Get started on franchise advertising (complete guide)

If you’re interested in franchise advertising, you probably fall into one of these categories:

1. You want to attract new investors to a franchise business.
2. You want to increase the sales of a franchise’s products.

In either case, we’ve got you covered. 

In this guide, I’ll talk about both aspects of franchise advertising. I’ll explain what each side means and what their marketing goals should be. I will then provide an advertising and marketing plan for each one and actionable insights on how to ace them. 

What is franchise advertising? 

Franchise advertising is the strategy for promoting a franchise system. A comprehensive franchise advertising strategy has two levels: 

1. Franchise development advertising: this is the strategy to promote the franchise business to get more investors (franchisees) and expand the franchise branches.
2. Franchise consumer advertising: this is the strategy to promote the franchise to consumers. The goal is to direct more customers to individual franchise branches and increase product sales. 

Franchise advertising must serve both sides while staying consistent with brand standards and legal rules. In this guide, we’ll talk about both of them so you’ll have a decent understanding of a comprehensive franchise advertising strategy. 

Franchise advertising strategy

A franchise advertising strategy is the structured plan a franchise system uses to promote both the franchise development side and the consumer-facing side of its business. 

These two levels have different audiences, goals, budgets, and compliance rules, but a solid strategy could integrate them without blurring their boundaries. Brand consistency is key in a good franchise marketing plan. 

Let’s break down the franchise development side of a franchise marketing and advertising strategy first.  

Franchise development marketing and advertising

As a franchise owner or franchiser, you want more people to invest in your franchise and pay the license fees to you. But like other business models, competition is harsh, and you need to invest in marketing campaigns and advertising to add more branches to your franchise business. 

Here’s a step-by-step franchise marketing and advertising plan to get you started:

Step #1: Define your ideal customer profiles (ICPs)

Your target audience typically falls into one of three buckets. Each has its own characteristics, decision-making authority, financial capacity, and the motivation to diversify investments:

• Corporate career changers: professionals in management, sales, or operations roles looking to leave the 9–5 and control their future. They value proven systems and brand support.
• Entrepreneurial investors: individuals with strong liquidity/net worth who want to diversify their investment portfolio. They might not have any experience in managing franchises, so they need more comprehensive training and guidance. 
• Experienced operators: current or former small business owners, or multi-unit franchisees in related sectors (e.g., a gym owner adding a wellness brand). They bring operational experience and scalability with them.

You need to produce marketing and advertising content that targets one of these ICPs. This way, you attract serious investors rather than general “opportunity shoppers.”

Step #2: Invest in franchise marketing channels 

Learn the basics of digital marketing and devise a franchise marketing plan with a focus on the right marketing channels. Here are a few suggestions:   

1. Search marketing strategy (high-intent capture)

You can use paid advertisements on Google and Bing to target people already looking for “franchise opportunities”, “best franchises to buy”, or “[industry] franchise”. 

These people are motivated, so if you can capture their attention, lead quality will be high. Complement this with lead form extensions and remarketing, and you can capture interest quickly and stay visible as they compare options.

1. Target high-intent keywords
   The best results come from prospects who are searching phrases like “best franchises to buy 2025,” “own a [industry] franchise,” or even competitor franchise names. These searches show people who are ready to invest in your franchise. 
2. Optimize for conversions, not just clicks
   Don’t send traffic to your consumer-facing sites. Instead, direct search traffic to a dedicated franchise landing page that clearly explains the opportunity and invites prospects to request more information. Use social proof like testimonials or industry awards. You can also add Google’s “Lead Form Extensions” to allow people to request info without even leaving the search results.
3. Close the loop with offline conversion tracking
   Don’t just rely on online interactions to optimize your ads. Using offline conversion tracking, you can import deeper funnel events (like applications, Discovery Day attendance, and signed agreements) back into Google Ads. This allows smart bidding to optimize toward leads that actually convert into owners.

2. LinkedIn advertising and marketing plan

Use LinkedIn ads to reach suitable investors. LinkedIn is a gold mine of executives, career changers, and investors with the financial capacity to own a franchise. The platform provides precise targeting options by job title, seniority, and industry to make sure its ads reach serious candidates. 

