Curious to Know How Multi-Location Digital Marketing Works for Franchises
If you are a marketing manager for a multi location franchise, chances are you already take advantage of many digital marketing techniques. An online social media presence is just the start – email and SMS can prove invaluable in the digital world and create customer engagement like never before. If you’re not leveraging these tools, then perhaps you are unaware of the value these digital marketing initiatives can provide for your franchise. Here are a few things you may have been wondering, but have never wanted to ask about digital marketing for your franchise:
Broadcasting is great
In today’s highly connected world, most will agree that social media is a cornerstone in a franchisee’s digital marketing strategy. Over 900 million people use Facebook, with over 250 million of those people accessing it from their phones, making it a great platform for reaching a large, diverse audience. A social media presence also encourages a conversation between you and your customers. Customer feedback is quickly received allowing your franchise to respond immediately. Reviews, accolades, and complaints can be handled as they happen, therefore diffusing the negative while encouraging the positive. Promotions are also a great way rake in followers. Research shows that 37% of Facebook users “like” a fan page in order to receive a promotional offer. By rewarding your followers with special offers, you can maintain their attention amidst the noise of the social media world.
Narrowcasting is King
Don’t underestimate the power of texting. Although a social media presence is highly valued in today’s digital marketing world, there is no better way to share information with a targeted audience than through SMS and MMS messaging. In a side-by-side comparison, over 174 million people text daily versus the 91 million who check Facebook. Not only that, but people look at their phones 150 times per day on average and open 98% of all messages received, thus increasing the odds that your targeted message will be seen. And by gathering relevant customer information, you can create the right message for the right person, increasing the odds that your SMS tactics will be effective.
So the question is, what types of messages should your franchise send to your customers via text? Same-day promotions and weekend deals can drive instant results for your franchise, but don’t overdo it! Constant SMS blasts can hurt your franchise. Knowing the time, day, and frequency that will maximize SMS effectiveness is critical to a successful promotional offer. There is a fine line between being beneficial to you and your customer and becoming just more noise in the digital world.
How to get the most out of both worlds
Narrowcasting and broadcasting are complimentary pieces of the digital marketing world. They can simultaneously help reach a wide range of potential customers and a focused group of current customers. If properly leveraged, they can help feed each other. For example, liking your franchise on Facebook is a light commitment for a customer when compared to signing up for an SMS marketing list. Simplifying the task of signing up for text promotions through a permanent tab on Facebook, and creating opt-in incentives via other social media avenues can help integrate your online presence and SMS promotional tactics.
In addition, digital sweepstakes and contests can help build brand awareness and engage customers. By requiring customers to sign up for SMS promotions as an “entry fee” into social media contests, your online presence can grow your direct marketing distribution lists and increase the connection your franchise has with your customer.
Don’t forget to evaluate the results
The effectiveness of promotions will vary; therefore, constant monitoring of the results will ensure their efficacy. Focusing efforts on campaigns that drive the most results while decreasing those that do not is a delicate process that takes time and expertise to perfect. Finding specific costs per campaign, click-through and open rates, and redemption rates per store are a few ways to quantify your results.
Clicktecs specializes in all things digital, ensuring your franchise will receive not only the maximum amount of exposure, but also the most useful kinds of exposure in the digital world. It takes a certain type of expert in the digital realm to know when efforts are being utilized to their fullest potential. Without the proper amount of professional experience, time and money are often wasted on inefficient means of connecting with the customer.
About the Author : Jamshaid (Jam) Hashmi
A serial entrepreneur with extensive background in franchising and interests in multiple online business channels, Jamshaid (Jam) Hashmi has played an instrumental role in the franchise development and success of an international franchise company. His most recent entrepreneurial interests include launching ClickTecs, a Digital Marketing company specializing in Search Engine Marketing and Social Media Marketing as well as Website and Mobile Application development. In 2007 he co-founded Search Result, an online marketing company that supplies services to Internet Marketing Consultants. A sought after public speaker, Jam has been the featured keynote at many franchise conferences and international summits. He regularly trains ‘C’ Level Executives and supports both new and seasoned business owners on Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Optimization, Mobile Marketing, Brand Reputation Management and Conversion & Measurement through web analytics. When he’s not scaling the heights of the Internet world, Jam ‘unwinds’ on extreme thrill-seeking adventures from the jungles of the Amazon to the highest summits. His passions include working with NGOs on humanitarian missions to areas around the world affected by disasters and poverty.
