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Your coveted attraction and retention the target market it requires a strong value proposition, customer trust and a strong reputation in your relevant industry. The latter certainly does not happen overnight.
Franchise brands that consistently win a first place among them of the entrepreneur Franchise 500 list typically spend years building a foundation of trust in their business sectors, then work just as hard to maintain their reputational status among consumers and competitors.
Whether you are an established franchise brand looking to grow yours level of awareness or an emerging franchisor with a strong desire to connect with your base, what follows is actionable advice to improve your industry-wide reputation.
Connected: How to create a reputation that will become a real asset for you
What is the reputation of the brand? And what isn't…
Simply put, reputation is easily defined as PERCEPTIONS of your brand – but it is based on many factors. This starts with the history of your franchise, and whether your brand was born from a generational legacy or a “Eureka!” moment, everyone loves a good story.
Another key factor is based on customer service and interaction. There are brands that exemplify the best—such as perennial favorites Southwest Airlines and Make which exemplifies the worst examples, which, in this case, we will refrain from naming.
Finally, creating a unique corporate culture has an ever-increasing impact on how brands are perceived by the outside world. It's one of the reasons so much attention is paid to getting it right – not just for internal employees, but external ones as well interested parties also. After all, a franchisor's brand reputation is the culmination of the experiences and interactions you share with the outside world, making it essentially a two-way street.
1. Becoming a customer service superstar
One of the fastest ways to build a solid brand reputation in your industry is to focus on providing a superior customer experience. Whether your franchise sells a product or a service, it works the same way.
Brands that maintain excellent reputations for customer service have built them over time by being responsive, considerate, transparent and honest with their target market. Brands looking to improve their customer service efforts should regularly launch external surveys to learn how they're actually doing.
As the leader of your brand, have you ever personally called your customer service line? How would you rate the experience? Can you discover – first-hand – some ways to improve the scope of customer service? Answer: most likely. Some actionable advice? Call that number today and see for yourself.
2. Improve your online presence
Another fast track to reputation excellence can be built on your own online presence. With multiple social media platforms and channels at your disposal, overlooking their value is a mistake because that's where your customers are and it's quickly becoming their preferred way of interacting with brands.
Having a strong online presence is a must, not a want. Your customers use social media to review your products and services, make purchases, and communicate how they feel by providing valuable feedback. Franchise brand managers should conduct repeated reviews of their online presence and interactions to ensure they align with the company's core values and culture. Your website should be visually appealing, easily navigable, interesting, efficient and above all – cohesive.
Whether your franchise handles social media monitoring in-house or uses a third-party vendor, make sure you're known for being responsive, respectful, and engaged with your target audience.
3. Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
How important is CSR to brands looking to build their reputation? Priceless. Now more than ever, the largest consumer demographic doesn't just appreciate your CSR efforts—they expect it. Managers of exclusive brands should thoroughly analyze their environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) efforts.
This can be done either internally or by bringing in an external specialist. Whatever you decide, the importance cannot be overstated, as more than three-quarters of all consumers are motivated to buy from brands that are committed to ESG principles. Companies surveyed on this topic find that the message has gotten through, as three-quarters of them believe that CSR can drastically reduce risk and reputational damage. Just try to make the world a better place and your token stock will increase among consumers.
Connected: Corporate Social Responsibility is more than just charity – Here's why it's good for business.
4. The value of marcomm intriguing
Organizations invest a lot of time, effort and expense to get them advertisements, promotion and marketing from the first time. Messages should always align with your exclusive brand's core values, convey your unique value proposition and demonstrate your brand's key differentiators. It should also highlight your strengths, showcase your expertise, and provide enough proof points to convince consumers through trial and approval of your product or service. In a way, these combined tools (Marcomm) can be valuable, provided your messages intrigue and communicate commitment to your core values. A good old fashioned brand audit it may be necessary and the results may surprise you, but any attention to your overall Marcomm strategy will be a wise investment.
Connected: How to get your business noticed (and how to brag about it)
5. Pursue some credit
One of the most effective ways to increase your franchise's brand reputation comes with getting the attention you deserve. Many brands make the crucial mistake of overemphasizing external efforts, neglecting internal promotion that can be extremely valuable. Such as competing for industry awards, speaking opportunities, achievements, rankings and certifications that can effectively strengthen your brand reputation. Think about it. Who will if you don't care enough to claim credit on behalf of your brand? And the franchise industry, in particular, maintains a full calendar of opportunities to pursue throughout the year.
Metrics and measurements will measure your progress as you embark on a campaign to improve your franchise's brand reputation. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to set a Net Promoter Score (NPS). survey to evaluate your performance. All you have to do to get started is set one up and there are plenty of free templates you can use to get the ball rolling. It's no secret that your perceived reputation is intrinsically linked to driving your brand's success. It can only be a worthwhile advantage if you make it one.