Learn about the benefits of creating a franchise development content marketing strategy to generate franchise leads and move your brand forward with this SlideShare.

2. 3 Ways Content Marketing Can Close Franchise Deals
Faster
Webinar

3. Consideration
& Due
Diligence
Discovery
Decision
Take Aways
THE
OVERVIEW
Introduction
Questions
001

4. INTRODUCTION

5. Prospects, not the franchise brands, control the franchise sales process.
Thanks to technology, prospective
franchisees have greater access to
information and are self-directed in
their research of franchise
opportunities.
In today’s presentation, we will explain
how to use content marketing to
influence and speed up the franchise
sales cycle from discovery to decision.

6. DISCOVERY

7. Old School vs New School
Both Carl’s Jr. and Sears want to sell franchises.
Carl’s Jr. is using a
banner ad, an
example of the old
way of generating
leads.
The ad is all about the
brand and what it
wants to sell but does
nothing to engage and
educate prospects.
Sears also wants to
generate leads but they use
a value-added content
marketing approach.
Sears is providing
information that validates
their opportunity and speaks
to the specific needs and
desires of the targeted
audience.
Inbound marketing practices produce 54% more leads than traditional
outbound practices.

8. Discovery
To generate new franchise
leads, the first step is to
make prospects aware of
the opportunity.
This is harder than you may think!
Because, in a world of message
overload, how do you break through
and connect with qualified
prospects?
The best way to get attention for your
franchise opportunity is through content
that speaks directly to prospects.

9. The process of developing powerful content that speaks to the specific needs of
franchise prospects begins with audience segmentation.
Next, profiles of the target audience are developed to provide insights into their particular
goals, interests, motivations and pain points regarding the franchise opportunity.
These insights are used to develop messaging that speaks specifically to them.

10. Buyer Personas
Develop buyer or prospect personas to
figure out the specific needs, desires and
pain points faced by your target audience
as it relates to investing in your brand.
Potential Franchise Candidate
Situation:
Highest Priority:
Needs/Desires:
Pain Points:
Objections:
Habits:
Media Consumption:
Trusted Sources:
Research Methods:
Decision:
Qualifications:
Stakeholders:
Investment Decision Process:
Freebie Alert!
Email Rwachstein@fishmanpr.com
to receive a free prospect persona
worksheet.

11. Content Mapping
Once you’ve defined your buyer personas, it’s time to leverage
these insights in order to connect with and motivate franchise
prospects closer to closing the deal.
Map out the process from their first introduction to the franchise
opportunity to the final stage, which is to close the deal with the
franchise development team. By determining what path these
prospective franchisees will follow, a franchise brand can deploy a
content marketing strategy that speak directly to buyers in whatever
stage in the buying process they are in. At each stage of the buying
journey, a prospective franchisee is receiving the messaging that
will further motivate them to invest in your franchise brand.
Persona 1: Multi-unit franchisees
from non-competing QSR brands.
Goal: To grow their QSR franchise
portfolio.
Primary Pain Point: The brand
they’ve invested in is over
saturated and has very limited
territory available.
Receives an
email through a
QSR trade
publication
Reads offer for
eBook on identifying
QSR brands with
growth potential
Clicks on link to
landing page
offering a free
eBook
Inputs contact
information to
Download
eBook
Receives Thank
You email, followed
by a series of
informational emails
Clicks on call to
action within email,
inquires about
setting up a call
Speaks to franchise
sales team, receives
follow up email with
application
Fills out franchise
application

12. Distribute content on your owned, paid and earned channels
including franchise development website, social channels -
specifically LinkedIn, PPC and online advertising channels such as
eBlasts through industry publications.

13. Example: Bojangles’
Target Audience: Multi-unit QSR franchisees who own
concepts with saturated territories.
Desires: To continue to build their QSR portfolio.
Pain Points: Brands they currently are invested in have
limited territories available.
Content Solution: eBook that provides educational material
on how to evaluate a QSR brand for growth potential.
Awareness: Prospective franchisees will become aware of
the Bojangles’ opportunity through this targeted campaign.
The campaign will be supported with advertising on LinkedIn
and through purchased lists of QSR multi-unit franchisees
who are invested in non competing brands.
Develop a content piece that speaks to the needs of a particular
segment of your target franchise prospects. This shortens the
time it takes to get prospects engaged with your brand.
For example, landing pages have higher conversion rates when
they utilize content to capture information.
#1

14. CONSIDERATION
&
DUE DILIGENCE

15. Potential franchisees are researching and evaluating your opportunity and
those of your competitors before you ever have contact with them.
The information prospects find online about your franchise opportunity
must be persuasive enough to keep them engaged until they are ready to
have contact with you.
For this reason, a strong digital footprint is the foundation of successful
franchise lead generation efforts.
Consideration & Due Diligence
When it comes to franchise sales, your digital footprint is comprised of the information or
lack thereof across all online platforms including the franchise sales website, social media
and networking accounts, reviews, brand related search results, etc.
Use content to answer questions, overcome objections and assist prospective franchisees
in researching your franchise opportunity.

