Regardless of your franchise’s brand, it’s extremely important for franchise marketing to focus on their local market. Reaching and connecting with your target audience in your specific geographic location is imperative to attracting new customers and getting more customers to return.
What is local area marketing?
As you can imagine, local area marketing is simply marketing to the geographic area where your franchise is located.
Local area marketing can fall under several tactics, including digital ads, SEO, email marketing, physical marketing, and more. Whichever ones you want to use for your marketing is up to the franchise brand and its customer base.
Any of these tactics are easy to localize,
- Digital ads: Setting geographic rules for your ads
- SEO: Managing your Google Business profile and creating localized content
- Email marketing: Personalized content and sends depending on recipients’ location or time zone.
- Physical ads: Direct mail, billboards flyers, and local media placements
Here are some strategies and ideas for local area marketing that franchise owners can use to promote their business and drive sales.
Use local SEO
One of the best ways–and certainly the most affordable–way to market your franchise is through SEO, or more specifically, local SEO.
Local SEO is optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results for specific local keywords. Franchise owners can optimize their websites for local SEO by including location-specific keywords in their content, creating local business listings, and getting listed in online directories. By doing this, they can increase their visibility in local search results and attract more customers in their area.
Here are four ways to approach local SEO for franchises.
Targeted Visibility for Local Markets
Local SEO is essential for franchises because it helps them target specific geographic areas where they operate. Unlike national or global brands that aim for broad reach, franchises benefit from focusing on local visibility.
When potential customers search for services or products “near me,” local SEO ensures that franchise locations appear in these searches. This targeted approach helps franchises attract customers who are more likely to visit the nearest location, increasing foot traffic and sales.
By optimizing for local search terms and maintaining accurate business listings, franchises can improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) for local queries. This can be achieved through tactics such as optimizing Google My Business (GMB) profiles, acquiring local backlinks, and utilizing location-specific keywords.
In a competitive market, local SEO provides franchisees with a distinct advantage over competitors. By focusing on local search optimization, franchises can outrank local competitors in search results. This can be particularly beneficial in markets where multiple franchises compete for the same customer base.
Effective local SEO strategies, such as optimizing GMB listings, garnering positive reviews, and creating localized content, can help franchises secure top spots in search results and attract more local customers.
Consistency Across Multiple Locations
For franchises, maintaining a consistent online presence across various locations is crucial. Local SEO helps manage and unify the online presence of all franchise locations. Consistent business information across GMB profiles, local citations, and directories ensures that potential customers have accurate and up-to-date information. This consistency not only aids in local search ranking but also builds trust with customers who rely on online information to make decisions.
Improved Local Engagement and Community Relationships
Local SEO strategies foster engagement with local communities. Franchises using local SEO can connect with their communities through local events, partnerships, and content tailored to local interests. By engaging with local communities, franchises can build brand loyalty and create a positive reputation. Local SEO can amplify these efforts by ensuring that community-based content and activities are visible to local audiences.
Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy
Local SEO is a cost-effective strategy for franchises compared to broader marketing techniques. While national or global advertising campaigns can be expensive, local SEO focuses on optimizing local search presence at a fraction of the cost. It provides a high return on investment by targeting customers who are already searching for franchise
Leverage social media
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram provide a powerful avenue for franchises to engage directly with their local audience.
Social media platforms provide a powerful avenue for franchises to engage directly with their local audience. By maintaining active profiles and sharing relevant content, franchises can build relationships, showcase their products/services, and address customer inquiries promptly. Through targeted advertising, franchises can reach potential customers based on geographic location, interests, and demographics, maximizing their marketing budget for optimal ROI.
Partner with local influencers
Partnering with local influencers can be an excellent way for franchise owners to reach their target audience in their specific geographic location. Influencers have a large following in their local community, and they can be an effective way to promote a business and drive sales.
Collaborating with local influencers who have a substantial following in the franchise’s target market can amplify brand awareness and credibility. These influencers can promote products/services through authentic, relatable content that resonates with their audience. Their endorsements can significantly influence consumer behavior and drive foot traffic to franchise locations, especially when the partnership is aligned with the franchise’s values and offerings.
Host local events
Hosting local events like charity events, open houses, or product demonstrations can be an excellent way for franchise owners to connect with their local community and drive sales. These marketing events can also create buzz and generate media coverage for the business.]
Hosting or sponsoring local events allows franchises to embed themselves within the community fabric. Events such as charity fundraisers, product launches, or workshops not only showcase the franchise’s offerings but also foster direct interactions with potential customers. By tailoring events to local interests and needs, franchises can create memorable experiences that strengthen brand loyalty and encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
Use print and local media
Referral programs incentivize satisfied customers and local businesses to recommend the franchise to their network. By offering discounts, rewards, or exclusive deals for referrals, franchises can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing. This strategy not only drives customer acquisition but also cultivates a loyal customer base who feel valued and recognized for their support.
Create a referral program
Referral programs incentivize satisfied customers and local businesses to recommend the franchise to their network. By offering discounts, rewards, or exclusive deals for referrals, franchises can tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing. This strategy not only drives customer acquisition but also cultivates a loyal customer base who feel valued and recognized for their support.
This can increase word-of-mouth advertising and attract new customers in the local area.
Local Area Marketing with ActiveCampaingHQ
In conclusion, local area marketing is essential for franchise owners in the U.S as it helps them to reach and connect with their target audience in their specific geographic location.
By leveraging social media, using local SEO, partnering with local influencers, hosting local events, using print and local media, and creating a referral program, franchise owners can promote their business and drive sales in their local community.
One easy way to do that is using ActiveCampaign HQ.
ACHQ is a singular product that allows you to perform local area marketing for several franchises and locations in one piece of software. That makes it easy to keep your brand consistent all while personalizing emails and other content down to the user.
Plus, as a franchise owner you’ll love being able to save time by using marketing automation.
