouldn’t be Beholden To Anyone
Most franchises do contribute to a marketing fund as part of their franchise agreement. The help from corporate is definitely appreciated but assume that’s all you are able do. You do have plenty of choices when you need it to create leads and to penetrate into existing sales channels. Search for methods to promote your brand and to spread the content that you’ve a product/service that should be bought. Let marketing become your growth engine. Use these tools yet others to make you successful