In a recent one-on-one, I had the opportunity to discuss the role of video content in franchise lead generation with Glenn Walford, the force behind Magnetic Business Media and Franchise Buyer.
Our conversation underscored the immense potential of video content in the franchising industry and the urgency for franchisors to adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
Before we begin, my honest thoughts………
Since 2019 when I took over the Jim’s Group social media and create an internal media team we have grown from 3,650 to 5,050 franchisees in 2023. Prior to 2019, we were stagnant for around 10 years, I should know, I have been there for 12 years.
As Jim’s Group CEO, Jim Penman has stated numerous times on video “The number one reason we have grown is because of our social media and video”.
Now, we have established that business fact and reality, why aren’t other brands using services like Glenn’s or the strategy I have implemented with Jim’s?
To be fair, most franchise brands concentrate on the B2C element first, where as with Jim’s we have more than 220,000 unserviced leads each year, so my focus can be on B2B.
However, I do believe from seeing everything I do online on LinkedIn, etc….from other brands that marketing managers, boards, executives, etc….are being extremely slack in their embracement of organic daily social media and video content.
This attitude of “If I post a video, how many franchise inquiries will I get?” is outdated and an old-school mindset I see for most franchise brands that focus on other ways to generate franchise inquiries.
Whereas with us, it’s very simple.
We create daily multiple pieces of video content showing everything about our training, system, Jim’s personal brand, franchisee interviews, podcasts, etc…so that when people see our Facebook or Seek ad and research us, they find so much information to consume that they spend hours watching our video content before coming to training (which they all do)
Franchising is a great way to get into business, yet most franchise systems hide their information and put nothing online, this is wrong!
You should be proud of your system and transparent about it, if not, get out of the game and stop screwing people over. I could name a few now-defunct franchise home service brands that did exactly this.
I will write a lot more about my thoughts on this and don’t take it personally if you’re one of the people I am aiming this at.
However, there is so much opportunity with video content now and great services like Glenn’s to use with on-going content packs for a very affordable price that you’re missing out on the one thing that helped Jim’s Group grow to 5,000 franchisees in the last 4 years.
Create video and daily social media content on multiple channels, that’s it!
Leveraging Video Content in Franchise Marketing
During our chat, Glenn and I concurred on the potency of video content for franchisors. It’s a powerful tool that not only helps attract potential franchisees but also plays a pivotal role in engaging customers and fostering brand loyalty. However, to maximize these benefits, franchisors must stay proactive and continually adapt their strategies to the ever-changing digital marketing landscape.
Storytelling: A Key Element in Franchise Content Marketing
One of the significant takeaways from our conversation was the critical role of storytelling in content marketing for franchises. Glenn emphasized that franchisors need to craft a compelling brand story around their franchise opportunity. This involves creating long-form content, segmenting it, and repurposing it across various platforms. This strategy enables franchisors to engage with their audience in a more meaningful and impactful way.
Embracing Social Media in Franchise Marketing
In today’s digital age, maintaining a robust social media presence is a must for any franchise business. Glenn warned that franchisors who fail to leverage social media and do not consistently narrate their story risk becoming irrelevant. He encouraged franchisors to be active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram and to use these platforms to share their brand story and engage with their audience.
The Future of Franchising: A Shift Towards Challenger Brands
Looking ahead, Glenn predicted that challenger brands – young, vibrant brands with momentum – will start to chip away at the market share of older, more established brands. These challenger brands will effectively leverage social media, taking customer market share at an increasingly rapid rate.
Kickstarting Video Content in Franchise Marketing
For those looking to get started with video content, Glenn recommended starting with podcasts. Podcasts offer a transparent and disarming way to communicate a message. They can be cut up into smaller parts and shared across various platforms, allowing potential franchisees to consume the content in a way that suits them.
In conclusion, my conversation with Glenn Walford highlighted the significant potential of video content in franchise marketing. By leveraging video content and social media, franchisors can engage with their audience, build brand loyalty, and ultimately generate more franchise enquiries.
To learn more about Glenn Walford and his work, visit Franchise Buyer or Magnetic Business Media.
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Transcript
Joel Kleber: [0:00] So, Glenn, let’s talk about what you do. Please introduce yourself.
Glenn Walford: [0:02] Sure, my name is Glenn Walford. I’ve got two brands, Magnetic Business Media and Franchise Buyer. Magnetic Business Media is a content marketing business mainly focusing on video production and media. Franchise Buyer is a database and an information resource website for people who are interested in getting into franchising. We help franchisors and potential franchise owners come together.
Joel Kleber: [0:23] We get along very well because we both create a lot of video content for businesses. We understand its importance and the challenges in convincing others of its impact. Can you talk about your thoughts on content production and how it’s actually an easy and affordable thing to do?
Glenn Walford: [0:40] Thanks. I see you doing a lot of stuff out there. The key is creating long-form content, cutting it up, and doing stuff with it. Many brands think it’s hard to do, but it’s not. It’s about putting in some effort and having a little bit of desire to get it done. Many brands get overwhelmed by all the challenges. If they just grabbed their phone and interviewed someone, they could create hours of content. I invite brands to do a video with us, but 50% don’t want to do it. They don’t know what to say.
Joel Kleber: [1:25] I think the key is making them comfortable during the interview and filming in a way that’s not intimidating. Also, with franchising, it’s not an instant process. It might be a six to 12-month investigation process, and you’ve got to have a constant flow of content for them to watch and consume. They’re investing a significant amount in a business, and they want to know everything about you.
Glenn Walford: [1:57] Absolutely. Franchisors are addicted to leads. They don’t have enough patience to build a brand and a brand story. They think they can just put up a banner and leads will fall into their inbox. It doesn’t work like that anymore. There’s no storytelling. Many brands don’t have a TikTok handle or do anything on Instagram. Brands that don’t get on social media and don’t tell their story repeatedly will become irrelevant.
Joel Kleber: [2:42] What you do can be done for businesses. They can come to you and say they want to film an interview with the founder for 60 minutes, and you can chop it up and distribute that content. What do you think about the franchising industry in general?
Glenn Walford: [3:06] It will always be as it is now, but I think you’ll start to see challenger brands, young, new, fresh, vibrant with momentum, start to come through and pick away at the older brands. These newer, younger brands will leverage social media so well that they’ll start taking customer market share.
Joel Kleber: [3:45] What do you think are the best forms of content production for someone getting started?
Glenn Walford: [3:59] Jumping in with podcasts. It is the most transparent and disarming way to communicate a message. We’ve done about five of them here this weekend. It’s disarming, humble, and just telling their story. You can have a 25-minute podcast, cut it up into 10 or 15 parts, and they can watch the whole story or get little snippets on other social channels that can direct them to that main story. It’s not rocket science.
Joel Kleber: [4:37] And you can repurpose that content for years. We’ve done podcasts from years ago that we’ve gone back to now, making them into blogs and Twitter threads. If someone wants to learn more about you, where can they find you?
Glenn Walford: [4:52] They can find me at franchisebuyer.com.au or magneticbusinessmedia.com.au. Whether it’s franchise lead generation or content creation, we love it and enjoy it. I know you enjoy it as well. Thanks for the opportunity, mate.
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