Rev PR: Want to Stand Out From From The Crowd
As part of our partnership with Rev PR, we asked them to create a blog for our exhibitors. You’ve already made the great decision to exhibit at IFS20, so now TeamRev has some advice on how to stand out from the crowd.
It’s now less than a month until the International Franchise Show opens its doors to thousands of potential franchisees. Some exhibitors have already been in touch and we’ve included a dozen franchise brands in our campaign to attract visitors from a wide range of backgrounds to the show. The question now is, with so many franchise opportunities tempting those visitors, how do you plan to stand out from the crowd?
More exposure
It’s generally agreed in the marketing profession that someone needs to see or hear about your brand a minimum of seven times before they’ll buy - so if you hit that around three times with your listing in the show guide, an ad in an e-newsletter and your stand at the show, what else can you be doing to increase those all-important impressions and touch points?
Share your latest news with the IFS team and they’ll add it to the show’s website
Include details about exhibiting at the show in all your media relations running up to the event
Ask your franchisees to talk about how useful they found franchise shows in their research before investing in a franchise - videos or written testimonials can be shared on social media.
All of this will help to increase coverage, mentions and awareness of your brand in the run up to the show. The aim of the game being that when people arrive, they come looking for you. This is a great way to support the generation of your on-stand enquiries.
Of course, as people see and hear more of you, you may well receive enquiries prior to the show. This is a golden opportunity to use the show itself as a platform to progress the relationship. Offering to meet face-to-face at the event can increase your chances of a franchisee sign-up in the near future.
A commitment to regular, positive PR ensures that no matter what the media channel, a consistent brand message that supports your USPs can always be found. So, even if you get someone enquiring for the first time after IFS20, your efforts mean that when that prospect is ready to make a decision, you’ll be first in line.
More trust
Building trust is essential to secure a new franchisee and the earlier you can form a relationship with a prospect the better. We also know that whilst we need to advertise as part of our marketing mix, the savvy consumers of today don’t trust ads as they did 10 or more years ago. According to the latest Nielsen Trust in Advertising Report, Earned Media - that which comes from a third party rather than the brand itself - is trusted more than paid-for promotions. Earned media includes things like editorials in newspapers, testimonials and reviews.
How can you build trust without meeting a prospect face-to-face? Your franchise needs to be represented by your prospects’ peers in the form of case studies and PR with strong testimonials.
More value
Look for the great stories in your network and find a way to tell them in an engaging and newsworthy way. Understanding what matters to your ideal prospects and how to communicate with them will significantly boost your recruitment efforts.
Contributing to or producing your own bespoke expert editorial pieces is a great way to set yourself apart from your competitors. Giving non-salesy, valuable advice will cement you as the industry expert in the eyes of your prospects. And let’s face it, who are they more likely to buy from?
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