Is Your Franchisor Stealing Your Marketing Money?

As marketing consultant, the requests from local businesses looking for support are very familiar. You all want us to drive traffic to your location. Therefore, the advice is also familiar. We need to look at the following:

1. Your Website and SEO - Does your website represent your market? Do you have the proper "keywords" identifying your location so when consumers do a Google search they can find you?

2. Your Social Media - Does your social media show that you're part of the community?

3. Paid Advertising - Is your paid advertising hitting your target market?

4. Promotional Products - Your promotional products should include your local address, telephone number, or a QR Code for the purpose of driving traffic to your location.

Despite the obvious advice above, I frequently hear the same responses from franchisees. "Let me check with corporate" followed by "they said I can't have access" or "they won't reimburse me for the marketing expense". These responses spit in the face of the franchisee who pays the franchisor anywhere from 3% to 10% of their revenues towards a marketing fund.

I want to remind franchisees of the following:

1. You are corporate - You have your own corporation and you entered into an agreement to purchase a franchise. That means you paid the franchisor for a license to use the name, a business system, and operational support. You also agreed to pay a percentage of your revenue towards marketing. Stop calling them corporate. You don't work for them, they work for you.

   
   

2. Fight for your Company - Do you have access to your website and social media? Do you believe that your brochures should have your address on it? Are you getting good value for your marketing spend? If not, then say so! Remember, it's your company, fight for it!

   
   

3. Your Marketing Spend Should Benefit Your Company. A big mistake that many local franchisees make is that they supplement the Franchisor's advertising budget with their own hard earned money. If your spend isn't driving traffic to your location, then you are using your money to benefit the multi-million dollar brand. They should be using their money to support you!

So is your franchisor stealing your marketing budget? Here are some signs:

1. Website - You don't have permissions or your franchisor won't make the necessary updates to your website;

   
   

2. Social Media - You don't have access to your social media pages. The Franchisor is charging you for managing the pages. However, the content is the same across the country. Same food pictures, same models, same ineffective results. Even worse, the Franchisor is using your social media pages to sell more franchises in your area. THEY ARE USING YOUR MONEY TO INVITE COMPETITION INTO YOUR MARKET!

   
   

3. Promotional Products and Signage - Your promo products need to promote your business at your location. If you are not permitted to add your location or telephone number or even worse you are forced to purchase their branded products that don't promote you, then you have a problem. You're handing out swag that may drive traffic to your competition.

   
   

4. Local Advertising - The franchisor won't reimburse you for local advertising. No one knows your market better then you! You know the most popular local publications, social media sites, and youth sports leagues. If you want to be successful in business, then your advertising must hit your target market. Don't let your franchisor in Texas dictate where you should spend your money in Winter Garden , Florida.

The best franchisees understand that they are business partners with the franchisor not employees. They leverage their local expertise with the brand recognition courtesy of a multi-million dollar national marketing budget. Imagine Marketing has programs designed to promote franchisees. We can assist you with your social media, videos, and personal website. In addition, ImagineThatPromo.com offers custom promotional products with NO SET UP FEES. If you would like more information about this program or you have questions about any of our other products or services you can contact us.