Why marketing support is crucial for franchise success
At Shuttercraft we know that developing your brand and quality lead generation are two of the cornerstones to building a successful business. You can have the best product in the world but if nobody knows about it, or is interested in it, then you will fail.
Marketing drives sales. It allows you to engage with your customers and helps you sell your products or services. The bottom line of any franchise is to make money and marketing is an essential discipline to reach that end goal.
That’s why our franchise model has been developed to provide an extremely efficient and robust marketing support system; enabling franchise partners to build a local brand, generate an effective lead flow, and achieve maximum success from launching in their territory.
Why our marketing is effective….
Effective marketing campaigns are targeted, demonstrating a clear return on investment. Shuttercraft’s marketing model has been tried and tested with proven results. This is the mantra by which we support our franchise partners.
We have built a specialist marketing team who generate between 70 and 80% of franchisee leads; running PPC digital advertising and social media campaigns, as well as the production of offline and additional marketing collateral to support local marketing All designed to build our franchisees business in their local area, ensuring that they achieve an strong return on their investment.
The results speak for themselves; we generate an average of 82.2 leads per month for each of our franchise partners, with 60% of these converting to sale following first visit, generating an average value of £32,000 per month in retail sales. Proof, if it were needed, that investment in marketing is a core benefit.
A strong marketing strategy starts with examining your competition in detail. Shuttercraft’s process for this is comprehensive and structured: Within 2 weeks of signing the franchise agreement, the team provide an in-depth, local marketing plan for each franchisee. This includes a localised competitor analysis and a detailed strategic plan for local brand awareness.
Our in-house team (comprising of experts in social media, SEO, CRO and strategic marketing planning) is supported by a third-party marketing agency specialising in PPC, specifically in franchise and multi-unit businesses. Whilst our franchisees focus on learning the skills required to survey and fit shutters and blinds this team works to create a great website supported by strong content designed to resonate with the target audience and compel them to act.
By the end of the first month, our Franchise Partners have a steady supply of leads to follow up on, but our support and guidance doesn’t stop there. In fact, for the first three months, a franchise partner almost need do nothing at all in regards managing their marketing, allowing them to first focus on learning the trade and industry. The team then provide full support to our franchise partners ensuring they can build their business by running online and offline marketing campaigns
We prepare a 90-day intensive programme to ensure local marketing has maximum impact and tweak the campaigns as necessary to attain maximum returns. We will run local PR activity promoting the opening of the Shuttercraft territory and prepare an individual marketing programme which includes up to £6,000 of PPC and social media activity and allocated spend.
A strong franchisor will review marketing planning regularly to ensure strong progress. That’s why Shuttercraft hold quarterly meetings with each of our franchise partners to review campaign activity, the results and the ongoing strategy. If something isn’t achieving the best results and delivering leads and sales then we adjust, test and re-focus our activity. A constant awareness and measurement of your outputs is essential to build your business.
Of course, all local marketing should be supported by national campaigns and a brand strategy designed to reach customers that local strategy might miss. It is essential that a significant focus of the franchisor is the wider management of brand awareness and national campaigns.
If you are considering buying a franchise look carefully at the marketing support you will receive, ask questions about what the franchisor has delivered for their existing partners. If they can’t evidence that they are achieving excellent results and generating leads on behalf of their partners, then it doesn’t mean it isn’t the right franchise for you but you’ll need to be prepared to invest in the resources to manage this yourself.
‘This article comes courtesy of Shuttercraft Franchise. The Shuttercraft franchise is a premium home improvement franchise offering quality interior plantation shutters and blinds We provide a proven model that will enable you to develop your own management business with the ability to earn upwards of £100,000 after 3 years.