You can also use lead gen forms, document ads, and sponsored videos to share franchise kits or invite people to webinars.

• Target precisely: use filters for job title, seniority, industry, and geography to reach executives, career changers, and investors most likely to qualify as franchisees.
• Simplify lead capture: LinkedIn’s “Lead Gen Forms” are pre-filled with a prospect’s profile data. Use these forms to reduce friction and improve completion rates.
• Showcase authority with Document Ads: share franchise information such as your franchise disclosure document (FDD), territory maps, or guides in a swipeable, professional format. These documents feel more credible in a business context.
• Build trust with video storytelling: use storytelling and humanize your brand using videos. You can feature franchisee success stories or training in your videos. Use engagement techniques such as CFBR. 
• Retarget warm prospects: use remarketing to re-engage people who viewed your content or opened forms but didn’t complete them. This keeps your brand top of mind.

3. Franchise portals and marketplaces

Platforms like Franchise Direct and BizBuySell are the go-to directories for people searching for franchise opportunities. Create a listing on these portals. Describe your franchise in detail. Include information such as investment range (startup costs, franchise fee, royalties), territories available, and your franchise disclosure document (FDD) in your profile. 

4. Invest in content marketing campaigns

Invest in content marketing. Educational content builds trust and nurtures prospects who aren’t ready to apply immediately. Webinars, franchisee stories, and short “day-in-the-life” videos show the brand’s culture and support system. And they can be used on LinkedIn, YouTube, or your own site.

• Educate before you sell: educational content such as guides, blog posts, videos, and webinars help prospects understand your industry and franchise model. This content warms up your prospects before they speak to sales.
• Use storytelling: storytelling can humanize your brand. Short videos featuring franchisees, training experiences, or “day-in-the-life” perspectives showcase your business as real and relatable.
• Distribute where prospects are: share your content on LinkedIn for professionals, on YouTube for broader reach, and on your own site to capture leads directly.
• Nurture long-cycle leads: not every candidate is ready to apply immediately. Use email marketing and create customer loyalty programs to keep your leads engaged until they’re ready to take the next step.

5. Broker and Consultant Networks

Brokers provide pre-qualified candidates and can speed up growth. The downside is that they are expensive. Referral fees or commissions often run into tens of thousands per awarded unit. For some brands, the access and speed justify the cost. For others, brokers could be useful as an addition to their own digital marketing strategy.

Step #3: Track key performance indicators (KPIs): 

Don’t forget to track the success of your marketing and advertising campaigns. Here are a few KPIs you could track (you can use your CRM for most of these KPIs): 

• Measure the success of the full funnel: track leads all the way from inquiry to application to Discovery Day, and finally awarded franchise. This helps you see the real performance of your full funnel.
• Focus on cost efficiency: calculate cost per lead (CPL) and cost per awarded unit to understand the true ROI of each channel.
• Monitor conversion rates: identify where prospects drop off in your funnel. You can measure lead-to-application, application-to-Discovery Day, and Discovery Day-to-sign rates to do this.  
• Report consistently: use dashboards or monthly reports so leadership and franchisees see clear progress against growth targets.

Now that franchise development advertising is out of the way, let’s focus on franchise consumer advertising. 

Franchise consumer advertising 

Franchise consumer advertising is the marketing activity aimed at customers of the franchise’s products or services. Its purpose is to drive awareness, foot traffic, leads, or sales for individual franchise locations, rather than recruiting new franchise owners.

Both franchise owners (franchisors) and franchise branches (franchisees) have a part in franchise consumer advertising. 

1. Franchisor (brand HQ) runs national or regional campaigns to build brand recognition across TV, YouTube, streaming, sponsorships, or influencer partnerships.
2. Franchisees (local businesses) run local marketing campaigns to capture customers in their own areas. The tactics could be Google Search Ads, Facebook/Instagram geo-targeted ads, community sponsorships, or local SEO.

Franchise consumer advertising funding

Most franchise systems require franchisees to contribute a percentage of gross sales (often 1–5%) into a national advertising fund. 

Franchisees may also be required to spend an additional percentage (e.g., 1–3%) on their own local advertising.

