Franchises face more challenges in digital marketing than non-franchise businesses. They must thus, go the extra mile if they want to compete with them. Things like contract limitations that protect the loss of royalty may be a big impediment. Luckily, a franchise marketing agency can help these businesses push their products through with a few marketing strategies. Here are digital marketing strategies that franchises can rely on to acquire more customers.
1. Design a Local Website
Statistics show that most smartphone users buy products from companies that advertise online. So, a franchised business must create a local website to help them in marketing. The website must adhere to the standardized home office format. Note that it is expensive to maintain brand consistency. So, the franchises must be prepared to spend more money on them. Franchises should then customize the contact and locational information. The site should then be optimized to target local customers. A site that is ranked high in local search results is likely to reach more audience than one that is not.
2. Social Media
It is true that more than 75% of potential buyers come from social media. They rely on information from social media to make buying decisions. Franchises must maintain a constant stream of posts on the social media sites. It will help them increase their presence online. When they achieve digital dominance, they convert their followers into actual customers. The franchises should, therefore, use social media to gain digital dominance. It enables them to compete favorably with non-franchised businesses.
3. Invest in Content
Content marketing is still the king. It is a time consuming and expensive strategy but it is rewarding. It is all about creating content that can be posted on social media or websites. Coming up with the idea and writing the content is time-consuming. Also, franchise business owners must take their time to make videos and digital slides. These materials should be designed to go with and supplement the content. They should also ensure that the content creates a call to action. If they can do this correctly, they will enhance their presence online. It will give the non-franchise competitors a run for their money.
4. Investing in Pay per Click Marketing
PPC marketing is becoming popular in the modern business world. It is a marketing strategy that places advertisements at the top of the result page. The ads are paid for by the advertising company. The strategy can get more traffic on the website but it does not guarantee that they will buy the products. It is one of the methods you can use to increase your business digital presence. But, in some cases, the franchise home office may want to provide the framework for this strategy.
We have other digital marketing strategies franchised businesses can rely on to market themselves. But having a customized local website and investing in digital marketing is the way to go. It increases the business’ online presence. Other strategies like SMS, email, and video marketing could also be used. They help the brand to reach a wider audience and increase its customer base.