Shane Vaughan

I read this article today, "If The Franchise Doesn’t Come With A Marketing Machine, It’s Not For You. Keep Shopping!"  

Now this is obviously targeted at the individual who is currently researching franchise opportunities, and not at the readers of this blog.  However, I think there is an important point here for franchisors: 

The depth and sophistication of your franchise marketing solution can be a key differentiator with regards to your franchise sales. 

Put yourself in the position of an individual looking to buy a franchise.  Your BIGGEST concern is being successful at the local level - being able to drive the revenue to support the business.  If Franchisor 'A' has a sophisticated franchise marketing software that makes marketing easy and effective at the local level, this gives them a significant advantage.  If Franchisor 'B' has a collection of loosely-related website and no franchise marketing software, they quickly fade to a distant second. 

So, do yourself a favor, invest in franchise marketing software and position that as a key competitive advantage.