In some regions, franchisees pool money into co-op funds for regional media buys. These funding techniques make sure there’s enough funds to cover consumer advertising fees.

Franchise advertising programs

A franchise advertising program is a program that franchisors use to plan, fund, and manage consumer advertising for the entire franchise brand. These programs ensure every franchisee benefits from consistent brand visibility while maintaining local marketing at the store level.

1. National advertising fund

Franchisees typically contribute a set percentage of gross sales (often 1–5%) into a central advertising or marketing fund. The franchisor manages this fund to run large-scale national ad campaigns to increase awareness about the entire franchise brand. 

2. Local advertising spend

Many franchise advertising programs include agreements that require franchisees to spend a minimum percentage (e.g., 1–3% of sales) on local advertising in their own territory. This fund helps local businesses cover the expenses for tactics like Google Search Ads, mobile apps, targeted marketing, social media, local SEO, direct mail, flyers, or sponsoring community events.

3. Co-op advertising programs

In co-op advertising programs, franchisees in the same region pool their local funds into a regional co-op. This allows them to share the franchise advertising fees and afford bigger media buys on local TV, radio, or billboards. Co-ops are often governed by a committee of franchisees and overseen by the franchisor to maintain branding consistency across campaigns.

Consumer advertising and marketing tactics

Franchisors and local businesses have a large set of marketing and advertising channels to invest in for their marketing efforts: 

• Search ads (Google/Bing): bid on high-intent keywords such as “[brand] near me” or “[service] in [city].”
• Google Business Profile and local SEO: use search engine optimization to increase visibility in local search results. Update your Google Business Profile with customer reviews, photos, and accurate store information.
• Social media ads: target local audiences using ads on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
• Display and video ads: invest in YouTube, streaming platforms (Hulu, Roku), and programmatic banners to increase awareness.
• Email and SMS marketing: use email marketing and SMS to set up loyalty programs, and send promotions and personalized offers.

• TV and radio: appear in local or regional TV and radio broadcasts.
• Print media and direct mail: distribute flyers and coupons, and secure local magazine placements.
• Outdoor ads: appear on local billboards and transit posters.
• Local events and sponsorships: sponsor sports teams, festivals, and charity events.
• Referral and loyalty programs: encourage repeat visits and word-of-mouth marketing.

Franchise advertising examples

Looking for inspiration for your next franchise consumer advertising? Here are some timeless examples you can learn from. 

1. Domino’s “Pizza Tracker”

Domino’s set up a “Pizza Tracker” campaign through which customers could follow their orders in real time. This got a lot of attention on social media and positioned Domino’s as a tech-savvy brand that values transparency and convenience.

The campaign built trust, boosted repeat orders, and transformed Domino’s from just a pizza chain into a customer-experience leader.

2. Texas Dairy Queen’s regional campaign

The Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council rolled out a local co-op campaign called “Your Blizzard Song”. The campaign featured a catchy jingle celebrating the sweet reward of enjoying a Blizzard after handling everyday tasks.

This campaign ran across TV, radio, social media, local influencer partnerships, and PR channels. It reinforced Dairy Queen’s local identity while tapping into shared local humor.

3. Burger King’s “Moldy Whopper” campaign

Burger King shocked audiences with ads showing a Whopper burger decomposing over 34 days. The campaign highlighted the brand’s move to remove artificial preservatives.

It grabbed global media attention and reinforced Burger King’s positioning around “real food”.

4. Taco Bell’s “Live Más”

When Taco Bell launched the “Live Más” platform in 2012, it shifted its advertising strategy from just promoting food deals to promoting a lifestyle.

The phrase “Live Más” translates to “Live More”. And the campaign encouraged people, especially younger audiences, to be bold, fun, and self-expressing. Taco Bell embedded this message across TV commercials, digital ads, and sponsorships like music festivals, sports events, and gaming tie-ins.

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To wrap it up

Franchise advertising is a comprehensive strategy that builds awareness both around the franchise system and the franchise’s local businesses. In this guide we covered both sides of it. So whether you’re a franchisor looking for new franchisees, or you’re an individual business owner looking for new customers, you can benefit from our guide.