Top Marketing Tips for Franchisees
Marketing is a crucial aspect of running a successful franchise business. As a franchisee, you’ll want to leverage effective strategies to promote your specific location while aligning with the overall brand identity.
Here are some tips on marketing for a franchisee with personal comments and advice from 4 of the fantastic franchises we work with at Did Teach: Nature Makers, Pyjama Drama. The Outdoor Project and Travel Counsellors.
Understand Your Local Market
Conduct thorough market research to understand the unique characteristics and preferences of your local customer base. Identify local competitors and determine what sets your franchise apart in the local context.
Leverage The Corporate Brand
Utilise the established brand identity provided by the franchisor. Consistency across locations helps build brand recognition. Adhere to brand guidelines while incorporating local elements where possible.
Faye, Franchisor from Nature Makers discusses the initial setup with them:
“During our initial training, we include training on marketing and sales strategy, we make sure it is aligned with our brand, values and the Franchisees’ goals too.
As part of the 12 month mentorship package they benefit from a group membership with an external consultant that is brilliant at helping people understand marketing and how to find your ideal customer.
Many of our proven methods, examples and graphics are stored centrally for new Franchisees to utilise when they join to ensure that they get up and running fast.
Our Franchise is unique because of our brand values, differentiation within the market and multiple revenue options.
Because of this we really focus during our Strategy, Launch & Cake day on the sales process and customer journey to ensure we are meeting their needs best.
Some things that individual Franchisees do that work really well include building up communities. It can be lonely being a new parent and it is wonderful to see Franchisees supporting those that need it during that early stage of parenthood. It helps people to find their tribe and is very meaningful and rewarding for my Franchisees too.”
Localise Your Online Presence & Social Media Marketing
Optimise your website for local search terms and ensure accurate business information on Google My Business. Engage in local SEO practices to enhance your visibility in local search results.
Utilise social media platforms to connect with the local community.
Share content that reflects your franchise’s involvement in local events, promotions, and community initiatives.
Rachel McKenna Franchisor from Pyjama Drama offers her top tips here, including social media and the impact this can have:
“When new franchisees start, marketing their new business in normally the thing they’re most worried about. I always tell them, ‘We’re not marketing experts, but we ARE marketing Pyjama Drama experts!’ We know that if they follow the model we suggest, they will grow a financially viable business. Ultimately, marketing a franchised business isn’t rocket science – after all, you’re buying into a proven business model. Your franchisor knows exactly how to market the business, and so long as the training is comprehensive, and the ongoing support is there, you should have no difficulties at all securing work.
We devote a good amount of time during marketing training. In the remote section of the training, franchisees watch a series of pre-recorded lessons which (amongst other things!) teach them the basics of marketing their new business. They also have an in-depth two hour meeting with a director who helps them create a detailed three-month marketing plan, and a Year 1 business plan. You can get a sneak peek at of one of our Training Videos here.
One piece of advice I’d give to anyone choosing a franchise is to look not only at a company’s website, but also at the Head Office social media accounts. Is the website clear, engaging, easy to use? Do franchisees all have their own dedicated listings which are customer friendly? Are Head Office social media accounts engaging, updated regularly, and clear in the messages they’re getting across to customers? If the answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, you can judge that the franchisor is good at marketing their business, and so it stands to reason that you will also be good at marketing after your initial training.
Our franchisees have access to their training videos for the life of their franchise, as well as access to a huge number of social media images and video reels! And finally, they also receive a set amount of bespoke marketing material as part of their initial franchise fee – because whilst social media is integral, we know that there is still power in doing some things the old fashioned way – a beautiful leaflet in a child’s book bag, or a professional brochure delivered to a nursery can make all the difference in secure a sale.”
Collaborate With Local Influencers & Businesses
Identify and partner with local influencers or bloggers who align with your franchise’s values and target audience. Leverage their reach to promote your franchise within the local community.
Build partnerships with other local businesses to cross-promote products or services.
Participate in local business associations or chambers of commerce to expand your network.
Organise or participate in local events to create a sense of community around your franchise. Offer promotions or discounts specific to your location to attract local customers.
Travel Counsellors gained celebrity endorsement from BBC Dragons Den star and entrepreneur Sara Davies. Stephanie Wilson, Marketing Adoption Manager, Travel Counsellors offers her unique tips and insights:
“Running a business while trying to get your head around marketing and social media at the same time can be a challenge! Many of our Travel Counsellors come to us never having had to market themselves before, so we make sure that they are equipped with plenty of content, assets, help and support so that they can really make the most of it.
All Travel Counsellors go through a thorough induction when they join the business and as part of that, go through several marketing and brand modules which cover all the main areas of social media and marketing, which they can work through at their own pace. They also join a call with a member of our marketing team who answers any questions they may have.
