Cut through the clutter of banner ads and email blasts advertising franchise opportunities with a smart content marketing strategy that generates quality franchise leads who are excited to hear from you. Franchise sales executives have a so many options to choose from when it comes to lead generation. If you haven't looked into content marketing, you are missing the most powerful tool out there that combines niche targeting with with great content and a smart strategy. Check out our case study to see how it works.

1. EMAIL
NURTURE CAMPAIGN FOR
FRANCHISE SALES

2. Background:
The company was looking to promote their
Hometown Stores and Outlets to multi-unit
franchisees within the restaurant segment
who might be looking to diversify their
portfolio.
To accomplish this, the company purchased
an email blast to go out to a proprietary list
of QSR Magazine subscribers.
The company asked the Fishman PR content
marketing team to design the email blast.
We saw an opportunity to increase the ROI
of the initiative.

3. The Idea:
Instead of creating a one-time ad that could
be easily ignored, we recommended
creating something the recipients would be
interested in receiving. Our team decided to
create an eBook titled, “Secrets to Becoming
a Franchise Empire Builder.”

4. The Process
eBlast: We created an eBlast advertising
the book that went out to 19k+ people.
We achieved an open rate of 33%.
The average is between 20% and 25%,
according to marketing research.
Landing Page: From the email, a recipient
is directed to click on the link that bounces
them to a landing page where they can
download the eBook that gives tips on
becoming a successful multi-unit
franchisee.

5. LANDING PAGE
The landing page highlighted the various
company opportunities available. In order to
access the eBook, potential leads were
required to enter their name and email.
3.5% of people clicked through to the
landing page. The average click through rate
is between 1.5% and 2.5%.
There was a 22% conversion rate of people
downloading the eBook. The best landing
page conversion rates is around 5% - the
average is more around 2.5%, according to
marketing research.

6. LANDING PAGE
By offering a piece of valuable content in
exchange for contact information, the
company was able to capture a percentage
of QSR’s proprietary email list to use for future
marketing efforts!

7. eBook
The eBook profiled Tony Lutfi, a The company
franchisee who has also invested in 300+
restaurant locations of varying brands.
We chose him because the target audience
could relate to Tony’s story. His success story
validated the company’s franchise
opportunity and acted as a trusted third
party testimonial.
The eBook featured:
• Tony’s career as a Franchise Empire
Builder
• Tony’s process for evaluating franchise
concepts
• Tony’s experience with the brand

8. Email Nurture Campaign: Email #1
This email was delivered 7 days after
someone downloaded the eBook. By
spacing out the communications, we
were able to keep the brand top of
mind, without annoying the recipient
enough to unsubscribe from the
campaign.
The first email continued to introduce
the brand and provide information
about the industry and segment that
validated the franchise opportunity.

9. Email #2
The second email was delivered 14
days after someone downloaded the
eBook from the landing page.
The content of the email worked to
counteract many of the misconceptions
a potential franchisee may have
surrounding the brand.
Again, the email works to keep the
brand top of mind and nurtures the
lead.

10. Email #3
Email three was delivered 21 days after
the eBook was downloaded from the
landing page.
It worked to personalize the brand by
highlighting successful franchisees.

11. Email #4
Email four was the last email in our
nurturing campaign and was sent out
28 days after an individual downloaded
the eBook from the landing page.
This email focused on the iconic brand
of the company and emphasized the
emotional attachment that consumers
have for the brand. It relied heavily on a
final call to action, which was for the
recipient to call the Director of
Franchise Business Development.

12. Results
 Sold a Sears Hometown Store Unit
 Closed a Multi-Unit Deal that had Been on Hold
 Generated a Greater Percentage of Qualified Leads
Four units were sold as a result of the strategic content marketing campaign. A new lead generated
by the campaign invested in a Sears Hometown Store. By leveraging the interest of a fresh lead from
the campaign, a three-unit deal with an existing Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores (SHOS) franchisee
was closed after months of inaction. The Director of Franchise Sales informed the franchisee first and
he quickly pulled the trigger, purchasing all three Sears Outlet Stores.
Overall, the email marketing campaign was a success. While it resulted in the sale of a unit and played
a key role in closing three deals with an existing lead, it also generated several new leads among
prospects interested in the various franchise opportunities. 50% of the leads were from qualified
candidates, who the client is still in talks with today. Besides the leads, a great aspect of this campaign
is that the content can be repurposed indefinitely.