Franchising a business is not very different from starting your own. Although the operational requirements are different, there are still many similar aspects such as micro-managing employees, sales, and of course, marketing.
Because franchising is a sales business, you have to know how to market it. Only then will you get investors to put their money in your franchise. Marketing is always an essential part of any business, especially in today’s modern age. Here are tips on how to market your business.
Leverage your connections
The first phase involved in looking for franchisees is to start with your connections. 38% of franchise sales take place through referrals. In fact, it’s quite noticeable at family and friends are the first to line up to invest in a franchise.
You should take advantage of this and build your network. Having connections always go a long way and will help you find the right people who have the same goals and interests as you. Keep your connections close. The more loyal people you have by your side, the more chances of them trusting you enough to invest in your business. They’ll also be the first people marketing your brand and introducing it to their network.
Attend franchise events
Throughout the year, there’s always a franchise event going on in a particular area. These events bring together two types of people — those who are looking for franchisees and those who are interested in investing in a franchise.
Because a franchise event has all the right people you need in one place, it’s obvious that you have to be there too. You can pull out your booth to display in the event so that people will actually see your business for themselves. Although it can be costly, it brings you to an advantage.
But if you’re not interested in spending too much on it, you can always attend the event and build your network. Introduce yourself to the attendees. Talk to both franchisers and potential investors. You never know who you can meet and how they can help your brand.
Go digital
Every business has to meet the demands of the times. And right now, that means having a digital presence. Everyone is online, and it’s the best platform to reach your potential investors and target market. You have to take advantage of the advent of the Internet.
Build a strong online presence for your business by creating a website and giving value. Content marketing is a growing niche, and is very effective in getting people to be interested in your business. After all, everyone wants to receive value. And the more your business provides that, the more people you attract.
Not only that, but it helps you optimize your site for search engine optimization. The upside to that is getting more visibility by having your website rank on the first page of search results.
Don’t forget to be present on social media sites as well. Businesses are also beginning to take over social media sites to market their products. If you’ve noticed, you can’t even scroll your newsfeed without an ad placement popping up anymore. This is good news for your business. You should figure out how to get your brand in those ads to help you reach more people.
Marketing, however, can be a time-consuming and demanding process. But there are professionals who know exactly how to market your brand. So you might want to consider hiring the services of a marketing company for your franchise.
