This is going to be a killer year for your franchise. How do I know? Because I’m about to give you some crazy easy marketing tips that you’d be a fool not to take advantage of using.
So many business owners think marketing is this complex thing that they don’t need to bother with. But it’s not some mystical mystery; marketing is absolutely critical for the success of your franchise. And trust me: even a monkey could apply these tips.
1. Pay Attention to What People Are Saying About You on Social Media
Even if you don’t get social media, if your customers are using it, you need to be there. But before you argue that you don’t have time to use it, believe me when I say that you need just a few minutes a week to check in and see what’s happening.
There’s a ton you can do in social media marketing, but just start by monitoring what people are saying about your brand. How do you do that? Set up a search for your social media handle as well as your brand name. Then whenever someone talks about you, consider how to respond. If it’s an angry tweet, you need to get in there immediately and fix the situation with an apology and offer to rectify the situation. If it’s a compliment, thank the sender. It’s that simple.
2. Connect with Just One Community Group
Sometimes franchise owners get overwhelmed with the number of marketing opportunities there are in the local community, and so they do nothing. I encourage you to pick one group or event you can affiliate your franchise with and work on building that relationship.
For example: if there’s an annual event at the park by your location, become a vendor. If you run a food franchise, bring ample samples for attendees, and stand out with a giveaway or attention-getting booth. Or become a sponsor for the local Little League team, and invite everyone back to your pizza franchise once a month for a pizza party.
Start small. As you see results with this effort, you can grow from there.
3. Test Out a Coupon or Deal
Brick-and-mortar franchises benefit hugely from coupons and Groupon-type deals. They’re a great strategy to attract new business that, if you do your job right, will come back and buy from you again and again.
But like in the last tip: start with just one. Share a coupon on social media or your website. Place an ad with a coupon in the local paper. Try out a Groupon-like deal. Just don’t do them all at once. That way, you can measure results to understand your success. Then and only then, move on to experiment with other offers.
The key to successful marketing is to make one change at a time and carefully monitor results. How do you do that? If it’s a web-based marketing effort, look at how it’s driving traffic to your website by paying attention to website analytics. If you want to measure foot traffic and sales, ask how people found you, or start counting how many coupons are being redeemed. Once you have this information, you can make intelligent decisions about your next marketing move.
Image: Photospin
