While your franchisor will do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to marketing the brand as a whole through national and regional campaigns, it will be on your shoulders to ensure that your local community is aware of your business and spends money there. Here are a few ideas to help you market your franchise locally.
1. Become Known in Your Business Community
There are ample ways you can get involved with your business community. You could join the local business association or even volunteer for its board. This will give you the opportunity to network with other business owners who might refer business to you.
You could attend other business networking events or conferences as well. Remember: the point of doing so is to meet other people, so don’t be a wallflower. It can be intimidating at first, but once you shake a few hands and start getting to know people, it will get easier.
2. Cross-Market Your Business
If your franchise is located in a shopping center or near other businesses, consider introducing yourself to your neighbors and asking if they would be interested in exchanging brochures or flyers in one another’s stores. Placing a stack of coupons for your restaurant franchise in the clothing store across the street, for example, could entice people who wouldn’t have otherwise visited you to do so.
3. Participate in Community Events
Whether it’s a local food festival or a holiday carnival, there are likely several events happening in your community throughout the year that you can get involved in. If it makes sense to become an exhibitor, having a table or booth can gain you exposure to a wide swath of event attendees, who will then come to your location to redeem the coupon you gave them at the event. Otherwise, you can become a sponsor and have your logo listed on all event materials as a way to boost your brand exposure.
4. Set Up Your Local Social Media
Your franchisor might run its own social media, but it can’t hurt to have your own accounts set up for your specific location. Do check with your franchisor first to see if there are guidelines you need to adhere to with your accounts.
Focus on connecting with people in your city (Facebook is great for this), and providing specials and promotions specific to your store. Encourage customers to leave reviews on Facebook and Yelp.
5. Give Back to Your Community
Another way to stand out locally is to donate to a local charity. You could give a portion of your profits to the organization, or host a toy or clothing drive.
Additionally, you could sponsor a youth athletic team. Maybe you could also offer a discount to team members and their families whenever they shop with you!
There are so many ways you can stand out in your local community, and all of these tips will help you attract more business.
Susan Guillory is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, a marketing firm specializing in content writing and social media management. She’s written three business books, including How to Get More Customers With Press Releases, and frequently blogs about small business and marketing on sites including Forbes, AllBusiness, The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and Tweak Your Biz. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.