Have you ever seen an example of great local marketing done by a franchise brand?
What made this piece of marketing so compelling? How did it make you feel? Did it lead you to take an action such as an opt-in or purchase?
More than just high-quality imagery and messaging, the very best local franchise marketing campaigns align with customers' unique values and aspirations. For this reason, many industry-leading multi-location brands go out of their way to support franchisees with all the tools and resources needed to execute great marketing.
As a recognized brand management software provider, we've worked alongside some of the world's leading innovators and have seen our fair share of great marketing executions. Moreover, as a trusted multi-location marketing partner, we've helped many of these industry-leading brands build, distribute, and manage high-value distributed campaigns. In this article, we'll share some of the best local franchise marketing ideas that your brand can invest in right now to achieve local success.
5 Local Franchise Marketing Ideas to Try in 2021
1. Content Marketing
According to recent studies, 90% of franchise organizations already have a content marketing program in place. Additionally, 78% of CMOs believe that custom content is the future of digital marketing. If your brand doesn't routinely build and deploy unique content, it may be behind the curve.
Unfortunately, content creation is tricky business even for the most successful franchise organizations. When it comes to content marketing, it's best to model your approach after those that have come before you.
Example: AAMCO
AAMCO produces a ton of original content, but the brand goes a step further by offering unique discounts and coupons at all of its franchised locations. Psychologically speaking, discounts and coupons are extremely powerful. In fact, discounts have been shown to reduce shopper stress and increase oxytocin levels.
2. Social Media Marketing
Building, deploying, and maintaining an effective social media marketing program in the distributed environment also comes with a few quirks. According to a recent report, only 51% of franchising organizations play an active role in shaping the social media marketing strategy of local businesses.
However, the world's most successful distributed organizations help franchisees to gather content for their local social media marketing programs. In this scenario, a brand management solution is ideal – simply upload brand creative and create a few ready-to-use social media marketing templates.
Example: Holiday Inn
The hospitality industry is especially competitive. To set itself apart, Holiday Inn encourages franchisees to introduce a bit of local flavor in its social media promotions. For example, one local establishment frequently posts about events happening in the area. Additionally, the franchisee shares high-quality images of recognizable landmarks in the area. Both of these local franchise marketing strategies work to create a deeper, more authentic relationship with customers.
3. Email Marketing
For many distributed marketers, email marketing is a tried-and-true method for generating increased brand awareness. Beyond welcome and sales series emails, ongoing email marketing promotions will help to keep your business top-of-mind.
Example: Dunkin'
Dunkin' franchisees send out exclusive promotions via email. These simple promotions allow recipients to take advantage of local offers. Moreover, hitting recipients' inboxes weekly serves as a friendly reminder that fresh coffee and donuts are only a short drive away.
4. Holiday Marketing
Every holiday season, eager shoppers are out to score a deal. Many of the most successful franchised organizations take advantage of the holiday season of offering steep discounts on products and services. With these steep discounts, many franchises deploy complementary holiday marketing campaigns.
Example: Red Robin
Red Robin introduced a few additions and limited-time offerings for the holiday season. It's a great strategy to get prospects and customers excited for the holidays. Moreover, it breeds a bit of FOMO. For your own franchisees, it might be a good idea to think about exclusivity during the holidays. What special holiday marketing campaigns can you generate around limited-time offers or specials.
Related: Four Distributed Marketing Campaigns to Create This Holiday Season
5. Video Marketing
According to recent data, video marketing is one of the most promising channels that franchises can invest in this year. In fact, videos drive more views and engagement than any other digital content type. Moreover, 72% of consumer internet traffic will come from online videos by 2022.
Example: Color World Housepainting
Color World Housepainting uses video marketing as an opportunity to introduce its prospects and customers to its professional house painting services. In a recent video, the franchise interviewed the business owner for his perspective.
CampaignDrive Powers Local Franchise Marketing
With the right strategies and tools in place, you can maximize your franchise marketing effectiveness. A brand management solution like ours ensures that your franchisees do marketing the right way. CampaignDrive offers all the tools needed to execute compliant, international franchise marketing. With digital asset management, templating, reporting, and more, franchise brand managers can provide the right support to help their local outlets succeed in the marketplace. In minutes, you can develop ready-to-use marketing templates and allow franchisees to customize these marketing templates for the local level.
We understand that the success of your franchise local marketing is built around repeatable processes. Through our personalized on-boarding experiences, our team is committed to helping you maximize the effectiveness of your brand management tool. Let's get started:
