Overcoming Franchise Marketing Constraints

Owning a franchise business has its pros and cons. On one hand, you benefit from your franchise having a strong, trusted identity. Local customers may choose to visit your business based on what they know about the national organization, and you have a vast network that can support your business with ideas and resources.

On the other hand, you may feel constrained in marketing your business within your franchise's standards. It's a delicate balance: you want to get word out about your business, but you don't want to violate the overarching organization's specifications.

Here are some suggested solutions and tips for dealing with three top concerns related to branding your franchise.

Concern #1: I'm Worried About Breaking Franchise Rules

You've got a great marketing idea for your business, but it breaks several different franchise rules.

Solution

First, always consult the franchise guidelines to fully understand the rules in place. When preparing your marketing strategy, ask yourself these questions to help explain why your idea is useful and beneficial. What makes this idea great in your region? Is this an idea that other franchisees could benefit from? Would changing the rules hurt the national franchise in any way? Do the rules prevent you or other franchisees from properly promoting your business? Having these points solidified in advance will address any questions the national team may have.

Franchise rules are in place to protect the strength of the company's overall brand, but the rules don't always help franchisees at the local or regional level. If you can make an economic case to the national company that your idea will boost business without harming the overall brand, you're more likely to get them to consider a rule change.

Concern #2: I'm Unsure About Local Involvement

Most franchise companies know that local involvement is key to each franchisee's success. Some have national guidelines for where money or resources can be donated, such as a nationwide rule dictating the money only goes to one charity.

Solution

Check your franchise's guidelines before donating money and see if you have discretion in your donations. If possible, donate time and resources to either a local charity or a larger charity that supports local initiatives. If you don't have the authority to make those decisions, find out what charities the community tends to support and see if you can make a case to the national company to support those charities through your business. If you can't, you may have to support those charities as an individual, which can still create goodwill for your business.

Concern #3: I'm Not Reaching Enough Customers

Your franchise has a national ad campaign, but that doesn't differentiate you from all the other franchises out there.

Solution

Create individual social media accounts (like Twitter or Facebook) for your franchise. Be sure to check your company's guidelines for the type of material you can post. You can share posts by the national company alongside your own original content. To ensure you make a good impression online, check out these social media tips and guide to converting followers into customers.

Final Tips

There are other simple ways for you to differentiate your local business from others. If you've received a positive review or award, post those achievements in your store for patrons to see. Or host a special in-store event like a weekend wine tasting or an evening cooking course at your restaurant. You don't need to spend substantial time and resources to establish your local franchise in your community.

Digital marketing expert Alex Vaccaro is VP of Marketing and Client Services for Connectivity, Inc., provider of a suite of marketing intelligence tools for businesses with physical locations. She works closely with Connectivity's franchise business clients to ensure success in using Connectivity's products, including Customer Insights, which provides businesses with deep customer information and tools to market more effectively through automated email, text and social media campaigns. Connectivity also provides online listings and reviews products that help businesses monitor and manage their online presence from a single dashboard.