Franchise businesses in Canada represent over $100 billion in sales annually, and we have the second-largest franchise industry in the world, outranked only by the US.

As the popularity of franchises continues to grow, so does the competition among franchise chains. And to gain market share, franchise owners need to find creative and innovative ways to stand out from the pack. 

There are many tried and tested digital marketing strategies franchisors can use to help promote their franchise online, reach more customers and generate more revenue. 

Let’s take a look at the top five digital marketing strategies for franchise owners.

97% of people learn more about a local company online than anywhere else.  Further, almost 90% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device either call or visit the business within 24 hours.  Those digital searches can result in a ton of traffic to your website and leads for your franchise. 

[Read our blog: How to create a killer local SEO strategy for your business]

One of the best ways to capitalize on these searches is to invest in local SEO to help your franchises rank highly in online search results. 

Here are some key tips: 

• Ensure you create individual Google Business listings for each business location
• Make sure the NAP (name, address and phone number) is consistent across each online business listings
• Create individual local business pages on your franchise’s website

Social media is the lifeblood for franchise businesses. 74% of people use social media when making a purchasing decision, which plays an essential role in the buying process. 

The best way for franchise owners to use social media effectively is to create an engaging profile, post relevant content and engage customers on the platforms where your customers are most active. 

Through social media platforms, franchise owners can monitor conversations about their franchise, encourage dialogue, answer customer questions, and post relevant updates about offers, company news, and new products and services.

Many franchisors underestimate the power of email marketing. But with an ROI of 4300%, it’s hard to deny its influence in the marketing sphere. 

Email marketing is an intelligent choice for franchisors who want to market to engaged customers without a heavy financial outlay with a low cost and high conversion rate.  

Email marketing allows you to connect with customers directly in their inbox, providing them with important information about your franchise, as well as keeping them engaged with inspiring, informative and insightful content.

A whopping 97% of consumers research and read reviews before purchasing, which means managing what people are saying about your franchise is incredibly important. 

The best way to manage your reputation online is to ensure you’re responding to all reviews—both the good and the bad—your business receives across every platform. You must respond to negative reviews quickly, with a positive outlook and with a solution-oriented approach. 

[Read our blog: How to leverage customer reviews to boost your SEO performance]

Showing that you’re responsive and compassionate will help demonstrate that you run a reputable franchise and take customer feedback seriously.

Pay-per-click (PPC) allows franchisors to bid for placement in a search engine’s sponsored links section. Given that 65% of high-intent searches result in an ad click, it’s easy to see why it’s such a valuable channel for franchisors. 

PPC allows you to set a budget and only pay when a customer engages (clicks) on an ad. One of the most significant benefits of PPC is that it works quickly to increase website traffic, leads, and ideally revenue in a short time. 

You know you have to up your franchise’s digital marketing game, but where do you start? Our team of digital marketing experts can help you build a high-impact brand for your franchise to help generate more leads and new business. Get in touch with Creative Guild today to find out more.