Whether you’re the franchisor or the franchisee, growing your business is the ultimate goal.
Developing the right marketing plan will attract more customers, increase sales and build brand exposure online and locally – each is crucial in growing your business. However, marketing mistakes just as easily can hurt your business.
Here are four marketing mistakes your franchisees can – and should – avoid:
Not Investing in Marketing at All
Lack of time, knowledge and resources are the biggest problems franchisees face when it comes to marketing a franchise. Meanwhile, some owners don’t view marketing as an investment, but an expense with no immediate ROI. Effective marketing takes time. For example, purchasing an advertisement is a process – you pay, design and create, then implement and wait for a response. Make sure your franchisees understand the long-term benefits of investing in a good franchise marketing strategy.
Not focusing on the customers’ needs
Investing in a franchise typically is a more popular route than starting a new business. And because they already have a well-established brand, franchises also have a higher success rate. A successful brand, however, doesn’t automatically mean a successful business. Don’t let your franchisees rely solely on the franchise. Rather than hyping the brand’s success, franchisees need to focus on the customers’ needs and franchise marketing tactics that will resonate best with local audiences. The most important question franchisees should be asking is: What do MY customers want?
Not Taking Advantage of Free Local Listings
Online directories are an easy and often free way to advertise your local business and can improve search-engine rankings. If your franchisee isn’t taking advantage, start with these top four:
1. Google+
2. Bing
3. Yahoo!
4. Yelp!
Customers not only use these directories to find local businesses, but also post reviews that rank them on each platform.
Not Leveraging Corporate Marketing Funds
Franchisees either aren’t using them or using them wrong. Make sure your franchisees know what resources are available to them beyond funding, including promotional materials, preferred vendors and any educational information they might need. Try offering a case study of a successful franchise marketing strategy or developing a general brochure for marketing your franchise.