Great marketers know that the magic is in the storytelling.

The power of social media is clearly here to stay. But used properly, it can be a very effective tool to increase brand recognition for franchise businesses.

A system-wide rebranding can seem like a daunting task, but smart franchises will see it as an opportunity to not only elevate brand awareness, but also highlight aspects of their brand consumers may have been ignoring.

Exceptional customer service enables an underdog franchise brand to use public opinion to boost the perceived value of its merchandise.

Brands that create authentic, meaningful and unique interactions and experiences will have better odds of sustained success with millennials. Millennials account for more than 21 percent of consumer discretionary purchases.

Centralized marketing solutions allow you and your franchisees to more effectively and more efficiently tell their stories, engage with their audiences.

The value of meeting your franchise industry colleagues face to face can’t be duplicated.  However, networking digitally is the next best thing and IFA makes that possible via FranSocial.  The member-only IFA community enables you to ask any number of questions that affect your company and hear back from experts in the field.

Many brands are implementing content marketing as a way to generate new leads and customers. Cold calling is being replaced with leveraging the consumption of content and engaging prospective customers earlier in their buying process.

Stop the pushy sales lingo and let your branded digital content carry the conversation. Every qualified franchise lead needs a warm embrace, to be coddled, nourished and ultimately nurtured to close the deal.

Google to the Franchise Community: Planning, implementing and tracking an effective online strategy can be difficult, but solutions are available.