People want to connect with companies that have a deeper meaning these days. Sharing your franchise’s story is a powerful way to do that.
How Storytelling Helps Your Franchise Marketing:
- Makes customers care about your brand
- Builds trust with them
- Shows how you’re different from competitors
There’s even a tool called the Story Brand Frame work that can help you craft a compelling story that explains your values and goals. This builds loyalty with your audience.
Why Brand Consistency Matters:
According to Marq’s 2021 Brand Consistency Report, 33% of organizations that maintain brand consistency generate greater income than those who do not. Furthermore, brand consistency reduces misunderstanding among franchise owners, who all strive for the same goal.
Having a fundamental understanding of exactly what the business does, how those leads think in terms of search, and then making it as easy as possible for those leads to convert into dollars is our ultimate goal.
Finding Your “Why”
Your brand story is linked to understanding your “why” – your mission and core values.
- Why are you in business?
- What problems do you solve?
Customers connect with brands that share their values. Think of Nike’s “inspire and innovate for every athlete in the world” or Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad. Both messages connect with their audience.
A strong mission statement is the foundation of your story. Consider working with a marketing consultant to develop one.
Using the Story Brand Framework for Digital Franchise Marketing
The Story Brand Framework is a 7-step approach to create stories that motivate people to take action. It starts with your ideal customer (the hero) and the challenges they face. Your product or service is the guide that helps them overcome these challenges. Customers see themselves as the hero in your story, building trust with your brand.
The Framework has 7 key elements:
- Hero: Who are you trying to reach?
- Difficulty: What problem are they facing?
- Guide: How does your product/service solve it?
- Plan: What steps do they need to take?
- Call to Action: What do you want them to do next?
- Happy Ending: What happens if they take action?
- Moral of the Story: What do they miss out on by not taking action?
Beyond the 4 Ps of Marketing
Traditionally, branding focused on product, price, placement, and promotion. Storytelling adds three more Ps: Purpose, People, and Promise.
Purpose: Your mission statement, or “why.”
People: Who are your ideal customers?
Promise: Why should they choose you over the competition?
Answering these questions can help you create a powerful brand message that’s not a sales pitch, but a story that motivates people to take action and choose you over the competition. This is where digital franchise marketing thrives – a captivating story helps customers connect with your brand.
Franchise Marketing Strategies for SEO.
Many franchises use storytelling in marketing materials and ads. But did you know it can also improve your website’s ranking in search results? Great SEO goes beyond just getting traffic – it’s about understanding what success looks like for your franchise.
One of the factors that distinguishes basic SEO work from exceptional SEO work is determining what is a key success statistic for the franchise. It's more than just increasing organic traffic or form fills,
Here’s how to use storytelling for franchise SEO:
Content with a Hero: Write website content that focuses on your customers (the hero!). Use keywords related to their needs and problems. For example, if you sell home security systems, your keywords might be “home security installation” or “peace of mind home security.”
Integrate these keywords naturally within your content, making it easy for both people and search engines to understand. Think about your ideal customer’s pain points and how your products or services solve them. The more customers see themselves as the hero in your story, the more likely they are to take action.
Keywords for Every Story Step: Each part of the Story Brand Framework has its own relevant keywords. Think about what words your customers might use at each stage of their journey. For example, someone needing a home security system might search for “best home security systems”, “home security system cost”, or “DIY home security vs professional.”
Use these keywords strategically in your blog posts and other website content relevant to each Story Brand Framework stage.
Consistent Story Across Platforms: Don’t tell different stories on different platforms! Your message should be consistent everywhere, from your website to social media.
Think of it like rowing a boat – everyone needs to be working together in the same direction to reach your destination. A consistent message helps your customers connect with your brand and understand your story no matter how they find you.
Storytelling Websites and Landing Pages: Your website and landing pages are crucial for SEO. Optimize them using the Story Brand Framework. This means making it easy for visitors to take action and move through the different stages of your story.
This could include visible call-to-action buttons throughout your website or interactive features that help customers understand their needs better. The goal is to make it easy for people to find what they’re looking for quickly.
Internal Linking for Better Visibility: The Story Brand Framework can also benefit from internal linking, which means connecting different pages on your website. By linking each stage of the Framework together, you show search engines how your story unfolds and how everything connects. This helps search engines understand your website better and potentially improve your ranking in search results.
Aligning Marketing Efforts throughout Your Franchise
Garon said
“Marketing collaboration takes place when there is a single point of contact, a captain or in our case an Account Manager who identifies the areas of need and areas of improvement, cascades that information out to the team and the team then aligns on those mutual goals”
The Story Brand Framework can be a great tool, but for it to work best, everyone in your franchise needs to be “on the same page.” Here’s how:
One Point of Contact: Imagine a captain steering the ship. In your case, an Account Manager acts as that captain. They identify areas where your marketing can be improved and share that information with everyone.
Work Together: Your Account Manager (or content marketing strategist) needs to talk to everyone in the company, from employees to partners. This ensures everyone understands the plan and communicates the message consistently.
Spread the Story Everywhere: Brand storytelling is different from traditional marketing. It’s about connecting with customers emotionally. Use all the channels you can to reach them, like social media and email marketing.
The Power of Story: How K&N's and Colonel Sanders Won Hearts (and Sales)
Brand storytelling isn’t just about catchy slogans. It’s about building a relationship you’re your customers on an emotional level. A great example is K&N’s in Pakistan.
K&N’s: A Story Rooted in National Pride
K&N’s is a perfect example. After Pakistan gained independence, many people lacked proper protein due to limited resources. K&N’s stepped in, positioning itself as a leader in the poultry industry since 1964. Their mission was to Building a Healthier Nation Through Quality Poultry.
This story connects with Pakistanis on an emotional level. K&N’s becomes a symbol of positive change during a crucial time. They even use the word “History” to emphasize their legacy of helping the nation.
To further connect, K&N’s uses the tagline “Pakistan’s favorite chicken,” creating a sense of national pride and reminding people of K&N’s whenever they think of chicken.
Colonel Sanders: From Roadside to Global Icon
Colonel Sanders’ story is another powerful example. It’s a key part of KFC’s success and has helped them sell more chicken! Here’s how:
Authenticity: The story of starting a small fried chicken restaurant feels real. People connect with Sanders’ journey and the original recipe created in a roadside kitchen. This builds trust with customers.
Relatable Origin: Starting with a roadside stand is inspiring! It shows success can come from anywhere, reinforcing the idea of the American Dream. This appeals to a wide audience.
Iconic Image: Colonel Sanders’ image is instantly recognizable and connects KFC with Southern comfort food. His friendly persona aligns well with their Southern-inspired menu.
Consistent Branding: KFC consistently uses Colonel Sanders’ image across everything, making the brand easy to remember.
Nostalgia & Heritage: For older customers, Colonel Sanders brings back memories. For new customers, it creates a sense of tradition.
The Takeaway: Stories Build Strong Brands
Both K&N’s and Colonel Sanders show how brand storytelling can create emotional connections, build trust, and ultimately lead to more sales.
Groww offers SEO-driven franchise marketing strategies
It takes time and effort to craft a great story about your franchise. But with the right partner, you can share your unique message and connect with customers.
Groww specializes in franchise marketing. We help you:
Develop strong relationships with your customers through engaging digital marketing.
Tell your unique story and stand out from the crowd.
Use SEO (search engine optimization) to get found by more customers online.
We understand the competitive franchise industry. Let’s work together to bring the power of storytelling to your franchise marketing!
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