Unpacking the 2024 Selling Franchises Summit: Insights into the Power of Content Marketing

Welcome to a whirlwind tour of the 2024 Selling Franchises Summit! As an Advisory Board member of the Titus School for Franchising, I had the opportunity to put together and moderate a marketing panel. And since marketing and sales go together like leads and opportunities, our panel was aptly named Content Marketing: the Key that Unlocks Franchise Leads.

Over two days (January 18 and 19) in West Palm Beach, Florida, the summit was a treasure trove of insights and takeaways, especially for those passionate about marketing and franchising like me.

Content Marketing Everywhere

– Carey Gille’s (CEO, Frachise FastLane) HERO Framework: Donal Miller’s “Creating a Storybrand” book and the HERO framework, emphasizing understanding your audience’s conflict, differentiating your brand, restructuring your FDD, and becoming their guide to hero status.

– Jennifer LoBianco’s (CMO, Best Life Brands) Human Connection: Jennifer reminded us that franchisee storytelling should focus on the human connection. It’s not just about ROI; it’s about emotional engagement.

– Tony Padulo (CDO, School of Rock) on Relatability: Tony underscored the importance of relatability – help potential franchisees see themselves in the business, by highlighting their journey and stories of current franchise owners.

– Brent Dowling’s (CEO, Raintree) Lead Generation Tips: Brent urged us to attract leads through high-value content, suggesting innovative approaches like quizzes, e-books, webinars, and 5-10-page PDFs rather than traditional lead forms. He shared so many valuable quick tips for faster conversions.

– Jeff Dudan’s (CEO, Homefront Brands) Wisdom: Jeff reminded us that the last 10% often demands 500% more effort. Building relationship equity instead of transactional bonds is crucial. Fake work, or working on the wrong problem, can hinder progress.

– My Panel on Content Marketing: During my panel, I noted that many franchises lack a content marketing strategy, a common issue in the broader business landscape. But the hope is that this will change as businesses recognize the immense benefits of content marketing in franchise sales.

Integrate, Collaborate, and Measure

– Taylor Gregory’s (Director of Marketing, United Franchise group) Insight: Taylor emphasized the importance of integrating content marketing into the overall marketing strategy. She introduced the “marketing wheel,” a visual representation of opportunities to amplify messages. Collaboration across departments is essential for uncovering the best ideas.

– Jill Abrahamsen (Editor-in-Chief, FranchiseWire) on Measuring Results: Jill stressed the significance of measuring results in a digital world where brand research starts with Google. She highlighted the value of appearing on authoritative news websites and the measurability of such media articles through KPIs like page views, clickthrough rates, and engagement.

– Matt Ritter’s (VP, Fish Consulting) Consistency: Matt underscored the importance of telling a consistent brand story across multiple channels. He shared how proactively placing positive, brand-consistent stories in the media can outweigh negative information. Seemingly mundane franchisee stories can be turned into captivating narratives for prospects.

Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Content Marketing

The 2024 Selling Franchises Summit was a testament to the pivotal role of content marketing in franchise development success. It’s not just about what you say; it’s about how you say it, how often you say it, where you say it, who you say it with, and who repeats it. By understanding your audience, integrating content marketing into your strategy, measuring results, and staying consistent, your franchise brand can attract the future rockstar franchisees every franchisor dreams of.

So, as you embark on your journey to expand your franchise brand, remember that the key to unlocking franchise leads often lies in the power of compelling storytelling and strategic content marketing. Keep dialing faster, keep innovating, and keep building those invaluable relationships. The music is indeed made between the notes.

And for those marketing leaders of franchise companies out there, remember: when it comes to building a new website or crafting a winning content strategy, we’re here to help! Start by downloading our free guide – 5 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Planning a Franchise Website, or simply request a discovery call.