Netsertive Hosts its first Next Gen Franchise Roundtable: Key Insights and Strategies for Emerging Franchise Leaders

Netsertive hosted its first Next Gen Franchise Roundtable, bringing together emerging franchise marketing leaders from diverse brands. The roundtable is a group for networking, learning, and discussing key challenges facing junior and mid-level franchise marketers.

This session highlighted crucial topics like lead generation, franchisee communication, and the integration of AI technology in marketing. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the key takeaways from the discussions and offer actionable advice for franchise marketers aiming to drive growth and engagement.

Franchise Development Lead Generation: Exploring New Ideas and AI Integration

A key topic of discussion was how to improve franchise development lead generation, with participants focusing on the need for innovative strategies beyond traditional digital channels.

Key Insights and Strategies:

• Leverage AI Tools: Participants showed interest in tools like Lumen AI, which can accelerate lead qualification and streamline franchise development efforts. 
• Beyond Google and Facebook Ads: The group emphasized the importance of moving beyond paid advertising through platforms like Google and Facebook. Instead, a more holistic approach was encouraged, including content marketing and storytelling.
• Franchise Validation Through Storytelling: Highlighting the success stories of current franchisees was discussed as a powerful method to validate and attract new prospects.

Franchisee Communication and Engagement: Overcoming Challenges and Building Trust

Another central theme of the roundtable centered around the ongoing challenge of engaging franchisees effectively. Many participants shared their experiences and frustrations with low franchisee engagement, especially with emails and other marketing communications.

Key Strategies and Considerations:

• Personalized Communication: Building trust with franchisees is critical. Participants suggested using personalized communication, such as personal phone calls, to improve engagement.
• Identify Key Franchisees as Champions: Some participants found success by identifying influential franchisees who could serve as communication champions, helping to motivate others within the network.
• Leverage Automation: For managing diverse product offerings across multiple locations, marketing automation tools like news centers were mentioned as an effective solution to ensure consistent and localized communication.

Enhancing Franchisee Relationships: Best Practices for Engagement

Building stronger relationships with franchisees emerged as a crucial factor in driving franchisee participation and overall success.

Best Practices for Franchisee Engagement:

• Effective Use of Phone Calls: While email remains a crucial tool, phone calls were seen as a more direct and personal method of communication, especially when trying to resolve challenges or build rapport.
• Leveraging Franchisee Success Stories: Showcasing success stories was highlighted as a way to not only motivate franchisees but also inspire prospective franchisees during lead generation efforts.

Conclusion: Building a Community of Learning and Growth

By fostering a community of learning and open discussion, this group aims to continue driving growth and success for franchise brands through innovative marketing strategies, enhanced franchisee engagement, and the integration of new technologies.

For more information on upcoming roundtable sessions or to get involved, stay tuned for the next meeting details and breakout room topics in December.