by Sarah Kiburz

Strategy-driven social media content delights the customer and garners awareness for your business. So, where should a franchise owner invest their time? Here, we share five elements of a successful content marketing strategy:

1. Establish goals

2. Create customer personas

3. Select channels

4. Create meaningful content

5. Adjust and optimize content

1. Establish Goals Beforehand

Creating SMART goals and clarifying where your strategy needs to take your brand is the first step. Distinguish between if you’d like to run leads-focused campaigns or brand awareness campaigns. For example, “I’d like this campaign to increase Facebook Page engagement by 50% over 2 months.” Pull a number out and adjust over time if needed! 

Determining your franchise’s specific organic media vs paid social media mix is also crucial. Finally, set a budget and realize that organic is cheaper than paid. 

2. Create Customer Personas

Franchises must have a clearly defined audience! Seniors may value a more personal relationship with your business and look for someone they can trust, whereas Millennials value text updates, someone who will do the service quickly and affordably.

Just as McDonald’s has their dollar menu and normal menu, your business can and should adjust its content marketing strategy according to who you’re targeting.

3. Decide What Channels to Pursue

TikTok reaches a younger audience, whereas print or TV ads reach older audiences. Facebook tends to have an older audience as well, while Instagram is somewhere in the middle. Find out where your buyers are engaging online and meet them where they’re at!

4. Create Meaningful Content

Feature content that focuses on satisfying buyers’ needs! Social media content must be valuable, relevant, and consistent to drive action. There is a place for short and long-form content, which circles back to understanding how your audience looks for your products or services and should help you tailor your content. Make it easily digestible and write in an active voice!

Above all, your social media content should be consistent and provide value. 

5. Adjust and Optimize

Some content will perform better than others, so focus on the high-performing content while discarding content that is not working!

Analytics play a crucial role in strategy, so pay attention to the numbers when adjusting and optimizing your content marketing strategy. Consider choosing KPIs and using them to track how content performs!

In conclusion, ask yourself: What would it mean if customers looked forward to receiving your marketing? Every franchise has something to offer, it’s about framing the benefits rather than selling! To get your content marketing strategy ahead of the game this upcoming year, here are three content marketing strategies to explore in 2023.

If you found this blog helpful, schedule a call with us for more information!