The Google AdWords has long been one of the most effective ways to utilize Inbound marketing into your business. However, things can get tricky when the business model includes a franchisor and franchisee relationship. Some issues may arise as to the management of campaigns, how local marketing comes into play, and how to measure a campaign’s success.
Here are some of the issues a franchise business model faces when using PPC marketing strategies with Google’s AdWords.
Who’s In Control?
One of the big issues within the franchise business is determining who’s in control of the various parts of the business. Is the responsibility on the franchisor or the franchisee? This is no different when it comes to marketing, advertising and AdWord campaigns.
Franchisors want the brand standards, brand consistency, and overall message to be the same across the whole range of their franchises. Yet franchisees want to be able to control their ad spend and provide the local market knowledge they have about their customers.
The answer to the ‘who’s in control?’ question really depends on the business and the relationship between the various parties. Oftentimes the franchisor will be in charge of the marketing, yet it is best to be in a partnership with the franchisee in order to ensure local relevance and proper geo-tagging.
Who’s Creating Content?
Just as the previous topic, determining who will actually be creating the content will be contingent on the business model. If the head office is creating the content and dispensing it to the franchises, there is a serious issue of getting flagged by Google for duplicate content issues. It is a major no-no if all franchisees are using the same content on each of their web sites and in their marketing campaigns.
A good option for franchisors is to create multiple variations of content and then allow the franchisees have the final pick on what actual content they use. This way, the corporate office manages the actual copy and ‘content’ of the content, while franchisees can personalize it for their market and web page.
Where Are The Customers Going?
Customers need to go to a web page for their local franchise and feel as if they’re not on a corporate page, but rather their local store’s personalized page. It is highly recommended that each franchise (or at least small region) have its own landing page in order to ensure local customers are getting directed to their local franchise.
The content on that page must also be localized for that market. If there is more than one franchise in a region, create a page with the list of franchises in the area so the customer can choose the store closest to them.
What’s the Measure?
One great tool with Google AdWords is the ability to track, measure and compare AdWords campaigns within Google Analytics. But with franchises and franchisors, this can be a difficult task.
Automating reports is a great way to streamline the process, and tailor them to your needs. Reporting helps measure a campaign’s success and provides valuable feedback to both the franchisor and the franchisee. Creating a report that breaks down by franchise area will enable continual feedback on what’s working and what’s not.
Google AdWords is a powerful tool and can be even more so when franchisors and franchisees partner together to ensure a successful PPC marketing strategy.
If you need any help setting up an AdWords campaign or are struggling to find the partnership with your franchisees or franchisor, Seapoint Digital can help. Call us today for an evaluation of your current situation and provide opportunities for growth.
