Becky Boyland
Internet marketing for local businesses is a powerful tool that every locally-owned company with foot traffic should consider. Local marketing is more powerful than ever, and reaches your customers wherever they are far more than the phonebooks of old could ever do. And, arguably, if you skip out on internet marketing for your business, you’re likely missing the boat and handing customers over to your competition. But where it gets tricky is when you’re not “locally-owned,” but actually own a franchise or have a similar relationship under the umbrella of another corporation.
Franchises Are Local… and Yet Not Local
There’s no doubt if you own or manage a franchise that you are a local business. People walk into your restaurant, shop, or office and purchase your goods or services. But if the corporation you represent is well-known, then you’re just “another” location of what may be a national brand. Customer loyalty is shared between your location and the corporate name, so when a customer isn’t near your location, they may visit a competing franchise.
Advertisements you run (whether print, digital, or broadcast) also put you in competition with neighboring franchises—and even corporate. It’s your dollar, but you’re contributing to the pool of branding and promotion, and it doesn’t always come back to you. The good news, though, is the same likely happens to other franchises near you.
Your “localness” also means that corporate will give you more resources to help their national brand than they might offer to help establish you within your community. It’s important to determine how much the corporation is concerned about your success, and not just the bottom line.
Get the Message(s)?
Your corporation’s brand message may or may not always line up with your local franchise. Ideally, they should, otherwise it’s a relationship that may need to be reconsidered, but even in the best of business connections, you may find the need to communicate things uniquely for your audience. Ads might explain your location differently than a Google Maps link on the corporate website. Community initiatives and fundraisers are a big local celebration, not a blip on the corporate calendar or blog.
Effective SEO relies on a number of elements, including good quality and relevant information, website infrastructure, social cues, and original (not duplicated) content. Does your company allow you to have your own unique web content? Do you have access to make changes on the fly (to correct errors, update location information, highlight events, etc.)? Can you have local social profiles and directory listings? Do they provide a robust, stable, flexible, and mobile-friendly platform? Who owns the local content and assets? Even if the business model you’re considering (or have invested into already) makes great sense from the local store level, does it fall apart in terms of local advertising, promotions, and web presence? While this wasn’t as mission-critical even a few years ago, entire franchises (and corporations) can collapse if this isn’t handled well.
Bottom Line
Franchising can be an excellent and beneficial business model that grows a corporation and empowers small business owners. But if internet marketing is limited or hamstrung by corporate practices (or worse… policies), then franchisees can face an uphill promotions battle they can’t win. Consider your corporate relationships carefully, and either look elsewhere if red flags arise, or be a voice of change encouraging improved practices at the corporate level that will benefit all parties.
Need help sorting out your local internet marketing efforts? Reach out and book a call!
