Growing a franchise can be hard work. You have to think about corporate sales and marketing, as well as providing for the franchisees. Marketing strategies typically land in one of the following categories:

Each category above takes a lot of work, and you should not focus on just one because they all work together.

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When I say corporate marketing, I mean marketing just from the business-to-business perspective. Basically, we are trying to attract more franchisees to the franchise. One of the main draws to any franchise is that there will be demand for business due to the brand credibility in the consumers' eyes. Here are some of the things to consider when developing your marketing strategy:

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Outside of doing marketing to acquire franchisees and build the brand, it is also a good idea to have marketing services on the franchise level. This will need to be budgested as an expense per franchise (and the cost all depends on the franchise and the needs), and it will be highly targeted to the individual location. If possible, there should be one standard package and other larger packages which franchisees can contract directly for.

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Some franchisees will only own one or two franchises, but others will own five, ten or more. When this is the case, the franchisee will most likely consider their franchises as their own business. A franchise needs to have an agency they can trust to provide custom solutions to these type of owners. Make sure you have a solution for them that is dependable and can get them the results they are looking for.

Two of the largest issues in marketing are communication and reporting. It is critical to be able to create a lot of reports, send them to franchises and have them be able to interpret it correctly. It is also important to have an open line of communication and excellent customer service. Without it, the value might not be fully understood. Marketing can get pretty complicated, especially digital marketing, so things like webinars and presentations are key to ensure there is ample understanding across all parties.

Smart marketing strategies will be a mix of attracting potential franchisees, assisting your franchisees in their day-to-day marketing efforts and helping your franchisees feel independent when needed. Regardless of your exact marketing strategy, your goal should be to attract franchisees and boost corporate credibility.