How to Market Your Franchise Opportunity Part 3: Franchise Digital Advertising

Digital advertising has grown significantly over the years and has proven to be one of the most effective ways to reach an audience today. 

Because of this, brands are also starting to spend more on it. In 2021, digital marketing spending grew to comprise 58% of marketing budgets, reflecting 15.8% growth over 2020, according to the American Marketing Association. The 27th edition of The CMO Survey also found that digital marketing is the number one responsibility reported by marketers. 

With so many eyes online at all times, using digital to market your franchise opportunity can be a great way to attract potential owners. However, with so much competition for attention, it is crucial to stand out by developing a successful strategy. 

Here are five tips to keep in mind when using digital advertising. 

Have a Designated Franchise Development Website

Have a specific franchise development website to drive people to use digital ads. Some brands choose to have a franchising page on their regular corporate site, but this is not as effective, says Angela Paules, chief marketing officer at Buzz Franchise Brands. 

“It's a bit of a missed opportunity because you don't have as much space to tell your story,” Paules said. “You don't have the depth to get more organic traffic to your site and get really customized with your digital campaigns.”

Customize to Your Audience

One of the most important strategies in marketing is knowing who your audience is. It is important to know your typical candidate profile and where you can go online to find them or hone in on them specifically. 

Once you know your audience, you can customize your content to the person you are trying to reach. You may have those who are already actively seeking franchises and those who are just more broadly looking to start a business but don't know much about franchising or your particular industry. 

For example, if someone is searching about how much a franchise costs, you may want to show them a piece of creative marketing that speaks to the cost or whether you are a low-cost opportunity, Paules noted. 

Run Different Ads Simultaneously

Running various creative options at the same time allows you to see what is resonating with your audience — and what is not. You should also freshen up your creative content regularly so that you're not running the same ads throughout the year. 

“You should be keeping campaigns fresh, updating them at least on a quarterly basis, staying seasonally relevant and relevant to that user,” said Paules. 

Having different campaigns going also allows you to better target different groups, which would require separate ads. For example, new visitors would benefit from something different than those who have already visited your site. Make sure the messaging is relevant to specific users. 

Constantly Check In On Campaigns

Once you set a campaign, don’t just let it go. Be sure to look at the results regularly and make adjustments based on what's performing well. 

Additionally, this allows you to make important updates as you start selling different locations or targeting new markets, Paules added. 

Work With a Professional

Because everyone has access to so many tools online, you might think of digital marketing as something you can do yourself. However, this is not the case — unless you work in the digital field. 

“You should definitely work with someone in the industry who is spending 100% of their time and energy thinking and living digital,” said Paules. “It can be tempting to jump on new opportunities yourself, but don’t get caught up in those sorts of traps. You want to work with somebody who can help guide you and think about your audience.”