6 Tips for Marketing in New Locations

You only have one chance to make a first impression. That is why marketing in a new location can be critical to the success of a new franchise. In fact, Steve McMahon, Chief Marketing Officer at Saladworks says, “The quality and quantity of your grand opening plan is critical to the initial success of any new location.” Making a big splash is hard, but 1851 Franchise spoke to McMahon, along with other marketing experts, about the six ways to make the biggest impact in your new location.

1. Get Your Product in People's Hands

Chris Turpin, Vice President of Franchise Operations for Nekter Juice Bar thinks samples are the best way to showcase your product. “Superior taste is rarely conveyed through marketing materials, especially in new markets where the brand name may not be as strong. Getting samples into potential customers’ hands is a great way to create buzz around a new location. Once someone has tried our product we know they will come back, it’s one of our strongest assets.”

2. Let People Know Where You Are

Location can be your biggest barrier or your best asset -- either way people need to know where you’re located. In order to get attention, Tot Squad Founder and CEO of Jennifer Saxton recommends utilizing sidewalk space. “Place balloons and sandwich boards outside your business to draw attention to your new space. It’s also helpful to decorate your window storefront, including chalk on the sidewalk to create curiosity.”

Turpin believes word of mouth is a valuable tool that can encourage people to visit. “Tell people where you are. Simply unlocking the doors doesn't build awareness, you have to get into the community and talk about your location. Potential customers want to know where are you located, when are you open and how they can get there. You have to find a way to insert your location into someone's daily routine so you can capture their business.”

3. Partner with Local Businesses

Established businesses in your new market already have an audience and a trusted customer base. Turpin says partnering with these businesses can introduce a new audience to your brand. “Partner with complimentary businesses. At Nekter we frequently partner with gyms and other wellness brands. They have a similar customer base and the gyms have already done the work of gathering some of our core customers in a single place for us to reach, so why not find a way to get in front of them. Sampling product inside the gym and offering unique offers to their members helps build location awareness.”

McMahon agrees, ”For our concept, we have a good handle on our target audience. One of our targets is a Fit Kraver. These are people in tune with their bodies and mindful of their health so it’s important to establish relationships with yoga studios, gyms and fitness clubs.” Marketing Manager of Saladworks, Mikyla Croul jumped in, “These customers are going to the gym for their health, therefore they are likely mindful of what their eating. We are there to share how Saladworks can benefit them.”

Saxton also believes partnering with local businesses can help your own succeed. “Introduce yourself to popular local businesses and ask if you can leave flyers or bag stuffers at their store or ask if you can announce your business in their newsletter.”

4. Make Connections in the Community

Marketing Manager of Workout Anytime, Marnie Saylor, says, “We believe that local marketing is imperative to the success of a club. Our mission is to provide a “cheers” like environment in each of our clubs. An environment where the staff knows the members names, the names of their children, etc. It is important to us that our clubs are active in each of their communities. That community environment goes from inside the club and extends outside the club as well.”

Workout Anytime Franchisee Brooks Rankin couldn’t agree more, “It’s the small things over time that pay off. Introduce yourself to your neighbors in the community. Learn a little bit about them and tell them about your business. These things add up.”

5. Utilize Social Media and Advertising

Social media is an easy and cost-effective way to connect with a new audience. Creating a Facebook page and boosting advertisements to people in your new zip code is a simple way to advertise knowing you’re getting in front of the right audience. McMahon says social media has become a huge aspect of their marketing efforts. “Social media has become the core of what we do now from a media standpoint. We have really shifted our focus from traditional media to digital media. It’s a more efficient and effective way of meeting guests. I think that whenever we go into a new market, however we choose to make connections, a lot of it is socially and digitally. It the way our guests consumed information.” Croul jumped in, “and it’s trackable, which is great.”

Saxton also reminds owners to not forget about some underutilized social media platforms. “Update your Google, Bing and YELP location in advance, as these resources can have a long lead time. Ask friends and customers to write reviews for your new location.” Saylor agrees, she also says that utilizing local billboard space is another effective way to encourage brand recognition and spike interest.

6. Contact Local Newspapers and Influencers

Having third-party validation creates a stronger impact than your own marketing. Make connections with local newspaper outlets in and around your area and invite them to learn about your brand and experience your services. This coverage can build up credibility and humanize your brand to a new audience.

Just like PR coverage, working with influencers provides invaluable third-party validation, but usually at a cost. Influencers have a following that trust their opinion and are very engaged. They have the ability to create a unique connection to a brand in a way that they know resonates with their audience. 

The most important about marketing, is to understand that none of these should be done in a funnel. It would be beneficial to put a couple of these techniques into play at one time in order to provide multiple touch points for the consumer so they feel more connected to the brand. If you follow the advice of these experts, you’re well on your way to opening another successful franchise location.