4 Tips for franchisors to get leads

Strategizer Iyyappan Rajendran Talks

Happy and productive week ahead! As a franchise consultant, I understand how tough it’s for a franchisor to create or run a new franchise because these are really tough times ahead, as we are all coming out of another wave of pandemics. I feel this is due to the uncertainty as a result of franchisors not being able to generate high-quality, effective franchise leads. And that again is because the franchisor does have a sound marketing strategy, both offline and online to generate the required leads. Poor visibility leads to zero to limited leads, and thereby low conversion rates. As an experienced franchise consultant in Chennai, I place a lot of emphasis upon repeatable, consistent and sustainable lead generation efforts, and that’s the way forward. But remember finding a potential franchise business involves a lot of challenges and could easily boil down to a single factor- budget. Marketing is evolving, and if you want to make a difference in the market, and generate leads that help find the best franchisees for your business, follow the tips I’ve listed for lead generation.

4 Ways to generate Leads.

• Search Engine Optimization or SEO

• Social Media Marketing

• Webinars

• Offline strategies   

Search Engine Optimization or SEO

 Who said that SEO is dead? Search Engine Optimization or SEO is still a good practice to rank your website at the top of all major search Engines. Since Google receives almost 92% of the user search queries, it is recommended to optimize your website for Google Search Results. The more the website traffic, the more you can drill down potential leads before capturing the leads that convert. Your website should also be designed and optimized to convert better so that there is better interaction. 

Is your website mobile compatible?

 Websites that are not mobile compatible miss to meet an important search ranking factor. Ask yourself (or rather your web developer or SEO) if your website is mobile-friendly or compatible. Either your website should fit form factors of all devices—mobile, tablet, and others, or be developed with m.sitename.tld if required. That’s up to you. The point is the majority of the traffic comes via mobile search, and if your website isn’t just ready enough, you need to take the mobile optimization route right away for increased traffic and quality leads.

Social Media Marketing

The evolution of social media space has changed the way business is done. A franchisor brand needs to be active on social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Clubhouse, YouTube, etc. Remember only those brands that were highly active on social media during the pandemic emerged as winners impervious to its effects. Just look at the number of brands that have doubled or tripled their sales prospects just by creating and sharing a custom-made video and sharing. Clubhouse, a voice-based social networking platform, is another phenomenal marketing tool during the pandemic that marketers used to overcome business challenges. And messaging apps including WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. help in brand building. Most franchisor brands though active on social media are not aligned with the overall business objectives and therefore fail to generate quality leads. 

Webinars

 I was kept busy throughout the pandemic being a part of several webinars, either as a host or participant. It was during the same period I was able to get in touch with so many franchise owners that later provided me with potential business opportunities. Truth be told, I was working a work a lot on the content part with good copywriters for measurable outcomes. The results paid off well. Webinars, to put it simply, are a great way for franchisors to introduce their brand to potential franchisees, and talk about market and business opportunities that the franchising industry can offer.

Offline strategies

Participating in expos, fairs and related meetups is still a great way to generate franchise leads. Depending upon what I need to achieve (as an outcome) and budget, I always made it a point to participate in all leading franchising expos and projected my brand before potential franchisors, franchisees, business owners, and investors. Having a great mainstream media presence also helped me maintain my brand and personal image, thereby connecting me with the franchising ecosystem.

I am Iyyappan Rajendran, a chief franchise consultant with an experience of over 25 years, working with some of the best franchises in Chennai and Tamilnadu. Let’s meet over coffee for a one-on-one session on how to increase your franchising marketing potential and business opportunities. Until then, it’s goodbye from me.