Franchise marketing has always been a complex concept.
To begin with, it’s highly emotional. People making the decision of whether or not to invest in a franchise are typically doing so from an emotional place. They want to know how hard the franchise will be to market, why people will buy the product, and what makes it different from other business opportunities.
Because of this, it’s arguable that franchise marketing is one of the segments most in need of compelling, highly emotive storytelling. And what better way to achieve this than with the help of content marketing?
While content marketing and franchise marketing aren’t often grouped together, content marketing can have a huge impact on the effectiveness and success of franchise marketing as a whole.
Why Use Content Marketing for Franchises?
Right now, one out of 12 businesses in the U.S. is a franchise. While franchises may not get the limelight paid to things like startups, they comprise a significant portion of U.S. companies, so it stands to reason that they deserve the marketing focus and effort of other major segments.
In addition to being widespread, franchises are also unique in that they require a very tailored content marketing approach. Despite the fact that franchises are backed by a franchisor, each one still needs to develop an independent identity and buck the competition to stand out as a leader in the industry. One of the best ways to produce this outcome is through content marketing.
Today, 50% of franchises are not happy with the marketing assistance granted to them by their franchisor. When faced with the unique challenges of marketing a franchise, this support often feels sub-par and disappointing. When franchises begin to embrace content marketing, however, they take control of their own brand. This, in turn, allows for the construction of a solid client base and the development of a unique company identity.
Tips for Using Content Marketing at the Franchise Level
To embrace content marketing at the franchise level, follow these tips:
1. Optimize All Franchise Websites For SEO
To draw customers and become visible online, franchise websites need to be properly optimized for SEO. This may mean researching and targeting long-tail keywords, hiring writers to create content, creating custom graphics, and evaluating on-page content to ensure it contains keyword phrases. Hiring a professional SEO company for this service is often wise, as optimization can be difficult and confusing for beginners.
2. Make Use Of Social Media
Social media is a great way to leverage content marketing for franchises. By utilizing social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, it’s easy for franchises to create unique content and distribute it with a growing user base.
3. Target Local Search Terms
Since individual franchises are local companies, it’s essential to ensure that each local franchise website targets geographical search terms to rank well in local search. This provides added value to customers and helps ensure that the website will appear for relevant search queries.
4. Claim Local Listings
For a franchise to appear prominently in local search results, claiming local listings is important. Platforms like Google Places and Yelp are valuable sources of inbound links, and franchises that want to make the most of content and inbound marketing will do well to register their businesses with these third-party sites.
5. Produce Original Content
Just like all companies that utilize content marketing, franchises should produce their own content. In addition to helping provide value to readers, this step also gives Google additional pages to index and increases the likelihood that the company will rank well in Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages).
Content Marketing: An Effective Way to Improve Franchise Marketing
By implementing content development as a key strategy in franchise marketing, it’s easy to draw more customers, rank well in local search, and develop an individualized web presence that allows the franchise in question to become more competitive.
To learn more about content marketing and how it can benefit your franchise today, visit Thrive Internet Marketing online!
