An average of 300 new brands start franchising each year. In fact, about one in seven businesses is a franchise. Meanwhile, about 50% of franchises are local brands.

As a franchise, it’s important to have a strong digital marketing strategy for your business. Otherwise, you might struggle to attract customers. With more people staying home in light of COVID-19, an online strategy is essential for generating fresh business.

Not sure where to start? You don’t have to build a digital marketing strategy alone. Instead, consider hiring a franchise marketing agency.

With their experience and expertise, you can build a strategy customized with your customers in mind.

Here are the eight tips you need to find a franchise marketing agency you can rely on. With these tips, you can establish a strong strategy in no time! Start boosting your franchise business with these tips today!

The Benefits of Franchise Marketing

Are you on the fence about hiring a franchise marketing agency? Imagine all the ways it can help your business! Here are a few benefits to keep in mind before you start your search.

1. Reach Your Audience

About 30% of all mobile searches are related to location. Meanwhile, 76% of these searches lead customers to visit a business within a day of their search. By working with a franchise marketing agency, you can zero in on your audience and draw them to your business.

It’s not enough to market to everyone. Instead, you need to personalize your approach for each franchise location. Personalization can help you better connect with consumers on an emotional level.

Then, you can use emotional leverage to draw them to each location.

A digital marketing agency can help you develop a plan with location-based target audiences in mind.

How well do you know your customers? Do you know what they buy, how they speak, how they behave? How have their behaviors changed since COVID-19 quarantines started?

Do you have a specific strategy for customers in different locations?

You can work with an agency to get a better understanding of your customers. Then, you can better determine how to reach your audience. With precise targeting and personalized messaging, you can save valuable time and money.

You won’t have to waste time on leads that fail to convert. Instead, you can focus your attention on people who want your business.

Meanwhile, digital marketing will bring those customers to you, rather than forcing you to hunt them down. You won’t have to waste time cold-calling or spinning signs outside. Instead, you can use inbound marketing strategies to find your ideal customers online.

2. Boost Your Brand

People won’t choose your franchise if they know nothing about your brand. You can work with a franchise marketing agency to boost brand awareness and recognition. As more people recognize you, they’ll remember your brand the next time they need your product or service.

There are a number of digital marketing strategies you can use to boost brand awareness, including search engine optimization (SEO). SEO will boost your website content on search engines, ensuring more people see your brand.

You can also use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to post digital banners on social media and web pages. Consumers can click your organic SEO post or PPC ad to visit your website. Then, they can learn more about your brand and see all you have to offer.

Your franchise marketing team will also ensure your visual brand remains consistent across all marketing channels. Consistent branding can boost recognition and create a cohesive customer experience.

3. Improve Your ROI

Partnering with a digital marketing agency will ensure you don’t fall behind the competition. It doesn’t matter how much money you have in your budget. It’s how you spend it.

Your marketing team will consider how to best utilize your budget to attract more people to your business. Their improvements can help you avoid wasting time and money.

Meanwhile, you won’t have to dedicate hours of time to marketing anymore. Instead, you can use that time to focus on your customers. Your marketing agency can handle reviewing your campaigns and other marketing responsibilities to free up your time.

With their help, you can spend less, attract more customers, and improve your ROI.

4. Develop Trust and Loyalty

Why should consumers trust your brand? What unique value can you offer them? You can work with a marketing agency to boost brand trust and loyalty, too.

For example, they can help you create a referral program to reward your loyal customers. You can also use reviews to show on-the-fence customers why people trust your business. As you develop a following of loyal customers, you can improve your retention rate.

Your ROI will rise as a result.

5. Keep Up-to-Date

If you’re not up-to-date with the latest marketing trends, customers will take notice. They might turn toward your competitors instead. You can work with an agency to make sure you never fall behind.

For example, is your website mobile-optimized? If not, your SEO and PPC strategies could suffer. Google looks for mobile-optimized websites when determining rankings.

Remember, 30% of mobile searches are related to location. If consumers can’t find you from their phones, they might not find you at all.

You can also use the latest social media trends to boost your brand. By working with an agency, you’ll never fall behind the times.

How to Find a Franchise Marketing Agency

Now that you see why it’s important to work with a digital marketing agency, let’s start your search! Here are eight tips that can help you find an agency you can trust.

1. Know Your SMART Goals

Before you start searching for franchise marketing systems and agencies, sit down with your team. What goals are you trying to accomplish this year? What benchmarks has the franchise set as a whole?

Establish SMART goals for the year (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Driven, Timely). Otherwise, you’ll fail to find a team that can help you achieve those goals.

For example, you can set a smart goal to attract 30% more people to your business by the end of the month. Maybe you want to increase online orders by 40% for the first quarter. Make a list of your goals for the year.

