Best Practices for Marketing Franchise Opportunities by iFranchise Group

Best Practices for Marketing Franchise Opportunities

Today’s Agenda 

About Us



Best Practices of Franchise Marketing



Best Practices in Digital Lead Generation



What to Expect from Public Relations

− Developing Your Buyer Profile − Optimizing Your Franchise Development Website − Crafting the Right Message

− − − −

Conversion-Based Marketing SEO/SEM Strategy Selecting the Media Mix Measurement

Today’s Presenter 

Matthew Jonas, President, TopFire Media



Record of success in the areas of franchising, technologies, start-ups, and online marketing strategies

− − − − − −

Nationally recognized public relations agency Nearly 20 years of online marketing experience One of the nation’s premier digital media agencies One of the few with a franchise-specific focus Author of a monthly column for Forbes and Global Franchise Enterprise has worked with 98 of top 200 franchisors

Copy of presentation can be provided upon request.

TopFire Media

Premier PR and Digital Media Agency Premier fully-integrated public relations and digital media agency specializing in franchise lead generation

Awards & Recognition – – – – – – – – – –

IFA & CFA Members Best New Agency (Ragan & PR Daily Ace Awards) PR Agency Elite – Mission: Fit to Own (PR News) Best Website Finalist (PR News) Best Media Relations Campaign Finalist (PR News) Best SEO Finalist (PR News) Google Partner Google AdWords-Certified PRNews’ Social Media 2017 Finalist Forbes Agency Council (2018)

TopFire Media

Premier PR and Digital Media Agency Our Integrated Services:  Public Relations / Media Relations

 Pay-Per-Click Advertising

 Social Media Publishing

 Display & Remarketing Advertising

 Search Engine Optimization

 Facebook Advertising

 Content Marketing

 Gmail Advertising

− Whitepapers

 LinkedIn Advertising

− Case Studies

 Website Design & Development

− eBooks

 Landing Page Development

 Email Marketing

 Social Media Advertising

Depth in Franchising Experience TopFire Media’s Ties to Leading Franchise Consulting Firm, iFranchise Group

 Executives and Board Members of TopFire Media include leading franchise consultants with experience across multiple functional areas − − − −

Strategic planning Quality control Implementation and organizational development Franchise marketing

 Executives with a combined 500+ years of experience − Former senior executives of 20+ major franchise companies, including Auntie Anne’s, LINE-X, Pearle Vision, McDonald’s, Snelling & Snelling, and other national brands

 Collaboration with 98 of the top 200 franchise companies worldwide

Fully Integrated Approach to Franchise Development & Marketing

• Strategic Planning • Primary Research • Operations & Training Documentation • Marketing Plans • Brochures • Full-length Video

• • • • • •

Website Development Digital Franchise Lead Generation SEO Services Public Relations Social Media Content Development

* TopFire Media Also Provides Consumer Marketing Services for Franchisees

Integrated Solutions

Developing Your Buyer Profile What to research and how to understand who your buyer is?  Demographic traits  Where do they live online  What motivates them  Pain points

Developing Your Buyer Persona  Attract – Buyer/Audience − − −

Search engine marketing PPC advertising in specific target markets Facebook / LinkedIn advertising

 Motivate – How do your buyers make decisions − − −

Personas Opportunity Blogs

 Convert – Call to Action − − − − −

Value proposition Whitepapers Industry research reports Videos Franchise marketing brochures

ATTRACT

MOTIVATE CONVERT ENGAGE

 Engage – Nurturing − − − −

Email marketing campaigns Direct mail LinkedIn connections Facebook followers

Optimizing Your Website  Hub = Website − Clearinghouse for your marketing efforts − Capture leads − Identify value proposition

 Spokes = Channels − − − − − − −

Blogs – Content marketing Nurturing email campaigns Paid traffic Public relations / media room Organic traffic Social media integration Videos ®

Content is King  Who is your audience?

− Attract users to your site − Solve the searchers’ questions − Communicate with your users

 Best Practices

− Content “above the fold” is more valuable

 “Hook” with industry statistics

− Why should franchisees join this particular industry? − What differentiates the concept? What niche do you occupy?

 Newsroom and/or blog content − Increase SEO − Demonstrate credibility − Create backlinks

Your Buyers’ Journeys  Awareness Stage − − − − −

eBooks / eGuides Expert & Solution Oriented Whitepapers Editorial Content Videos Blog Posts

 Consideration Stage − − − −

Case Studies Reports Webinars / Webcasts Podcasts

 Decision Stage − Focused Content − Webinars

Crafting Your Message So buyers take notice and act: Make the message about the buyer, not about You First, we understand: – Target markets & audiences (location, age, income, career, how, and where information is consumed) Next, we strive to: – Provide solutions to problems – Explain benefits vs. features (What’s in it for the buyer?) – Differentiators (Why should they choose Your Concept?) – Offer examples & illustrate results (Current franchisees) – Build a call to action (form fill, submit email, share content)

Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Digital Media

Best Practices of Digital Marketing  Competitive Analysis − We benchmark other companies in your industry − We look for industry news/buzz

 Identify / Confirm Target Audiences and Create Buyer Personas  Build and Implement Custom Campaigns per Audience / Brand

