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When Marketing Your Franchise, Think Outside Your Walls!
By: Jania Bailey
As a franchise business owner, making your marketing and advertising dollars work for you is critical. Making sure you’re getting a bang for your buck is more important than ever. Whether or not you consider yourself an Internet marketing master, FranNet is going to tackle a subject which will give you the tools to increase your customer reach. It’s called the Webinar, and if you aren’t familiar with the term, then get ready for a crash course. First and foremost, a webinar is exactly what it sounds like, an online seminar held over the web. And you get to be the star! And you don’t need to be technically savvy to be highly successful!
When a webinar is conducted correctly, you’ll give an online presentation to an online audience. The goal is to educate your prospective customers on your particular business or service. Webinars are becoming much more prevalent in today’s Internet world and for good reason. They’re simple, cost-efficient to conduct and, if marketed correctly, can reach a wide-ranging audience. You’ll need some basic equipment which, quite frankly, comes pretty standard with any computer setup these days. A camera and a microphone (or sometimes over the phone works too) for you, along with an interesting presentation deck round out the necessary items.
How do you begin? There are many services out there to allow you to look like a seasoned pro when conducting your webinar.
- Readytalk.com has several packages available depending on the number of participants you may expect at your webinar. They even have a 30-day free trial to allow you dip your toe in the webinar water to see if it’s something you may need and enjoy doing.
- GoToMeeting’s Webinar Service Pack is available for $79.00 if you expect less than 1,000 in your audience. There is a complete tutorial online at the site with plenty of helpful tips. In fact, a full training course for conducting webinars is explained for you in plain English.
While you can learn quite a bit about webinars in a short amount of time, here are some additional helpful hints that you’ll want to put into practice:
- Have an engaging topic in mind for your audience. Do you own a handyman franchise? Perhaps your webinar will include a few catchy do it yourself (DIY) tips for household problems, along with tips on how your customers can save money over time by utilizing your services. Just don’t make it too “sales-y” or your audience may be put off.
- Advertise your webinar early and often. Create an email blast announcement and send it to your contacts about a month and a half before the webinar. Send reminders at 30 days, then 15 to ensure that people have the chance to sign up for free. Mention the upcoming webinar on your company site and social media channels.
- Conduct the webinar in a professional manner. If it’s supposed to be a 30-minute show, keep it to 30 minutes—because this is the amount of time your audience has budgeted. And definitely make sure you test your connectivity and equipment before it’s show time!
- Record your webinar. This will allow you to share with others through social media or send the link via email to individuals who may not have been able to attend the live webinar. It’s good, ongoing marketing of your expertise!
When it comes to marketing your local franchise, sometimes it’s healthy to think outside your four walls. Webinars are gaining popularity on the Internet and for good reason. It’s a convenient way for you to get your franchise business message across while your audience learns a thing or two.
This article was originally published by FranNet
Published: October 20, 2014
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