Digital vs. Traditional: Where Should I Spend My Franchise Sales Budget?

“Budget season” is never an easy time for franchise brands looking for ways to get the most bang for their buck. It is no secret that a defined digital strategy is now a necessary component of a marketing budget, but the headache of deciding how much to spend and where can be overwhelming. 

1851 Franchise spoke with experts to learn how brands can strike a balance between traditional and digital franchise sales strategies. 

Digital: Franchise Development Website and SEO

A strong franchise development website can be one of the most powerful tools for franchisors. “No matter what method of lead generation you are utilizing, whether it is Instagram, Facebook, PR or portals, the main goal should be using those as vehicles to drive traffic to the franchise development website,” said Raintree* CEO and Co-founder Brent Dowling. 

If a prospect stumbles upon the brand’s development website or finds it through a Google search, it is important that the website conveys specific information. Primarily, it should be able to convert leads and guide due diligence. When someone lands on the site, they should be able to learn about the franchise opportunity, the core values of the brand, the representative franchisees and the industry. In order to maximize the value of the dollars spent on the development site, brands will want to make sure that the site supports the traffic they are driving into it.

Understanding SEO and Google Analytics is a must when creating a development budget in order to understand which tools people are using to find the brand and how to leverage those channels.

Digital: Social Media and Digital Marketing

In addition to the development site, social media and digital marketing are increasingly becoming essential in the development process. “If lead generation is about intersecting the buyer at the point of interest, the internet is the primary point of interest,” said Joe Matthews, CEO of Franchise Performance Group*. “Right now, pay-per-click advertising has never been cheaper. In the new normal, franchisors are all going to come online at the same time and the price will probably rise again. The time to get into the digital advertising market is now.”

In order to drive traffic to a brand’s development site, pay-per-click ads on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google can have the greatest impact on lead generation for a brand’s franchise opportunity. Once these ads are implemented, it is critical to track awareness metrics, including cost-per-lead, cost-per-qualified application and cost per Discovery Day, in order to understand what is working and what is not. 

Jon Sica, Batteries Plus vice president of franchise development also agrees that pay-per-click and digital marketing are very important in today’s landscape. “We saw the most improvement in lead flow and traffic from two things: display ads to get our name out there, and efforts in PR to position ourselves strategically in the market,” said Sica. “People are more savvy than ever — they can research the brand on the internet before making any phone calls. Although digital marketing is effective, being authentic and having a clear position on what you offer as a brand should be the first step to driving leads.”

Digital/Traditional: Validation, Storytelling and Content

Franchisees sell franchises. Whether it is through a PR campaign, a validation phone call or digital content, having the right stories in place and aligning them with candidates — whether it be in-person or virtually — is a major tool in the development process. 

“Using storytelling as a franchise development tool is about finding the passionate franchisees who have bought into the system and are performing well, and then telling their story,” said Paul Pickett, chief development officer of Wild Birds Unlimited*. “That is the story that candidates want to hear. Especially during COVID-19, candidates want to know how franchisees are being supported and how they are succeeding. It is also important to connect established franchisees with prospects to make sure that the story is being told.” 

As Dowling points out, once the validation is in place, there are many material assets that brands can use to leverage the story. “Based on the results we’ve seen at Raintree, video content is a main driver of turning leads into conversions,” he said. “Great video content is able to showcase the community, support infrastructure and core values of a franchise brand in a way that no other material can. We find video content to be a primary driver in increasing the conversion rate of people who land on the site to those that fill out a lead form. We’ve even had selfie videos taken by franchisees become great sales tools.” 

Traditional: Portals

Perhaps the most popular traditional tool is the use of franchise portals, which offer an easy-to-access database for candidates to find the brand. Many prospective franchisees turn to franchise portals to begin winnowing their search. According to research done by Franchise Update Media in 2019, nearly one in seven franchise leads (13.2%) come from portals. Still, while portals can bring a lot of leads, the infrastructure needs to be in place to drive those leads to conversions. 

“It is not just about bringing leads in through portals, it is about keeping the funnel strong,” said Sica. “Where people are at in the pipeline and how they are meeting milestones is the most important aspect of the process. It is about bringing in the right people who are going to follow through and sign on to become a franchise owner.”

The truth is, if the core values are there and the opportunity and investment range align with the storytelling and problem-solving value proposition, the right candidates will always find the brand. This is a prime example of why balancing traditional and digital franchise sales methods creates the strongest approach. 

Traditional: Franchise Brokers and Consultant Networks

Although they are a traditional method, brokers still play a large part in the franchise sales process. The best brokers act as true consultants: They are committed to helping potential franchise buyers succeed, and they enjoy the personal interaction of coaching and educating a franchise prospect. They generate and nurture solid leads and are committed to finding a good match between franchisor and franchisee.

Currently, the broker network has secured a stronghold on prospects looking at opportunities. They have localized the approach, meaning they have boots on the ground in markets that brands want to get in front of. 

“We want to hear the story behind the brands in addition to seeing the data,” said Alesia Visconti, CEO of FranServe. “Brokers are a great tool when they create a strong, transparent partnership with the brands in order to find the right candidates and create a healthy growth strategy.”

While franchise brokers are still a great way to bring new eyes to the brand, the other tools that the franchisor has in place will result in higher visibility and therefore a stronger sales process. Once the introduction is made, it’s the franchisor’s job to sell and take the candidate through a well-developed discovery, sales and closing process. 

Overall, how these traditional and digital tools can be best leveraged and combined will be determined by the unique strengths and goals of each individual franchisor, but every franchise brand must understand what resources are available and how to use them. Although these five development tools are really just the starting point for brands looking to grow, with the right strategy in place, franchisors will be better positioned for success.