Should you use public relations as part of your franchise development marketing strategy? The short answer is “absolutely.” But setting expectations is critical to your brand’s success. Doing so requires an accurate understanding of what PR is and, perhaps more importantly, what it isn’t.

PR is lead awareness, not lead generation. Introducing PR to your marketing plan doesn’t automatically mean you’ll sell 20 franchises the following week. But it will put your brand in the spotlight, boost credibility and increase traffic to your website, where you can generate leads. 

So, what makes a good PR story, and how can we use that to elevate your franchise development marketing? Here are a few key points to help you create buzz that keeps your brand at the center of attention.

PR-Worthy Franchise Stories & Where to Pitch

Here are some franchise topics likely to pick up PR traction:

• Signings: Stories about new franchisees show you’re growing as a brand and help introduce the brand to new markets.
• Grand Openings: Use openings as a moment to create excitement around the brand.
• Existing Franchisee Stories: Brands don’t sell brands, people do. Get to know your franchisees, so you can use their stories to humanize the franchise and emphasize why these people bought into your brand. 

Trade publications are great places to pitch your brand stories. Every industry has one, and these publications are usually one degree separated from your target audience. 

National media, although typically more challenging to pitch successfully, is an important part of any PR strategy. Try to get into the national media on a quarterly basis. Giving your brand those “As Seen On” moments will have a positive impact on your credibility. 

Deciding to Use PR for Your Franchise Brand

It’s no question that PR has value in a franchise development marketing strategy. But maintaining a consistent presence in the press is critical to drive leads to your brand. Unsurprisingly, we’ve found that our clients’ franchise leads increase when their name is in the press on a regular basis, and their leads decrease when the PR efforts stop.

Partnering with an agency like Mainland gives you access to experts and resources you might not have in house. Doing so equips you with a full team ready to strategically tell your story, amplify it and repeat over and over again to generate awareness and interest in your brand.

Checklist:

• Put your brand in the spotlight with stories about signings, grand openings or existing franchisees. 
• Boost credibility through media coverage in places like trade publications and national press.
• Increase traffic to your website, where you’ll generate the most leads.

Discover more about how to win at franchise development marketing by downloading our free white paper here.