Marketing 

One of the most important steps you’ll undertake in maintaining your franchise is marketing. After all, if you don’t let people know who you are and what you offer, you’ll never see a customer walk through the door. 

Franchises vary in regard to marketing. Some control all marketing from a central location, while others leave it completely up to you. Almost all provide some form of training or assistance. After all, marketing is the key to your success! 

Levels of Franchisor Support 

1. Fully Centralized Marketing 

Very large franchises with many locations across the nation (or globe) often use this format. The idea is that they will handle all the marketing, relieving you of that burden. In return, you’re expected to abide by any rules, promotions, or discounts they establish.  

2. Partially Centralized Marketing 

This format is similar to fully centralized marketing, but you’re allowed to add your own marketing endeavours to the company’s. That may include setting your own promotional discounts, sponsoring local events, taking out advertisements, etc. However, any scheme you come up with will require the franchisor’s express approval. 

3. Assisted Decentralized Marketing 

Under this format, the company does not do any advertising for you, but provides a great deal of support. They may suggest local publications, offer to place ads on your behalf, or provide local contacts. Often, they also provide marketing resources such as posters, ad copy, or websites. Your personal initiatives may require franchisor approval. 

4. Fully Decentralized Marketing 

In this case, you’re basically on your own to market as you see fit. Even here you should expect some support from the franchisor, whether in terms of market research, recommendations, or ad copy. Still, the bulk of the burden rests on your shoulders, meaning you can get as creative as you choose with your marketing schemes! 

Marketing for Success 

If you fall into the first two categories, advertising will likely not form a large part of your business plan: your only real marketing strategy will involve how you treat people once you have their business. Under the latter two categories, however, you are responsible for getting people in the door. With that in mind, here are some advertising principles to keep in mind! 

·  Be familiar with your market. Know who you’re targeting and how to go about it. 

·  Focus on name recognition. Everyone should know who you are and what you’re selling.

·  Use innovative sources. Sponsor a team or event, create a website, or sponsor a segment of a radio show. 

·  Similarly, don’t forget the traditional sources: television and radios, newspapers, magazines, even door-to-door leaflets. 

·  Increase your expertise. Writing or participating in call-in shows or local media can give you an edge in the field. 

·  Focus on existing customers as well as new customers with loyalty programs, special mailings, promotions, etc.  

·  Establish a referral system. Create a partnership with other businesses in the area and get in the habit of directing customers to one another’s locations. 

·  Monitor your successes and failures. Know which advertising campaigns boomed and which flopped. Keep a database of customers and actively seek ways to keep them coming in. 

·  Never stop looking for new and innovative advertising ideas. Complacency leads to redundancy. Always be on the lookout for ways to get them in the door! 

Creative Marketing Ideas 

So you’re not an advertising expert? No problem. It’s actually remarkably easy to come up with unique and interesting ways to promote your business. Once you sit down and start brainstorming, you’ll be amazed what you come up with. Keep in mind that with brainstorming, there are no bad ideas. If writing the business name on a cow pops into your head, put it down. Yes, you’ll cross it off later, but it might spark something else, which sparks something else, which leads to genius! 

Here are a few ideas to get you started: 

·  Send notices directly to businesses with employees you might target. This doesn’t mean infringing on others’ territory. It’s more along the lines of an educational supplies shop sending an advertising fax to local schools. 

·  Always be on the lookout for places to advertise: park benches, church bulletins, coffee newspapers, etc. 

·  Rely on word of mouth. Tell EVERYONE you know and everyone you meet about your new business! 

·  Print business cards. Don’t just hand them out liberally, leave them in coffee shops, at bus stops, pinned to bulletin boards -- anywhere you can think of. 

·  Donate gift certificates to charitable auctions and raffles. 

·  Involve yourself in community events to promote your business. 

·  Print T-shirts or hats with the company’s name. Wear them around to increase name recognition. 

·  Pay attention to other advertising campaigns. What works and what doesn’t? Adapt them freely to your own needs. 

·  Make a huge deal out of your GRAND OPENING, with lots of advertising, special deals, and discounts. Even if the franchisor won’t allow this, you can still stage a grand opening event with family activities (if appropriate) or other strategies to draw the crowds. 

No matter what model you follow, the most important thing is how you treat your customers once you’ve hooked them. Monitory your staff, provide clear guidelines on customer service, and make sure your franchise lives up to its hype!