Calgary Marketing: Marketing Your Franchise

Utilize resources.

The wonderful thing about marketing your franchise is that you are usually provided with resources from the parent company. These resources provide you advantage you should make use of when you are developing your Calgary marketing strategy. These resources may range from graphic designs to promote holidays and events to physical marketing materials that you can display in your business. If you are franchising a business that is well known, the logo, name and colours of the business are part of the resources that will help your Calgary marketing. Use these judiciously, squeeze as much as you can from these resources.

It is however essential not to rely on only the resources you have received from your parent company. Your business still needs to stand out from other franchises. The difference could be something cultural, something local, something people in your community can readily identify. Incorporate the resources from your parent company with your own unique content to create a valuable Calgary Marketing portfolio.

Make your location stand out.

Even though your business is a franchise and there may be hundreds of people with the same offerings across the country, you can make your location stand out with your Calgary marketing strategy. You can do this by adding a local flavour to your location. For example, a frozen yogurt franchise may add a different range of toppings for a particular location because the locals love it.

You can also stand out by adding little personal experiences that your customers will love. This could include holiday decorations, landscaping and so on.

Getting involved with your community is a good way to personalize your franchise. Look for ways to participate in local events. You can sponsor them or volunteer in local events. That way you can build friendships and give back to the community that supports your franchise.

Create Unique Promotions.

One of the ways to get customers to patronize your franchise instead of going to another location is to run promotions. There are several Calgary marketing promotion ideas you can use.

You could hold a contest. If buyers know there is a contest in your location where they stand to win something, they may choose to come to you. People love to win prizes and sponsoring a contest can be a good way to get your business out there.

Product giveaways and allowing customers to sample your product can also be a way to bring customers to your location.

You can also use a customer referral incentive program. Customers who refer others to come in can get free products or discounts. This strategy leverages your customer base as a sales force.

Customer appreciation events can endear you to customers. An event with refreshments where customers can win prizes will draw in more people into your store. You should also set up your products in very visible places so that the customers that come in for your event not only eat your free pizza but they can make a purchase.

Build Franchise Culture

Your culture is not just about Pizza Fridays or wearing Hawaiian shirts to work, it’s about what you do and how you do what you do. One of the things to consider when building the culture of your franchise to dig into the culture’s roots. Look at how the brand has grown over the years and find out the things it does that work.

Building a culture also affects who you employ. Check to make sure the people you employ fit into the culture you are building. Your culture should also highlight local characteristics. Don’t just copy the culture of your parent company, find a way to adapt it to fit your local community.

The training you give to your staff should focus on maintaining your business culture.

Leverage Social Media.

Social media should part of your franchise’s Calgary marketing plan. Lots of customers check businesses out online before they patronize them. They look for pictures of your facilities, they read reviews of your services and generally get a feel for your reputation.

Social media offers you the benefits of affordable marketing, customers sharing your post, effective marketing, brand enhancement, building credibility, increased traffic and the opportunity to engage your customers.

When you use social media, you need to know who your target customers are. Define your purpose for using social media. Define your voice, your competitive advantage and your core values. Incorporate your company identity into your online identity. This includes but is not limited to your colours, fonts and general themes and filters.

Be there for your customers. You are not on social media only to market your products, you are also there to answer the questions of your customers. You are there listen to their complaints and concerns.

Get involved in your community.

We already touched on this. Your parent company may already have a big name that sells but the people around you need to know you are part of the community. Getting involved in the community is a fast way to integrate yourself into the fabric of the community which would lead to more sales.

Want to learn more about marketing your franchise? Give this a read!

Need more help with your Calgary marketing plan? We’re here to help! Learn more: https://www.medm.ca/services/marketing-implementation/