Did you know that a new franchise opens every eight minutes? With so many new franchises opening all the time, making your mark and developing your client base is more important than ever. Develop a strong marketing plan for your franchise to give your company the best chance of success.
Whether you’re merely starting to brainstorm ideas for a new franchise idea or want to improve your existing franchise’s marketing strategy, this article will give you ideas and inspiration to help your business make a great impression.
Marketing a franchise is a large and important topic, so we’ll cover it from all angles, including best practices, how franchise printing can help you beat the competition, and some of the best marketing materials that turn prospects into customers. Let’s get started!
Best Franchise Marketing Strategy Practices
As you develop your franchise marketing strategy, here are some of the most important ideas to keep in mind.
Develop a Brand
We can’t overstate the importance of creating a cohesive brand. In short, your brand is your company’s immediately recognizable identity, and it’s your interface to potential customers.
Every interaction that the public has with your company is also an interaction with your brand. Therefore, make sure you use each moment to your advantage. Include your company branding on every public-facing item, from your website and signage to posts on social media platforms and mailers.
As you create your brand, here are some ideas to remember:
Consider color theory.
Colors mean more than you might realize, so think about what the colors of your branding will mean to readers.
Think about a brand refresh.
If it’s been a while since you’ve considered your branding, take a minute to look at your brand with fresh eyes. Is it time for a logo redesign?
Be consistent.
Effective branding is immediately recognizable because it is the same on every item your franchise produces. By including the same colors, fonts, and logos on every product, you create a cohesive brand identity for individual locations. Consistent branding is key.
If developing or fine-tuning your brand sounds overwhelming, there’s no need to stress. Feel free to reach out to the design team at The Print Authority, who can give you advice on every aspect of your brand design.
Utilize Cost-Effective Strategy
Running a franchise takes money — there’s no way to get around that. Therefore, one of the most important skills to make your franchise profitable is planning your marketing budget and developing a strategy that gives you the best ROI.
Some strategies that give your business a great boost include the following:
Email marketing.
Email marketing is low-cost to produce, which usually makes it a winner even if response rates are low. This digital marketing strategy can be highly effective for franchise businesses to improve their online presence.
Print marketing.
Print marketing is an investment that pays off. Its high conversion rates make it a cost-effective marketing option for multi-state and local businesses alike.
Search engine optimization.
By optimizing your franchise’s website and using high-traffic search terms in your online copy, you help more readers find you. This is a low-cost strategy that will make a difference!
Social media marketing.
Social media advertising and marketing is a great place for franchise owners to be. In fact, in 2023, there will be 4.9 billion social media users, according to Demand Sage. Take advantage of the chance to reach your target customer base online through your digital marketing efforts.
Sometimes, materials that seem more expensive can ultimately end up being more cost-effective in the long run. Take print marketing, for example. When done correctly, it makes a strong impression and pays off quickly. Print materials are affordable to design and print, and effective materials increase conversions among your target audience.
This is often a better approach than producing expensive marketing materials such as commercials, especially early on in your franchise’s journey.
Work With Professionals
Nobody can do everything on their own. When you’re marketing a franchise with multiple business locations, reach out for professional help that will make your strategy and materials the best they can be. After all, success is a team sport, and collaboration is the best strategy.
When you’re developing your franchise marketing plan, think about who you can team up with. Here are some of the companies you might want to consider working with for your franchise marketing efforts:
An online content marketing agency.
Working with an online marketing company will give you an edge when it comes to all of your online marketing. From SEO to paid advertising and Google My Business posts, they’ll help you make a great impression online and reach as many people as possible with your marketing campaign.
A printing company.
Operational franchise marketing always involves printing. From business cards and brochures to flyers and mailers, your print marketing helps prospects learn about your business and get excited.
Allies in the industry.
The more people you know, the more resources you have. Spread your net wide and make connections. They’ll be useful in the long run!
Producing quality assets impresses prospects and gives you an edge over your competitors. Take every advantage to develop high-quality marketing materials that will help your franchise succeed.
Producing quality assets impresses prospects and gives you an edge over your competitors. Take every advantage to develop high-quality marketing materials that will help your franchise succeed.
Franchise Development Marketing
Are you a franchise owner looking to attract more investors and expand your franchise locations? If so, marketing campaigns aimed at franchise development are the way to go. The following franchise marketing strategies can help:
Community marketing.
Local marketing plays a huge role in getting your multi-location business in front of customers and attracting local potential franchisers. Community marketing includes strategies like direct mail, paid ads, flyers, billboards, and attending local conferences.
Local SEO.
You can use local search engines to improve online visibility in specific geographic areas. Optimizing website content, managing Google My Business listings, and obtaining local citations can significantly boost search engine rankings and drive targeted traffic to franchise locations.
Overall, highlighting the benefits of investing in your franchise, such as proven success, brand recognition, and support systems will appeal to entrepreneurs looking for profitable opportunities.
Print Marketing and Franchising
Print marketing and franchise marketing are two peas in a pod. To put it simply, franchise marketing can’t exist without print marketing.
Print marketing gets your franchise noticed by your target audience. By mailing collateral to prospects, you let them know about your product or service. You can also produce informational materials that give you an edge over the competition by providing all of the details that curious potential customers want to know.
Print marketing is a great fit for the franchise business model. By working with a professional printing company, you can provide the same high-quality print materials to every location across the country.
Print marketing also provides the wide range of possibilities that franchises need. Every franchise is different, and you can easily customize print materials for your business. From flyers to pens, and brochures to branded apparel, printing gets you all the items your franchise needs!
