The Benefits of Internet Marketing for Franchisees

In today’s technology-driven world, the internet has become part of everyday life. It is used to control everything from military operations to home entertainment systems. The social media boom has meant that a huge number of people are connected to the web almost 24 hours a day; and with such a massive audience, it makes perfect sense that a company of any kind could benefit from focusing its marketing efforts on the World Wide Web.

Internet marketing is a broad term which covers a number of different techniques and methods. These include:

Search engine optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the first things that often come to mind when internet marketing techniques are discussed. SEO combines a number of strategies to form an overall plan; the end-goal of which is to attract more people to a specific website. This is done by improving the ranking position that the site has on major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Such a plan will focus on aspects such as quality content, keyword placement and imagery to ensure the search engines are able to catalogue and rank the site efficiently; allowing more users to reach it.

Social media marketing

Over the last decade, social media sites have arguably taken over the Internet. Not only do websites such as Facebook and Twitter have so many users, they also integrate with many other types of sites and tools. It is for this reason that many companies choose to use such methods to promote their services. Never before has such a large pool of people been in one place and so easy to reach. This popularity, however, does mean that the method must be used intelligently in order to stand out and produce the correct results.

Pay per click advertising

Pay per click (PPC) allows businesses to only pay for advertisements after a potential customer chooses to pursue them. Websites which utilize PPC will show adverts based on the advertiser’s list of keywords to display content which is particularly relevant to the user. One of the advantages of using such methods is that success can be measured quickly.

The rise of franchises

In recent years, franchising has grown to be an established way into business for those who are looking to be self-employed. The development of the franchising sector in the past decade has seen the number of franchisees rise drastically, while the average turnover and the range of opportunities have also grown.

Web marketing for franchisees

When used correctly and efficiently, internet marketing has the power to help franchises move forward in an often-crowded marketplace. While conventional methods of promotion and advertising tend to be out of reach when it comes to budget, the use of such tools as social media, for example, can be a feasible option for many franchisees. As well as being cost-effective, sites like Facebook allow a company to portray a human image to its customers. A firm which regularly posts light-hearted but professional comments on Twitter, for example, can break the barriers down when it comes to customer engagement.

Social media, however, is only one part of internet marketing and must be used correctly and as part of a bigger plan to produce the best results. Also, with internet marketing campaigns available on a more flexible sliding scale, firms have the opportunity to use a plan which works for them as individual companies. Franchisees can also be given more control over the direction of the strategy. This is frequently more beneficial when compared with a one-size-fits-all policy and can often help the company in question to find an effective strategy which suits its budget.

Rebekah works for Engage Web, an online marketing firm based on the Wirral. With international and UK-based clients, Engage Web offers a range of internet marketing services, including SEO, social media optimization and web design.

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