16. Example: Kono Pizza, Industry Report
Details: The industry report contains information that
validates the segment and the brand. It can be
offered as a download on the franchise development
website in exchange for contact information.
Build content that helps franchise prospects research your
franchise opportunity. Content can answer questions that
prospects have about the opportunity and industry, which
reduces the time franchise sales executives must spend to
close deals.
Content marketing creates a compelling
digital footprint that assists prospects in
researching and evaluating your
opportunity.
#2

17. Example: Papa Murphy’s, Blog
Details: The blog helps to attract
qualified prospects through regularly
published content that demonstrates
expertise and builds trust.
Blogs are an important part of a brand’s
digital footprint because when optimized
correctly, they show up in searches for
the company and relevant keywords.
Posts can be repurposed in many forms
including monthly eNewsletters,
LinkedIn articles, etc.
Blogs play a role in both the discovery
process and in vetting an opportunity.
80%of business decision-makers prefer to get information in
a series of articles versus an advertisement.

18. Example: BrightStar Care, Infographic
Details: This infographic provides
prospective franchisees with information
that validates the franchise opportunity
by showing the need and demand for
the company’s services.
It also demonstrates why BrightStar
Care is uniquely positioned to meet the
market demands vs. competitors. It ends
with a call to action to inquire about the
BrightStar Care franchise opportunity.
Infographics are an excellent format for
making sense complex information to
validate a franchise opportunity. It is
much more compelling to demonstrate
validating factors through statistics than
it is to tell a prospect how great the
opportunity is.
The potential market for elder
care services
The factors that are driving
increased demand for elder care
services
The factors that drive demand
for BrightStar Care’s services as
opposed to competitors
Call to action

19. DECISION

20. Example: Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores
Target Audience: QSR Multi-unit franchisees,
looking to diversify their portfolio outside of the
restaurant industry.
Details: The automated email nurture series began
with the strategy and resulted in supporting the sale
of four SHOS locations.
Companies that excel at lead-nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost.
Automated email nurture campaigns
speed up franchise sales cycles that are
lengthy and often confusing for leads.
Don’t let leads slip through the cracks as
a result of a long sales cycle. Instead,
cultivate them and close deals faster by
automating your lead nurture process.

21. Email # Stage: Purpose Content
#1
Early: Education
Introduction to the SHOS Franchise Opportunity
Highlights the features of the SHOS business model that resonates with QSR
multi-unit franchisees looking to diversify their portfolio.
#2
Mid: Overcome Objections
Myth & Fact
Counteracts many of the misconceptions a potential franchisee may have
surrounding the brand including “Sears is a Dying Brand.”
#3
Mid(late): Validate the Opportunity
Benefits to Ownership/Successful Franchisee Profiles
Showcases the top value propositions of the opportunity, photos and stories of
successful franchisees.
#4
Late: Validate the Opportunity II
The Power of an Iconic Brand
Emphasizes the emotional attachment and recognition that consumers have
for the brand as an asset for franchisees.
Message Strategy

22. Email #1: 7 days after the first conversion
action occurred
Email Nurture Campaign: The emails went out automatically at set intervals.
Email #2: 14 days after the first
conversion action occurred

23. Email Nurture Campaign: The emails went out automatically at set intervals.
Email #4: 28 days after the first
conversion action occurred
Email #3: 21 days after
the first conversion action
occurred

24. Technology can streamline content
marketing efforts but the most
important factors for success are a
smart strategy and engaging
content.
The email lead nurture campaign
can be executed through your
existing system (CRM or email
service) or set up through any email
service provider for a minimal cost.
Franchise sales teams can utilize
content marketing techniques
regardless of the resources and
technology currently available to
them.

25. Create email nurture campaigns that answer questions about the opportunity and counter objections to
investing before the prospect has contact with a franchise development team. When prospects are
educated about the opportunity, less time is required to close the deal. Automating the lead nurturing
process makes your franchise sales efforts more efficient and gives your sales executives more time
to generate leads and close deals.
#3

26. TAKE AWAYS
1. DISCOVERY
Develop an eBook or content piece that speaks
to the needs of a particular segment of your
target franchise prospects. This shortens the
time it takes to get prospects engaged with your
brand. For example, landing pages have higher
conversion rates when they utilize content to
capture information.
2. CONSIDERATION & DUE DILIGENCE
Build content that helps franchise prospects
research your franchise opportunity. Content
can answer questions that prospects have
about the opportunity and industry which
reduces the time franchise sales executives
must spend to close deals.
3. DECISION
Create email nurture campaigns that answer
questions about the opportunity and counter
objections to investing before the prospect has
contact with a franchise development team.
When prospects are educated about the
opportunity, less time is required to close the
deal. Automating the lead nurturing process
makes your franchise sales efforts more
efficient and gives your sales executives more
time to generate leads and close deals.

27. Questions?

28. Contact Us
Rachael Wachstein
Fishman PR
Vice President of Content Marketing
847.947.1300
rwachstein@fishmanpr.com
Rachael joined Fishman PR in 2009 and developed our content marketing
practice. In her role, Rachael creates effective strategies to help franchise brands
achieve their consumer awareness, franchise lead generation, search engine
optimization and online reputation management objectives.