Effective Forms of Print Marketing
When you’re developing your franchise marketing plan, make sure these services are on your list.
Commercial Printing Services
Simply put, commercial printing makes franchises possible. Every franchise needs printed materials, no matter the product or service you offer. Your professional printing partner can produce high-quality items that are difficult or impossible to print in-house, including items that require binding and finishing, as well as die-cutting and lamination.
When you work with a commercial printing company for your printed franchise marketing, you also benefit from the dependability of the experts. Outsourcing means that you don’t need to deal with broken machines or buy paper and ink yourself. Simply let your print partner take care of everything, and you can sit back and focus on providing great services.
Some professional printing companies offer custom web-to-print portals, which let employees at any location order pre-approved marketing collateral. This service is particularly useful for franchises, as locations nationwide can receive standard printed materials.
Print Fulfillment Services
Professional printing companies offer fulfillment services that let you roll out effective marketing nationwide. Top printing partners can package, store, and ship your marketing collateral for you. Additionally, printing companies that offer online print portals can easily ship your marketing materials to all locations across the country.
Many printing companies also offer print-on-demand services, which means that you order smaller quantities of print products and order more copies when you need them. This reduces waste, allows you to update your products more frequently without rendering large numbers of copies useless, and decreases storage costs.
When it comes to shipping, fast delivery is important so that you can get the collateral you need. Make sure to partner with a print company that can offer a range of delivery options so that you get your marketing materials quickly.
Feel free to ask your printing partner about the fulfillment services and shipping options they offer.
Premier Franchise Print Deliverables
Here are some of the most important print items to include in your cohesive marketing strategy.
Signage
Effective signage gets customers in the door. Whether it’s outside in front of a location, in the window, or on the other side of town, your signage is an easy and affordable way to get large numbers of eyes on your branding.
Signage can take a wide range of forms. Here are some of the best types of signage that will help people take the leap and walk-in:
- Window signs. Window signs encourage people to walk inside your franchise location. You can print paper signs to hang in your window or vinyl stickers.
- Yard signs. Yard signs are versatile. For example, they can advertise special deals and sales or announce a new location’s grand opening. If you want to send a longer message, you can even print a series of yard signs and place them along a road.
- Banners. Banners are easy to notice. Their large format attracts attention, and they make a big impression.
As you’re designing your signage, remember that clarity and readability always come first. If your ideal customers are walking or driving past a franchise location, they might look at your sign for one second. This means that your sign needs to be large, easy to read, and make an immediate impression.
Clear branding on your signage is always important, and it’s even more vital if you’ll be displaying your signage in locations apart from your building. Readers need to be able to read your sign and immediately make the connection to your franchise. Therefore, using your franchise’s colors, font, and logo on your sign is incredibly important.
Marketing Print Collateral
Marketing print collateral is a type of franchise marketing that people think of frequently, and for good reason. This type of collateral is one of the most used and most effective marketing methods.
Print marketing can take a wide range of forms. Here are some of the items that you should make sure to add to your marketing strategy:
- Brochures. Brochures provide the detailed information readers are looking for. Use the brochure’s structure to your advantage; the folds provide spaces to focus on multiple topics. Use headings and bullet points to make your information easy to understand.
- Flyers. Flyers get the attention you’re looking for. They’re easy to hand out on the street or distribute in public spaces or local businesses. Make sure to make your call to action clear, and make it simple for readers to take the next step.
- Business cards. Business cards are the meat and potatoes of marketing. Make sure to provide professionally printed business cards for all employees so that they can increase your franchise’s network.
- Mailers. Sending targeted mailers gets your message into the hands of the people you’re looking for. A professional printing company can take care of the targeted mailing — simply describe the demographics you’re looking for, and your print partner will take care of the rest. Include a coupon on your mailer to encourage people to come in and make a purchase!
- Notepads. Everyone uses notepads, which makes them prime marketing collateral. As well, users will keep and use your notepads for months or even years at a time, so they’ll be seeing your branding again and again.
- Booklets. If you want to help prospects truly understand your product, service, or franchise, a booklet is the perfect product. Booklets give you the space to spread out and explain everything you want to say. You can choose stapled printing for shorter booklets, perfect binding for longer book-style booklets, or even ring binding.
If you’re trying to decide which print materials will be most effective for your specific franchise, ask your printing company for advice. They can give you tips and even help you with your collateral design.
Training and Operations Materials
People often forget that providing great service is one of the most effective marketing strategies. After all, giving your customers great service is the best way to keep them coming back for more.
Upholding a high standard of service requires high-quality training and operations materials, so make sure to print the following types of materials:
- Training manuals. In order to do their jobs well, employees need effective training. Comprehensive and well-thought-out training manuals give them the knowledge they need to succeed at their jobs.
- Job aids. Job aids are resources that help employees as they do their jobs. Printed job aids can explain how to perform a task or solve a problem, giving employees the knowledge and independence they need.
- Recipe books. Restaurant franchises need to provide the same well-made dishes at every location. By printing clear, step-by-step recipe books, you give cooks the tools they need to cook great dishes for every diner.
Printing these materials gives your employees the best chance of success, which then gives clients the best possible service.
Market Your Franchise With The Print Authority
If you want to set your franchise up for success, partner with The Print Authority! Since 1991, we’ve been providing high-quality printing services that help franchises expand. We love working with quickly-expanding franchises, and we can support you as you grow.
We offer custom print portals that make ordering to multiple locations a breeze, and we provide speedy shipping nationwide. To get the experts’ help marketing a franchise, contact The Print Authority today!
