franchise sales marketing: content marketing

Content Marketing for Franchise Development

Fishman PR

Overview• What is Content Marketing?• Benefits of Content Marketing• Inbound Marketing for Franchise Lead

Generation• Content Marketing Services List

Content marketing is the new way to market franchise opportunities. Traditional advertising methods just don’t cut it any more.

What is content marketing for franchise development?Content marketing for franchise development is the practice of communicating with prospects without selling. It begins with mapping out the franchise sales cycle and then creating content to move prospects through that cycle.

WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

Buying Has Changed Forever The franchise buying process has fundamentally changed. It is no longer about the needs of the brand. Prospects are spending more time on the Web doing independent research, obtaining information from their peers and other third parties. Franchise brands that recognize this revolution in the franchise sales process and focus on the needs of prospects will experience system growth.


Instead of hard selling your franchise opportunity, you are delivering information that makes your potential franchisee more intelligent. The core of this content strategy is the belief that if you, as a franchise brand, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to prospects, you will be rewarded with their investment in your brand.


• Brand Awareness: Providing content of interest to potential franchisees will keep your brand top of mind.

• Search Engine Optimization: Search engines reward companies that publish high quality, optimized content on a consistent basis. Search rankings drive traffic to your website.

• Establish Expertise & Trust: Providing valuable information to your prospective franchisees without direct selling, establishes your brand as a trusted expert.

• Lead Generation: Content is key to converting inbound traffic to leads.

BENEFITS OF CONTENT MARKETING

Awareness Evaluation

Strangers Visitors Leads

INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN

Leads

Franchise Sale

Awareness Convert Close

Strangers

Attract prospects to your website or blog using the following techniques…

Blogging - Creating high-quality content optimized for SEO. Content should not be overtly promotional or feature sales language at this stage.

Social Media - Networking through channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

PR - Raising awareness of the brand and franchise opportunity.

Paid Ads - Targeted social ads, PPC campaigns, etc.

Word of Mouth - If your franchisees are happy, they will tell others about the opportunity.


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Convert site visitors to leads with content marketing…

It all begins with content mapping.

Evaluation

Visitors Leads


What are the paths to take a franchise lead from awareness, to evaluation, to purchase? Start by determining the path a lead would take when navigating through the sales funnel.

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Content Mapping & The Buying Cycle


Content mapping becomes important during these stages because franchise prospects' needs are different depending on which stage in the buying cycle they fall into.

Awareness: Franchise leads have either become aware of your franchise opportunity, or they have become aware that they have a need or desire that must be fulfilled.

Evaluation: Franchise leads are aware that your franchise opportunity could fulfill their need, and they are trying to determine whether your brand is the best fit.

Purchase: Franchise leads are ready to invest in your brand.

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Evaluation

Visitors Leads


What content assets can be deployed along those paths to help advance franchise leads to the next stage in the buying cycle? Now that you know the paths a lead might take to convert into a customer, what type of content assets should they receive to nurture them along the way? Take an inventory of existing assets and identify assets that need to be developed.

AwarenessWhitepapers, Ebook, Kit, Checklist, How-To Video,

Educational Webinar

EvaluationCase Study, Franchisee

Testimonials, FAQ, Franchise Report

Franchise SaleLive Webinar w/Sales Team,

Discovery Day, In Person Meeting

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5 areas to build content around…


Problem/Solution: What are the three to five problems that your prospect is faced with that your franchise opportunity can solve for them?

Success factors: What are the tangible or intangible metrics or rewards that the prospect associates with success, such as leaving the corporate world or income potential?

Perceived barriers/Objections: What factors could prompt the prospect to question whether your franchise opportunity is right for them?

Buying process: What process does this prospect follow in exploring and selecting a franchise opportunity?

Decision criteria: What aspects does the prospect look at in evaluating and comparing your brand vs. alternative franchise opportunities? The decision criteria should include insights both from prospects who chose a competitor and those who decide not to invest in a franchise at all.

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Evaluation

Visitors Leads


How do you need to adjust the messaging in those content assets to align with the persona to whom you're speaking? Identify them based on their information and behaviors, so that you can appropriately target your marketing to them.

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Buyer Persona Development


A buyer persona is a composite sketch, representative of a segment of your target market. A persona is focused on the roles and responsibilities of particular franchise prospects that you are going to try to establish dialogue and conversation with.

In franchise sales, the focus is on the desires, needs and problems of the franchise prospect. • What issues or problems do they have that the franchise opportunity can solve? • How will the franchise opportunity fulfill the needs of the franchise prospect? • What common questions and objections come up regarding the franchise opportunity?

How will you answer these questions? • How will you get them over their objections?

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Deploy Content Mapping Strategy-The strategy begins at the end of the franchise sales process. We determine the paths a prospective franchise might take when navigating through the sales funnel. Lay out multiple scenarios in which prospects convert into franchisees and trace back which actions they might have taken from their first conversion to the closing of the deal. Identify content that should be deployed throughout the franchise prospect’s journey.

Evaluation

Visitors Leads


Example Content: Content can be offered as an incentive to fill out a lead generation form. The type of content downloaded and the information collected in the form will help segment prospects.

Here’s what a conversion path may look like:Visit company blog >> Convert on ebook call-to-action >> Click through to site on ebook nurturing campaign offer >> Navigate to Get More Franchise Information Page >> Click through to site on franchisee testimonial nurture email and download franchise report>> Receive link to franchise application email >> submit franchise application>> Receive call from franchise development team >> Become a franchisee

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Deploy Content Mapping Strategy


Drip email marketing programsDrip email marketing campaigns engage your franchise prospects with a series of email messages delivered at scheduled intervals. Over time, as people respond, you'll learn more about their needs and interests.

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Email Campaigns-


Nurture email marketing programsNurture email marketing campaigns are a type of drip marketing program that takes undecided franchise prospects along an educational path, keeping your franchise opportunity top of mind until the prospect becomes sales-ready.

CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES LIST

Research & Strategy:Target Market Research and EvaluationBuyer Persona DevelopmentKeyword ResearchInbound Marketing StrategyPlatform and Tool Selection

Development:Blog Design and Development

Inbound Marketing for Franchise Lead Generation

Content Development:• Blog Post Writing• Website Copy• White Papers• eBooks• Byline Articles• email Design & Writing• E-newsletter Design & Writing• Franchise Reports• Virtual Brochure Design & Writing• Photography• Video Production• Graphic Design• Infographic Development and Design• Podcast Creation

Management & Reporting:Platform and Tool ManagementEmail Campaign ManagementeNewsletter ManagementSocial Media ManagementMonitoring, Tracking, Reporting