Creating a franchise marketing plan in seven steps

Which seven steps do you go through?

1. Analysis: how are the franchise brand and its locations performing online?
2. Goals: what do you want to achieve, nationally and per location?
3. Target groups: customers and future franchisees.
4. Division of tasks: who does what?
5. Channels: which channels nationally, which locally?
6. Budget: allocation of the marketing fund.
7. Measurement plan: KPIs and reporting rhythm.

How do you carry out a good baseline measurement?

Choose a representative sample of locations: a strong one, an average one and a weak one. For each location, look at the Google Business Profile, the position in Maps, reviews, the location page and mentions in AI assistants. This is exactly what we do in the free, no-obligation marketing scan.

Which goals belong in a franchise marketing plan?

Set goals at two levels and make them measurable.

How do you record the division of tasks in the plan?

Use a simple matrix that shows, for each task, the owner, who contributes and who is kept informed. That prevents the familiar problem of everyone thinking someone else is doing it. At the very least, include the Google Business Profiles, reviews, local promotions, advertising and reporting.

How do you budget the marketing plan?

Start with the fixed costs per location, such as profile management and review management. Add the national campaigns and keep a reserve for openings and seasonal promotions. Compare the total against the expected fund. If it does not add up, cut the campaigns with the least measurable effect first, not the local basics. A worked example per location can be found under what franchise marketing costs.

How do you make sure the plan is actually carried out?

Most plans fall apart in execution. So assign an owner and a deadline to each task and plan a fixed monthly cycle. If the capacity is lacking, you can hand the execution to a specialist; see a marketing plan for your franchise brand and how the partnership works. For budget decisions, how a marketing fund works is a useful addition.

How do you make sure the marketing plan gets implemented?

A plan only works if someone carries it out. Appoint an owner for each component, plan the first ninety days in concrete terms and discuss progress every month on the basis of the figures per location. Involve franchisees early: present the plan to the franchisee advisory council and make clear what they will notice in practice. If your own team lacks the capacity, you can hand the execution to a specialist; the trade-off is set out in pros and cons of outsourcing marketing. How to combine national and local in the plan is covered in budget split between head office and locations.