Would your franchise development program be left in the lurch if the long-form posts, videos and webinars you have posted on a social media platform suddenly disappeared? There is no reason to risk losing that valuable content. Secure it with a strong franchise owned media strategy.
Most franchise development directors are intently focused on generating leads, but a lot more goes into closing a fran dev deal than getting the lead. Fran dev teams often spend months – and sometimes a year or more – nurturing a lead to complete a sale. Lead nurturing campaigns draw on a brand’s support of franchisees, competitive startup costs, testimonials given by happy owners, outstanding rankings on prominent lists and much more to persuade prospects to sign on the dotted line. And all of that information should be stored safely on the brand’s website or blog.
What is owned media?
Public relations professionals talk a lot about “earned media,” which consists of placements of articles, pitches or news releases published in media outlets. “Owned media,” on the other hand, refers to content such as blog posts, white papers, videos, webinars and email campaigns published on platforms that you “own” – such as your blog, your website and even your CRM.
Just as you would link to an earned media placement on social media, you can leverage owned media on your social channels, sharing a link to a new blog or video – and in the process, driving organic traffic to your website.
Note: Social media channels are not owned media channels, as you ultimately do not control those pages. Although it may seem far-fetched, a social media company (for example, Meta, LinkedIn or YouTube) could shut down your social media profiles, or the platform itself, at any time – taking your valuable content with them. That’s why it’s important to make sure your content lives in multiple places, and preferably on platforms that you, and you alone, control.
How does owned media support franchise development?
Whether they have their eyes on a particular brand or industry, prospects who are considering investing in a franchise invariably start the process by doing their research, and that usually happens long before they contact the franchise for information. In fact, a scientific study on how and why people buy franchises conducted by Curious Jane last year showed that only one-third of franchisees contacted a franchise they were interested in buying right away.
And where do you think prospects begin their research? Your website, your blog and your social media channels, of course.
Because you know that prospects will most likely start by searching for your franchise website, it’s crucial that the site be filled with valuable, engaging, SEO keyword-rich content that answers many of their questions and positions you as a leader in the field. Your blog is a great vehicle for tackling topics such as the support you offer franchise owners, what it costs to start a franchise and how much an owner can make. It’s also the perfect place to feature success stories of your current franchisees. You want to profile those who strongly resemble your ideal owner, so that prospects who fit that persona will be able to envision themselves in their story. Your most valuable content for franchise development could include those blogs, videos and lead nurturing emails that help nudge your best prospects down the sales funnel. Build a thoughtful franchise owned media strategy in consultation with your SEO team, writers, designers and videographers, and then ensure their valuable content is safely stored on a platform you control.
