When it comes to business-to-business (B2B) marketing, understanding who you’re talking to—and what they’re thinking—is key to getting the results you’re looking for. As opposed to business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, which promotes products and services to individuals, B2B marketing refers to any marketing strategy or content that is geared toward a business or organization. Franchise brands need to target a B2B audience when applying their franchisee recruitment and marketing strategies in order to ensure that all prospective business owners receive the proper messaging—that is, high-value content that spotlights the positive business opportunity. 

With over 797,000 franchise outlets in the United States alone, franchisors need to develop clear, targeted messaging to help entrepreneurial franchisee candidates decide whether or not to purchase a franchise. By identifying what drives an audience of prospective business owners, brands can adjust their marketing and messaging to activate a B2B audience more effectively. As opposed to an audience interested in buying a service or product, business owners are looking for a partnership, meaning leads need to be engaged, educated and connected.

Most franchise brands have a preferred process for generating leads, including channels such as franchise portals, social media, or a franchise development website, and strategic messaging through SEO, PPC and engaged PR. Regardless of the method or medium that ultimately directs the candidate into the sales funnel, franchisors need to develop B2B strategies for contacting prospective business owners and entrepreneurs to keep leads interested long after the initial engagement. 

Once a prospect inquires about the franchising opportunity, there are certain practices that can guide leads through the decision process. Whether it is an engagement-driving email or personalized phone interview, franchise brands need to have a process or system in place to ensure that franchise candidates are receiving information at every step of the process.

According to Ron Ens, the Franchise Development Manager for home services franchise Mosquito Hunters, the brand utilizes CRM (customer relationship management) software to receive and allocate candidates from a wide variety of sources. “Depending on the type of lead, we have different messaging,” Ens said. “It is important to recognize that not all leads are created equal—some respond better to a basic welcome while others should receive an appeal for more information or a request for an interview. Mosquito Hunter’s CRM system has a variety of stages based on a candidates' progression through the discovery process.” 

Each stage of Mosquito Hunter’s messaging goes out to assist the brand’s Franchise Development Director in efforts to educate the candidate as to what the opportunity is all about. As the franchise candidate moves through the process, the process should turn from welcoming to informative. The messaging should always be friendly, engaging and consistent with the brand, utilizing up-to-date methods such as text messaging, video storytelling and informative website content to reel in candidates.

“We always tie in the information that can be actively clicked on,” said Ens. “All lead nurturing is designed to keep the candidate engaged, keep the brand in front of the candidate and to supplement the development director's efforts to dial in on qualified individuals.”

Eric Martin, the Vice President of Franchise Development at home services franchise Lawn Doctor expressed a similar sentiment. “At Lawn Doctor, we provide weekly engagement conversations with candidates to provide quick and professional information,” Martin said. “It is important to receive feedback and ask the right questions. Not every lead is going to be successful immediately—make sure to follow up every couple of months. If a franchisor continues to share relevant information and stay in front of a candidate, the very best franchisees will appreciate the commitment.”

According to Martin, some franchisors will leave a database full of thousands of “dead leads,” many of which have the potential to reconnect but who are simply not being targeted. “There is an art to the process—brands should be able to maintain a connection “without going overboard,” he said. 

Of course, each brand will cultivate a different target demographic and a different level of organic leads and conversions. Wild Birds Unlimited, for example, features a core community in which “90% of franchisees have already engaged with the premier nature shop brand,” said Wild Birds Unlimited CDO Paul Pickett. 

“Our franchise candidates are often customers of an existing store or are familiar with the concept,” said Pickett. “The foundation of all of our stores is incredibly strong, which makes dialing into a target B2B and lead-generating audience easier. Still, we make sure to promote the fact that we're a franchise and nurture leads by sending out hobby and business information to our passionate audience.”

“The point of the nurturing process should be to surface the best opportunities,” said Ens. “At Mosquito Hunters, we make sure the Development Director personally works with every candidate in order to ensure that no time is wasted chasing false leads.”

If a brand is able to develop effective and engaging B2B strategies and nurture each lead, the best franchise candidates will inevitably rise to the top. Even if the ideal candidate does not invest right away, franchise development should be a long game, with franchisors willing to invest in developing an ongoing relationship with well-suited candidates. The more prepared a franchise brand is to engage with a B2B audience, the greater it is positioned to appeal to prospective franchisees, business owners and entrepreneurs.