This document discusses content marketing strategies for franchise development. It defines content marketing as communicating with prospects without direct selling in order to move them through the franchise sales cycle. It recommends creating content to build brand awareness, establish expertise, generate leads, and convert visitors into leads. The key aspects are content mapping the buyer's journey, developing content for the awareness, evaluation, and purchase stages, creating buyer personas, and deploying a drip email marketing strategy using content like eBooks, reports, and testimonials.

1. Content Marketing for
Franchise Development
Fishman PR

2. Overview
• What is Content Marketing?
• Benefits of Content Marketing
• Inbound Marketing for Franchise Lead
Generation
• Content Marketing Services List

3. Content marketing is the new way to market franchise opportunities.
Traditional advertising methods just don’t cut it any more.
What is content marketing for franchise development?
Content marketing for franchise development is the practice of
communicating with prospects without selling. It begins with mapping out the
franchise sales cycle and then creating content to move prospects through
that cycle.
WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

4. Buying Has Changed Forever
The franchise buying process has fundamentally changed. It is no longer
about the needs of the brand. Prospects are spending more time on the Web
doing independent research, obtaining information from their peers and
other third parties. Franchise brands that recognize this revolution in the
franchise sales process and focus on the needs of prospects will experience
system growth.
WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

5. Instead of hard selling your franchise opportunity,
you are delivering information that makes your
potential franchisee more intelligent. The core of this
content strategy is the belief that if you, as a
franchise brand, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable
information to prospects, you will be rewarded with
their investment in your brand.
WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING?

6. • Brand Awareness: Providing content of interest to potential
franchisees will keep your brand top of mind.
• Search Engine Optimization: Search engines reward companies that
publish high quality, optimized content on a consistent basis. Search
rankings drive traffic to your website.
• Establish Expertise & Trust: Providing valuable information to your
prospective franchisees without direct selling, establishes your
brand as a trusted expert.
• Lead Generation: Content is key to converting inbound traffic to
leads.
BENEFITS OF CONTENT MARKETING

7. Awareness Evaluation
Strangers Visitors Leads
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Leads
Franchise Sale

8. Awareness Convert Close
Strangers
Attract prospects to your website or blog
using the following techniques…
Blogging - Creating high-quality content optimized for
SEO. Content should not be overtly promotional or
feature sales language at this stage.
Social Media - Networking through channels like
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
PR - Raising awareness of the brand and franchise
opportunity.
Paid Ads - Targeted social ads, PPC campaigns, etc.
Word of Mouth - If your franchisees are happy, they will
tell others about the opportunity.
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN

9. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content
marketing…
It all begins with content mapping.
Evaluation
Visitors Leads
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
What are the paths to take a franchise lead
from awareness, to evaluation, to purchase?
Start by determining the path a lead would take
when navigating through the sales funnel.

10. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content marketing…
Content Mapping & The Buying Cycle
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Content mapping becomes important during these stages because franchise prospects'
needs are different depending on which stage in the buying cycle they fall into.
Awareness: Franchise leads have either become aware of your franchise opportunity, or
they have become aware that they have a need or desire that must be fulfilled.
Evaluation: Franchise leads are aware that your franchise opportunity could fulfill their
need, and they are trying to determine whether your brand is the best fit.
Purchase: Franchise leads are ready to invest in your brand.

11. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content
marketing…
It all begins with content mapping.
Evaluation
Visitors Leads
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
What content assets can be deployed along those paths to help advance franchise leads to the
next stage in the buying cycle? Now that you know the paths a lead might take to convert into a
customer, what type of content assets should they receive to nurture them along the way? Take an
inventory of existing assets and identify assets that need to be developed.
Awareness
Whitepapers, Ebook, Kit,
Checklist, How-To Video,
Educational Webinar
Evaluation
Case Study, Franchisee
Testimonials, FAQ, Franchise
Report
Franchise Sale
Live Webinar w/Sales Team,
Discovery Day, In Person
Meeting

12. Close
5 areas to build content around…
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Problem/Solution: What are the three to five problems that your prospect is faced
with that your franchise opportunity can solve for them?
Success factors: What are the tangible or intangible metrics or rewards that the
prospect associates with success, such as leaving the corporate world or income
potential?
Perceived barriers/Objections: What factors could prompt the prospect to question
whether your franchise opportunity is right for them?
Buying process: What process does this prospect follow in exploring and selecting a
franchise opportunity?
Decision criteria: What aspects does the prospect look at in evaluating and
comparing your brand vs. alternative franchise opportunities? The decision criteria
should include insights both from prospects who chose a competitor and those who
decide not to invest in a franchise at all.

13. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content
marketing…
It all begins with content mapping.
Evaluation
Visitors Leads
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
How do you need to adjust the messaging in those content assets to align
with the persona to whom you're speaking? Identify them based on their
information and behaviors, so that you can appropriately target your
marketing to them.

14. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content
marketing…
Buyer Persona Development
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
A buyer persona is a composite sketch, representative of a segment of your target market.
A persona is focused on the roles and responsibilities of particular franchise prospects that
you are going to try to establish dialogue and conversation with.
In franchise sales, the focus is on the desires, needs and problems of the franchise
prospect.
• What issues or problems do they have that the franchise opportunity can solve?
• How will the franchise opportunity fulfill the needs of the franchise prospect?
• What common questions and objections come up regarding the franchise opportunity?
How will you answer these questions?
• How will you get them over their objections?

15. Close
Deploy Content Mapping Strategy-
The strategy begins at the end of the franchise sales process.
We determine the paths a prospective franchise might take
when navigating through the sales funnel. Lay out multiple
scenarios in which prospects convert into franchisees and
trace back which actions they might have taken from their
first conversion to the closing of the deal. Identify content
that should be deployed throughout the franchise
prospect’s journey.
Evaluation
Visitors Leads
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Example Content: Content can be
offered as an incentive to fill out a
lead generation form. The type of
content downloaded and the
information collected in the form
will help segment prospects.
Here’s what a conversion path may look like:
Visit company blog >> Convert on ebook call-to-action >> Click
through to site on ebook nurturing campaign offer >> Navigate
to Get More Franchise Information Page >> Click through to site
on franchisee testimonial nurture email and download franchise
report>> Receive link to franchise application email >> submit
franchise application>> Receive call from franchise development
team >> Become a franchisee

16. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content marketing…
Deploy Content Mapping Strategy
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Drip email marketing programs
Drip email marketing campaigns engage your
franchise prospects with a series of email
messages delivered at scheduled intervals.
Over time, as people respond, you'll learn
more about their needs and interests.

17. Close
Convert site visitors to leads with content marketing…
Email Campaigns-
INBOUND MARKETING FOR FRANCHISE LEAD GEN
Nurture email marketing programs
Nurture email marketing campaigns are a type of
drip marketing program that takes undecided
franchise prospects along an educational path,
keeping your franchise opportunity top of mind
until the prospect becomes sales-ready.

18. CONTENT MARKETING SERVICES LIST
Research & Strategy:
Target Market Research and Evaluation
Buyer Persona Development
Keyword Research
Inbound Marketing Strategy
Platform and Tool Selection
Development:
Blog Design and Development
Inbound Marketing for Franchise Lead Generation
Content Development:
• Blog Post Writing
• Website Copy
• White Papers
• eBooks
• Byline Articles
• email Design & Writing
• E-newsletter Design & Writing
• Franchise Reports
• Virtual Brochure Design & Writing
• Photography
• Video Production
• Graphic Design
• Infographic Development and Design
• Podcast Creation
Management & Reporting:
Platform and Tool Management
Email Campaign Management
eNewsletter Management
Social Media Management
Monitoring, Tracking, Reporting