Work the algorithms and help search engines like Google to index you
When it comes to an online presence one cannot stress enough what needs to be done – comment, share, like, and do it strategically. How much time do you sit on social media? The average person spends at minimum 2 and 1/2 hrs a day and to really benefit. As a business, if you want to be taken seriously you yourself may need to dedicate 3 hours a WEEK to do the bare minimum.
If you are serious about building your brand and growing your business you cannot ignore the internet. Newspaper and radio marketing is what people used before the internet and now you have the internet with 4.66 billion active internet users. How can you not leverage this phenomenal tool that can help you build income streams, find customers, analyse customers, and upskill yourself at the touch of a button.
The trick is to help your most likely customers find you and the only way to do this is to create content worth sharing, sharing strategically and to work the algorithms so that you are seen in the right places.
Optimize your website
This is something many have spoken about and is still important and very relevant. Google offers a wealth of information on what you need to put in place to help robots index your website on the internet. Perhaps what you are not seeing is that they can index you in more than one place depending on what content you supply and what instructions you give the robots.
Supply content for various marketing channels
If your goal is to recruit franchisees then you must spend time creating content that will resonate with this sector of the market and include it in your social media marketing schedule which should also include media partners. If you are not sharing content that informs people that you have franchise businesses to sell, how will they know?
Then look at what type of content is easy for you to create. Do you find it easier to write articles than putting together a video? Maybe you are a natural in front of the camera. What about a combination? Decide which is easiest for you to do and then start making a list of what content you can create and make a list of where you are going to post this content.
What do you say or write?
The place to start is by asking, “What content will my potential franchisee want to know besides the obvious?” What would help them make an informed decision?
- Think about yourself, what would you want to know before buying into someone’s vision, business, brand and culture?
- Ask your existing franchisees what information would help them in their business?
- Find opportunities that help you create content such as networking events and workshops.
Where can you make content visible?
For example, this article you are reading now. I published this article on my own website and shared it via my own social media channels. However, if I want to widen this range, I then share the article for publishing either with media partners, influencers or with Associations that you belong, in my instance it is FASA which is where you are reading this article now.
Utilise listings such as the FASA Directory listing if you are a member
Make it easy for the robots to notice you and make it easy for visitors to find out what they need to know about your franchise business so that they take the next step. Unless you are a well-known brand and a potential franchisee is looking for your franchise opportunity specifically, it may be difficult for someone looking for a business to find you if you are not indexed for search teams such as “franchise opportunities”, “franchise businesses for sale” or “buy a franchise business” which is where organisations such as FASA comes into play to help you widen your search results.
Every post, comment, every listing, every piece of content on the internet is considered a piece of content that bots index accordingly. Most businesses tend to treat online marketing as an afterthought, a non-essential, yet without marketing your business on the internet you are less likely to be taken seriously.
The tip here is to help the algorithms index you by association and recognise you for your industry sector. The tip here is to supply good content and content that is helpful to the user.
Mini Chess is one such franchise business that offers a wealth of information on FASA’s listing, making it easier for robots to index MiniChess and making it easy for a potential visitor to decide whether or not MiniChess is a good fit. As soon as you expect your visitor to go somewhere else you have more often than not lost them. What if the internet drops in that moment and they cannot get to your website? Are you willing to take the risk?
Implementing these basics is good for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). It is good for the algorithms but most importantly it is good for customer relations. It gives people an opportunity to learn more about you and the company they are going to be investing in. What impression are you making?
Romany Thresher is a strategic thinker and natural connector with a talent for identifying opportunities for your business or venture.
Organising, and overseeing your online digital systems and processes for your webinars and virtual events. Website set up, email communications, social media marketing and set up registration and feedback processes. Ensuring that you collect the necessary information to help you obtain a better understanding of your customer’s expectations.
Romany adds value to your business always being on the lookout for new opportunities to connect like-minded individuals who can add value to each other for a mutual benefit. Assisting you in online networking, lead generation, and giving you ideas and strategies to develop relationships with key stakeholders, sponsors, partners, and suppliers in your industry. Working in the background so you don’t have to.
What do you need to implement and upgrade in your life and in your business and who do you need to align yourself with so that you and those you work with and collaborate with can make a positive impact in your collective environments and communities?
Let’s find out!