As we now have over 2,000 Travel Counsellors across the UK, we needed a way to be able to share content and assets with them all in a quick and easy way. Our Brand Hub gives our Travel Counsellors somewhere to go for lots of ready made assets and content, so all they have to do is choose what’s right for their business and download it! From images and videos to use across social media, to campaigns and ready made social media assets, everything is available on an online portal. We also have templates that they can use so they can make sure they remain on brand, while personalising their messaging to fit their business.
We appreciate that not everyone is a marketing expert and therefore there is lots of training available to our Travel Counsellors. We have a dedicated online training platform which features many modules on various aspect of marketing and social media. We also host monthly webinars covering a range of topics such as using TikTok, creating reels for Instagram and how to make the most of a LinkedIn profile. We understand many people learn better face to face and therefore we run social media workshops both across the country and at our head office in Manchester, which allow our Travel Counsellors to spend some time immersing themselves in social media in a hands-on learning environment. We have even run social media training fam trips, which give the Travel Counsellors an opportunity to learn hands-on and then use those skills to create great content while travelling.
While social media is a very powerful tool for advertising your business, we also know that not all customers, or potential customers, will see your content there. We also email our customer database on a weekly basis, showcasing the amazing breadth of product we can offer but also the many reasons to book with Travel Counsellors. All our TC’s have to do is to ask their customers if they would like to opt in. If they do, we then send them targeted content on a weekly basis, all of which is personalised to their Travel Counsellor so they can get in touch quickly and easily if there is anything they are interested in”.
Create A Loyalty Program & Sharing
Implement a loyalty program to incentivise repeat business from local customers. Offer exclusive discounts, rewards, or special events to loyal patrons.
Encourage customers to share their experiences on social media. Showcase user-generated content on your website and social platforms to build trust and authenticity.
Utilise Email Marketing and build an email list of local customers and communicate regularly with them. Send targeted promotions, newsletters, and updates to keep your audience engaged.
Ben Speed from The Outdoor Project shares his top tips, including nurturing a customer base:
“BRAND & MISSION
When thinking about marketing your franchise you have to understand your target customer base and how the product/service fulfils a fundamentally need for them. In our case it is parents who are concerned about the amount of screen time their children have and the need to get them outdoors, playing in the fresh air. Having a clear reason to book, which ties in with the brand’s mission, is fundamental to building awareness and ultimately getting bookings for your clubs.
To back this up, we have created a distinctive brand image, which sets ourselves apart from others and reinforces our message of ‘a different type of childcare…’ This is then executed by specific marketing assets such as leaflets, brochures and video’s which are used to build relationships with schools, parents, venues and kids in the local community.
WHAT DO FRANCHSIEES DO THAT WORKS?
We shy away from spending large amounts on marketing and generally target 3% of turnover as a guide to marketing spend. As a franchisee you have a lot of freedom to approach marketing in your own way and the best news is that it’s rarely spending money that results in bookings – it’s far more effective when a franchise embraces the role as the face of The Outdoors Project in their local area. The downside is that this requires your time and effort, getting out to local events, putting on friends and family days and generally networking with parents.
As a teacher you are uniquely well positioned to deliver this message and your ability to build these relationships is the fundamental reason we want teachers to apply to run their own Outdoors Project in their local areas. We know that including our holiday clubs in a parent’s newsletter is one of the most valuable marketing channels available, therefore your understanding of school administration will help in securing these communications.
SUPPORT FROM HQ
Aside from this we have a wealth of marketing tools at the franchisees’ disposal. We have a very effective and high performing email schedule, via our email provider Klaviyo, which gives our franchisees both an automated email campaign and the freedom to add in their personal touch to communications. We run social media adverts, with a tailored message of each territory, and come the New Year we will have a referral campaign, which will harness the already strong tendency of parents to recommend us.”
Monitor & Analyse Performance
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your marketing efforts. Adjust your strategies based on data to optimise your marketing approach over time.
Exceptional customer service can lead to positive word-of-mouth marketing. Prioritise customer satisfaction to enhance your franchise’s reputation in the local community.
Keep up with local trends and events that may impact consumer behaviour. Adapt your marketing strategies to align with the changing needs and preferences of your local market.
By combining these strategies with a keen understanding of your local market and the support of the franchisor, you can create a comprehensive and effective marketing plan tailored to the specific needs and dynamics of your franchise location in the UK.
If you are a teacher looking for a franchise, please visit our curated Franchise Opportunities page, Those Who Can has handpicked franchisees that are perfect for teachers. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us or any of the franchisors we work with.
New to franchises? Read our Top Tips On Choosing A Franchise blog.
