The recent pandemic still reverberates throughout the franchise industry. Two years have gone since brick-and-mortar stores were forced to close their doors and rapidly adopt technology. New business methods introduced at that time may have permanently altered the industry.
Several companies have increased their investment in technology to serve customers remotely. Others become more compassionate through contributing to their local communities. In certain instances, when investing in a franchise business brands changed from an in-person approach to an online model in order to better adapt.
As a result, the majority of marketing became digital. With twice as many store openings as closings in 2021, however, the store-closing trend of 2020 has ended.
Let’s examine which patterns are popular and advantageous franchise facts for brands that anticipate local sales growth post-crisis.
5 Trends Shaping the Future of Franchise Local Marketing
Hybrid Customer Experience.
Regardless of where or how customers purchase, 2022 is the year to create inventive ways to enhance their shopping experience and entice customers back into stores. No longer do consumers differentiate between digital and physical platforms. Throughout the purchase journey, they anticipate relevant and consistent experiences across devices, applications, and touchpoints.
As a result, the majority of firms intensify their efforts to integrate digital and physical journeys and enhance digital capabilities in-store. Your business model is future-proof if it serves as a hub for customers who purchase online and pick up in-store. A fragmented approach to client journeys and a reliance on obsolete technology can impede development and drive you out of the market.
Video across all platforms and channels
Video is a top focus for marketers because it has a significant impact on traffic, leads, sales, and brand perception. It is no longer an isolated component of your total marketing strategy. It is essential to your campaign and outreach activities, particularly on social media.
As the cost of video production decreases, marketers use videos for a growing number of purposes. For instance, brands offer free workshops to increase brand recognition, testimonials to bolster trust, and instructional videos to streamline the user journey. It is also important to note that more than half of organizations do this internally.
Prior to the recession, Expedia Cruises sold 70 percent of its cruises in-store. Following this shift, they began conducting Zoom events with local cruise suppliers to replicate this essential in-person encounter.
FIT4MOM, a workout-for-moms company, has also launched free online lessons for their clients’ children to keep toddlers occupied while their mothers do barre. Both projects were successful in that they increased engagement with these brands.
Hyper-localization and Customization
It is no longer sufficient to have an attractive storefront to attract customers. And in all honesty, you do not need them. Hyper-local marketing is advantageous for businesses of all sizes since it capitalizes on nearby searches and gives a cheaper cost per target.
Internet marketing makes it far simpler for marketers to convey the correct message to the right audience than traditional advertising platforms. Local internet search and social media have become the principal avenues of connection with the local community, as the majority of them now rely on digital platforms.
Starbucks, for example, utilized Twitter updates to launch a contest in which customers snapped images of advertisements they observed in their cities and shared them to Twitter. Expedia Cruises localises its outreach in order to cultivate partnerships between local agents and clients. They collect and exploit client data with technology in order to humanize their social media presence.
They also attempt to make email marketing as local as possible by include the agent’s face, name, and city. This contributes to the development of a personalized approach to each consumer, so enhancing their experience with the organization.
Mobile applications for quick service
At the onset of the health issue, consumers flocked to social media, and since then, they have utilized curbside pick-up, purchasing groceries and retrieving food from lockers. People mostly utilize these services via mobile apps and among providers with one-click service, an intuitive user interface, and a personalized message.
For example, Crunch Fitness employs a smartphone app for client check-ins, bookings, and most significantly, referrals. Before the lockout, only upper-tier members had access to exercise courses, and classes required a locked entrance. It is now available to the public at large. Additionally, FIT4MOM invested in mobile marketing. Its on-demand app provides fun and efficient workout regimens created by experts for each stage of parenthood. It aids in the servicing of clients who choose to remain online.
A mobile app fulfils several activities, including communicating with consumers and maintaining a local presence, with the primary purpose of serving customers where they are.
Stand out in local search results
Eighty-two percent of Americans would rather patronize a local business franchise than a multinational one. This is done to maintain money inside local communities and to improve customer service and product quality. However, how can residents locate surrounding businesses?
People use search engines, social media, and third-party directories to locate and purchase products and services in their local area. These individuals have an instant demand and are eager to purchase immediately. At this stage, your mission as a multi-location company is to be discovered by an appropriate audience.
Local online marketing optimization should be the top priority for all firms, including those without a website. It is prudent to have active, regularly updated local pages for your locations and to implement local SEO to increase your online discoverability. If your organization has not yet taken advantage of this opportunity, you are likely lagging behind.
