Five old-style marketing strategies your franchise needs to invest in
Today, marketers are talking about Facebook, blogging, SEO and all sorts of new-age marketing techniques you should be using in order to build a business. While they’re important, they’re not the only marketing strategies that you should be conducting in order to build your new franchise up.
So, here are five old-style marketing strategies that you need to invest in.
1. Business cards/flyers/posters
While online is where everyone is at, we still live in a physical world. Therefore, businesses that leave a physical imprint behind are going to create a longer-lasting impression than those which don’t.
Customers can keep hold of physical marketing materials or even pass them on to their friends and family, which is a much safer way to convert new leads than relying on customers directing their friends to your Facebook page.
Business cards are the easiest thing that you can use because they’re compact and can be sent with invoices, posted through letterboxes, handed out during introductions and attached to other marketing materials. The same can be said with leaflets, but they look more sales-y and can be off-putting for some clients.
2. Knocking on doors
Another key marketing tool is actually meeting potential customers face-to-face. One of the best ways to do this is to knock on doors, hand out leaflets/business cards and prospect for business. This is a very time-intensive marketing effort, but it is one that can be very effective. You’re able to engage with your audience, speak about their specific needs and then come up with a customised product bundle. This should be done at the early stages of your new franchise as this is when you’re going to have fewer customers.
3. Trade shows
Trade shows are another great way for you to meet lots of potential customers. Stands at trade shows can cost anywhere between £200 and £1500. And yet they can be well worth the investment. Trade shows attract hundreds of people who are looking for products/services like yours – if they like what they see, they may even visit your stand, talk to you about your offering and collect marketing information from you.
You can also collect lead information like email addresses, phone numbers and more for future marketing plans. The biggest advantage of trade shows is that they allow you to build a rapport with potential customers and give you loads of information about leads that you can act on later. Another advantage is that you’re speaking to people who have an interest in your products or are living in your area (for local trade shows).
4. Sponsorship
Another old-style marketing technique that can work well is sponsorship. You can be a sponsor of a local youth sports team, school, event and more. This can put you in front of hundreds of people for a one-off cost. And at times, you might be able to get further marketing opportunities.
Sponsorship is a riskier option when it comes to marketing your franchise because you have less control over the audience, and you’re relying on the efforts of the company or team being sponsored. However, there are also significant advantages, and it’s often a great starting point. If you’re supporting a team or school, they might agree to feature you on their social media channels, newsletters, etc. and also have a stall at the event, which increases your exposure even more.
5. Local media
Advertising in local media is one of the best forms of marketing that you can employ. It is more expensive, but these forms of communications have large audiences. Radio stations, newspapers and local magazines are great options for getting your new franchise out there and can be surprisingly affordable.
You can also, at times, avoid the cost of local media outlets by getting yourself into the news. There are many news stories that the local papers like to report. Simply opening a business isn’t going to attract a lot of attention, but any awards you’ve won or community projects you’ve helped out with, or something similar, will make you more newsworthy, getting you free exposure for your new franchise business for sale.
When someone reads the news story, they will be interested and want to find out more. This can lead to higher incoming calls about your services. If nothing else, you can use a clipping from the local paper in your office as social proof.
Conclusion
While everyone is always talking about social media, blogging, SEO and all these digital methods of reaching audiences, old-style marketing still has its place. Use some of the methods that we’ve listed above to make your franchise a success and find a quicker route to profitability.