As you speak with each franchise marketing agency, ask how they plan on helping you achieve your goals. What strategies will they use? What key performance indicators (KPIs) will they track?

Do they use Google Analytics to gather data before developing your marketing strategy?

If they don’t know how to help you, scratch them off your list. 

2. Look for Experience and Expertise

You’re busy enough handling your business. You shouldn’t need to learn about the intricacies of PPC advertising or white hat SEO. Instead, look for an agency that has the experience and expertise you need.

How long have they been in business? What specialties do they offer? How many franchises in your industry have they helped in the past?

Look for an agency with years of experience in franchise marketing. Otherwise, they might make costly mistakes with your business.

3. Explore Their Services

The top three positions on Google earn about 75% of all clicks. If you’re not at the top of a search page, you might not reach customers. Instead, you can use digital marketing to boost your ranking and expand your reach.

Here are a few digital marketing services a franchise marketing agency can offer to help boost your brand. With their services, you can remain at the top of the page and at the top of a customer’s mind.

Web Design and Development

How are customers finding your franchise online? Are you posting blog posts, taking online orders, or listing your locations and services? Website design and development ensure consumers can find you online.

In fact, consumers might see your website before interacting with your business anywhere else. It’s important to make a strong first impression.

Look for a franchise marketing agency that understands the importance of user experience (UX) design. UX design focuses on ease and convenience for the user. Otherwise, people will leave your website frustrated. 

Search Engine Optimization

SEO helps people find your website online. If they can’t find you, they’ll end up visiting a competitor’s website instead.

How will the agency help boost your ranking on search engines like Google? Do they provide content marketing services? Will they help you create and optimize content for a list of keywords?

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

PPC advertising can become costly if you don’t have a plan. Look for an agency that has years of experience with PPC. They’ll need website and design experience as well.

When someone clicks on your ad, they’ll visit your website to convert into a lead. If your website is slow, unorganized, or messy, you could lose that lead instead.

Meanwhile, you’ll need a designer who can create eye-catching digital ads for your business. Digital ads can help you generate brand awareness and recognition.

Social Media Marketing

Does your target audience spend a lot of time on social media? Which platforms are they using? What type of content are they looking for online?

Look for a franchise marketing agency that can help you create eye-catching, engaging content. They can manage your social media accounts to boost your online presence.

Does the agency have any experience with influencer marketing? You can partner with an influencer in your industry to boost brand awareness and trust. As the influencer talks about your business online, their followers will flock toward your feed!

4. Read Reviews

Take the time to read reviews for each digital marketing franchise agency. You can find reviews on their Better Business Bureau or Google My Business listing.

Are their clients happy? Do they have any complaints?

Reading reviews can give you a better idea of what it’s like to work with the agency.

5. Ask About Their Process

Nearly 70% of businesses struggle to generate traffic and leads. Meanwhile, about 80% of new leads never become sales. Another 53% of marketers say half of their budget goes to lead generation.

You don’t want to blow your budget on digital marketing strategies that don’t work. Instead, ask your franchise marketing agency about their process. How do they plan to help you reach customers and generate more leads?

First, they should focus on researching your target audience and competitors. A SWOT analysis can help the agency develop a strong plan for your franchise.

How do they plan on reaching those customers? What digital marketing strategies will they use?

Ask how they plan on helping you increase sales, too. How do they collect lead information? How will they nurture your leads?

Learning more about the agency’s process will help you determine if they can help your business.

6. Look at Case Studies

Not sure if an agency can help you? Ask to see evidence of their success. Review their previous case studies and talk about their previous clients.

Have they worked with a franchise within your industry? How did the agency help that franchise? Which strategies did and didn’t work?

Case studies can help you weed out the experienced, successful agencies from the amateurs.

7. Know How You’ll Communicate

Establish how you and the marketing team will communicate in the future. Will they provide you with weekly updates? How will you know your campaigns are working to generate business?

If they’re not working, what does the agency plan to do to fix the problem?

Ask for regular updates from the team. Otherwise, you might not realize they’re wasting your budget until it’s too late.

8. Review the Contract

Take the time to review the contract and ask any lingering questions you have.

How is their pricing structured? What if you don’t start noticing results?

Make sure you know what’s included in the pricing. Ask if there are any hidden fees you’ll need to worry about, too.

Don’t choose the cheapest agency available. Chances are, you’ll get what you pay for. Hiring an experienced agency is worth it if they can help boost your business. 

Picking the Right Partner: 8 Tips for Finding the Best Franchise Marketing Agency

By working with a franchise marketing agency, you can generate more business than ever this year. Don’t fall behind your competitors. Instead, get leagues ahead with a strong digital marketing strategy!

With an agency’s help, you can boost your brand, generate fresh leads, and expand your business.

Eager to get started? We’re here to amplify your ROI!

Contact us today for a free consultation.