Whiteboard Weekly #33 – Franchise Recruitment Update (COVID-19)

In my last franchise recruitment update in January, I spoke about how post-Brexit we could be seeing a better year for overall interest in franchising. Cleary the events of the last few weeks have changed any predictions made for this year!

At this very moment, things are tough, no doubt. However, there is plenty of evidence to show that what’s to come could be very exciting for franchise recruitment!

Insights from the PR Industry

Can the franchise industry benefit from the type of content the PR industry are publishing?

Just as we see spikes in Google searches, there are spikes in the type of content journalists – on and off line – produce. The journalism trends below, show the types of articles and PR, journalists are currently publishing.

What you might not expect to see, because of the prevalent focus on “Coronavirus” and “Covid-19”, is an increase in published articles about “Franchising”, “Run a business” and “Work from Home”.

At Coconut Creatives, we’ve always maintained, based on our knowledge of Google Searches during previous economic uncertainties, how well franchising does at times like this. Now, based on the PR industry, you can see this to be true at this current moment.

“Work from home”:

“Run a Business”

“Franchising”

What this means for you?

This the opportune time for you to raise awareness of your brand, and support your local journalist. Source good news stories from within your network. For example, I know of franchisees who are supporting the NHS, supporting people in isolation, or rushing PPE/equipment to hospitals. 

These real life stories are exactly what your local journalists are looking for. It is a great way for your brand to be named, and people will remember it, when this is all over.

Not sales: brand awareness. Now is not the time to push your brand or your key messaging. Now is the time to show how you and your network are actively supporting the fight against Covid-19. If published, the journalists will come back to you after all this, to ask for other stories – which will be your time to share more of your brand’s key messaging.

For further information on how to do this, email steph@coconutcreatives.co.uk

 

Source: MuckRack

Whiteboard Weekly #32 – Native Communications

Communication has changed immensely, and continues to do so all the time. But how often do you adapt how you communicate with your prospects?

Most businesses still rely heavily on phone calls and email, and I’m guessing you do too. Whilst these are still valid methods, most people today use text-based communications, like WhatsApp and Messenger. These are where people feel most comfortable, or you could say, more ‘native’. Are you able to reach your audience through these means? Developing how your business uses new technology to communicate is the best way to optimise all opportunities for reaching your prospects.

Whiteboard Weekly #31 – It’s all about Attention!

The pace of change in technology, the way we communicate and how we consume content has never been faster! This change is leading to an almighty battle for the ‘Attention’ of our prospects and clients as their behaviors change and develop. It is essential in this modern marketing world that every business has a clear grasp on where the ‘Attention’ of their prospects and clients is, and how they can ensure they reach and communicate with them effectively through whatever mediums they may use.

Whiteboard Weekly #30 – What can your prospects find out about you online?

Let’s admit it, we all believe we can research our own purchasing decisions with the help of Google and rely less on companies to guide our decisions. But are we all crystal clear on what our prospects can find out about us online? Do we do enough to ensure we have lots of great content visible in key searches about our business? In the video, I talk about this in terms of someone looking to buy a franchise, but of course, this remains relevant for any product or service.