Digital Marketing Strategy  Use Content Development / Blog Writing to promote the brand and viability of growing business models  Implement Paid Search Advertising to capture geo-targeted search traffic interested in relevant keywords  Leverage Social Media Advertising to plant the idea of owning a franchise among target audiences predisposed to be interested based on filtering

Applying Best Practices in Digital Marketing  Create a Digital Marketing Plan − − − −

Confirm your goals Conduct competitive research and analysis Understand your audience(s) Validate your position in the marketplace

 Define KPI’s and Measurement Methods − Start with a Baseline − Measure Past KPI’s − Evaluate per Channel

 Develop an Overarching Strategic & Tactical Plan

Abraham Lincoln once said: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

− Focus on 4 or 5 main tactics − Learn your Buyers’ Buying Cycle − Create goal milestones to benchmark your progress

Media Mix

Franchisor Marketing Dollars by Media Percentage of Total Expenditures: 2010‐2018

60%

Almost 60% of Franchise Lead Spend is Almost 60% of Franchise Lead Spend is Focused on Digital Media Focused on Digital Media

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Internet/ Digital

Franchise Website

Social Media

2010

2011

2012

Direct Mail

2013

2014

Trade Show

2015

Source: Franchise Update

Public Relations

2016

2017

In Market Meetings

TV/Radio

Other

2018

® 20

Breakdown of Expenditures on the Internet/Digital 2010‐2017 70%

60%

Unfortunately, many franchisors are spending their money in the wrong places where it is least effective

50%

40%

Note emergence of remarketing

30%

20%

10%

0% Online Portals

SEO

PPC

2010

Social Media Advert. 2011

Social Remarketing Networking

2012

2013

2014

2015

Franchise Devel. Website 2016

Digital Asset Creative

Email Mktg.

Other Bus. Media Sites

2017

Source: Franchise Update

SEO/SEM Strategy  SEO is the first step to any marketing campaign − − − −

Well-optimized website Most relevant / searched keywords Great content / solving the searcher’s query Local link building

 PPC / Display Advertising

− Geo-targeted − Competitive presence (where are competitors advertising on search engines?) − Effective ad design − Craft messaging − Design landing pages − Integrate a remarketing campaign − Ongoing monitoring and measurement

 Social Media Advertising

− Facebook − Other options: Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube ®

Selecting the Right Media Mix A blended strategy:  Digital Lead Generation (Drivers) − − − − − −

Highly-targeted PPC advertising Remarketing Display advertising Search engine marketing Facebook and LinkedIn advertising Gmail Advertising

 Public Relations and Social Media (Influencers) − LinkedIn − YouTube − Facebook / Instagram

SEM Spend Strategy  Budget Allocation (in descending order) − Intent-to-purchase prospects (based on search criteria) − Mid and Top-of Funnel prospects (requires lead nurturing) − Customer Targeting (based on market availability) − Likely candidates (based on interests or profiles)

 Marketing Channels − − − − − − −

Search Gmail Retargeting Facebook Bing LinkedIn Events

Lead Capture Strategy  What motivates users to fill our your websites’ forms? − Value proposition − Calls to action

 Form Fills − Short forms for valuable information o Whitepapers o Industry research reports − Long forms for sales leads

 Capture Rates

Measurement  Your website is a living, breathing marketing vehicle − Focus on continual improvement

 What are the benchmarks? − Traffic types: organic search, social, referral, direct, and paid search (PPC) − Measurable outcomes o o o o o

Online visitors Session durations Bounce rate Conversion Rate Leads or Sales!

 Identify your desired results/ROI − Increased PPC conversion % − Increased organic traffic − Backlinks from PR/articles, etc.

Public Relations

Public Relations Objectives 

Business Objectives – Establish brand dominance – Help drive franchise leads – Establish, improve, and drive brand awareness – Foster better understanding and appreciation among key audience segments – Create a business case to invest into your company

 Communications Objectives – Position brand and key spokespeople as thought leaders and innovators among key audiences and the industry – Generate brand awareness – Establish credibility – Build media relationships at the local, regional, and national levels – Complement digital marketing efforts to drive business, enhance SEO – Create a consistent, streamlined brand for a 360 degree reputation

News Bureau  Identify or Participate in Trend Stories  Data Tells a Story  Business Leadership: How “Your Brand” is Leading  Seasonal, New Menu Items, Charity Efforts, Awards  Events − Grand Opening − Trade Shows − Announcements − Speaking Engagements − Launches

 Engage Franchisees in Media Relations Efforts − Face of the Brand / Franchise; Everybody Has a Story

What to Expect  Develop / review key message document(s)  Develop online press kits / media materials  Create strategic pitches for key audiences in the U.S.  Drive the conversation through strategic media efforts − Pro-Active vs. Reactive

 Look for ways to leverage key influencers and spokespeople  Position key messaging in paid media opportunities − Wire distribution of press releases − Audio news release − Radio market tour

 Develop target media lists  Integrate ongoing outreach to bloggers, social 

media and content

Free Digital Assessment  We are happy to assess the following for you: − Website audit (technical) − SEO performance & rankings − PPC advertising audit

Thank You www.topfiremedia.com info@topfiremedia.com | 708-249-1090