Franchise Business: How to maximise online presence
Nick Strong, MD - Select Your Franchise
Due to the rapid growth of internet dependence in society it is now vital that franchisors focus their efforts on how to maximise their on line presence.
Gone are the days when a franchise business could rely on paper advertising alone. The younger generation hardly touch paper now. I asked my nigneteen ear old daughter to bring me the Yellwo Pages and she said, “what is Yellow Pages?”.
Franchisor’s on line presence needs to be end user centric. Gone are the days when a single authority voice can call out its messages an go unchallenged. The internet is all about giving the people what they want and when they want it.
Franchise business must focus on understanding how to maximise its on line presence by first understanding what is going on online that is relevant to its brand and services.
From this position of understanding a franchise business can position its messages in the search engine to match search behaviour. Intelligence can be found on this by a franchisor using the Google Key Word Tool.
These days search engine relevance in not enough. To maximise on line presence a franchise business must also engage in conversational web. Social platforms for this conversation take place on the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, My Space and You Tube to name only a few.
Franchise business will find it hard to gain communities round its brand. Rather than do this it is vital to join communities that are interested in the franchise brands solutions to common problems. By helping people and solving their problems loyalty and rapid referral can be enjoyed by the franchise business.
The boardroom door is always open in todays markets. Walls and distance are removed and we return to street level accountability in our trading. The Internet removes walls and open out communication at all levels.
Franchise business can maximise its on line presence by being relevant to other Internet user’s needs and interests. It’ll take some time and creativity. Those that get it right will reap the rewards.
In the technology adoption curve franchise business needs to be on board at least the ‘early majority’ of users stage across all media. We must not wait at Luggard station before we get on. Franchisors need to focus on driving the train not being stuck at the back with too little to say to late to be listened to.
Nick Strong, director of FranWeb and Select Your Franchise will be leading the discussion ‘How to Maximise on Line presence’ for the British Franchise Assocation and its members on 8th July 2010 at Wokefield park Reading , Berkshire.
Tags: franchise business, Franchise Marketing, nick strong, social media
