Is your business a local celebrity?
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As the chairman of elements group, I have the privilege of collaborating in many diverse areas of our brand’s growth. Franchise training is one of my most favorite, and one of our most important jobs, as we continue to build a brand described as “the category leader in fitness clubs for women.”
The following is an excerpt from a training exercise I did, which could relate to any business trying to improve its visibility within a market…
Is your club famous yet? Lets talk today about how to really build
buzz locally, and drive more traffic to your elements club organically.
We have mentioned the importance of the web in consumer’s buying
patterns. Women use the web to research, explore, and 78% make buying
decisions prior to ever visiting your club (or business).
Web 2.0 is a term given to the new, interactive nature of the web,
focusing on Social Networking, blogging, and consumer reviews.
Not only is it important for your business to have a great, clear
website, but it is equally important to compliment a website with local
business presence, and consumer reviews.
The more (positive) consumer feedback you have on your business, the
more credible the business becomes, and the more confident a consumer
will be in making a decision to join on her first visit.
We spoke last week about how to build and maximize your Local Yahoo
Listing, and how to add consumer reviews.
This week, I would like to focus on one of the internet’s top
Consumer Review websites, www.kudzu.com. Kudzu, names after the
voraciously fast-spreading vines the grow in the south, is a great way to
describe the effects of consumer reviews.
Having your club listed on sites such as Kudzu will increase your
exposure locally. By following our guidance on how to properly setup the
listing, consumers who type keywords such as “Atlanta fitness, local
gym Atlanta, great fitness club, etc…” will be able to quickly locate
your club, and ad.
The more times your club is mentioned, the higher your listing will be,
and the greater the chances of being prominently displayed.
To begin, build you free listing on Kudzu. Next, choose one of their
Annual Optimization packages:
Tell your story and get more exposure for only $750/year:
· Higher placement in search
· Add photos and video — to showcase
your work
· Marketing description — to tell your
story
· Your information submitted to major
search engines
Stand out from the competition for just $2000/year:
· Highest placement in search
· Maximum exposure to your profile
· Quickview preview — to stand out in
results
· Enjoy phone support
In a smaller market, I believe an enhanced profile is fine. If you are
in a more competitive market, or larger urban area, elements recommends
you invest into a “preferred profile”
We can provide to you photos, videos, and other items which will create
a more complete listing.
After your listing is complete, you will want to print and distribute
the attached form to prospects and members, asking them to rate their
experience. You will want to diligently check your reviews, and
personally comment on any which may need to be better explained.
Our team will also be adding periodic reviews and comments to help
support the listing, and your optimization (placement) levels.
Both Kudzu and yahoo require a business to have a physical location
prior to being advertised. We recommend building the listings AS SOON AS
you have a signed lease. There are many ways to begin consumer reviews,
building prospect lists, and selling to consumers (BalanceD or Online
store) prior to opening.
There are many advantages to being part of a franchise. In my opinion, the ongoing and in-depth training, on each and every aspect of your business, is one of the most important. An important part of your due diligence, before purchasing into any franchise, would be to really understand the types of support and training that is provided both prior and after you open your doors…. this is the secret that separates the good franchise systems from the truly great ones.
