The Evolution of Franchise Marketing: Glenn Walford on the Shift from Traditional to Content-Led Growth

A deep dive into modern franchise recruitment strategies with Glenn Walford, founder of Franchise Business Hub

The franchise marketing landscape has undergone a fundamental shift. What worked five years ago (newspaper ads, magazine placements, and static brochures) no longer drives the quality leads that franchise brands desperately need.

I recently sat down with Glenn Walford, a 20-year franchise veteran and founder of Franchise Business Hub, to explore how forward-thinking franchise brands are adapting to this new reality.

Glenn's journey from traditional franchise executive to content marketing pioneer mirrors the broader industry transformation currently underway.

Glenn saw the writing on the wall early. "In 2008, 2009, you could no longer put an ad in a newspaper and generate a bunch of leads on Monday morning when they all came in," he told me. This realisation led him to launch Franchise Buyer and eventually pivot entirely to video content creation.

But the shift hasn't been easy. "Getting that message out to franchisors that you've got to create content and video is the way, has been a very, very hard sell from 2011 to 2024," Glenn admitted.

Why the resistance? Three key factors:

As Glenn put it, "There is a clear lack of risk-taking. It's almost a political view: play it safe, don't be too extreme."

This conservative approach is killing franchise growth. Brands that continue relying on traditional channels are seeing their lead quality and quantity decline while their competitors embrace content-led strategies.

The most successful franchise brands have made a fundamental shift: from interruption marketing to education-based attraction.

Glenn's biggest piece of advice? "Avoid surge content creation."

Most brands still approach content like a traditional campaign:

This doesn't work anymore.

"In the current state going forward, that is simply not gonna be enough," Glenn emphasised. "You need a $20-70k annual budget allocation to video content creation."

The most effective approach? Consistent, ongoing content creation (whether internal teams or outsourced partners) that builds trust over time rather than hoping for viral moments.

When I asked Glenn about the most effective content types, his answer was clear: authentic franchisee stories.

"People want to see people in action. The keys are: How do I make money? How does it work? How hard is it to do? Is this enjoyable?"

He shared a powerful example: "A guy said, 'I watched that guy on your podcast and if that guy could do it, I can do it.' And he bought the franchise."

This is the power of unscripted, authentic content. No fancy production, just real franchisees sharing real experiences.

One of the most underutilized strategies in Australian franchising? Founder-led marketing.

"I've always been trying to get CEOs and founders to be the face of the business," Glenn said. "Come on, put a personality behind it, show people who it is, and no one would ever want to do it."

The brands that break through this resistance see remarkable results. Glenn highlighted Dig Mate's success: "By the time people get in, they say, 'Oh, when will I get to meet Mick?' When you become a mini-celebrity in your space, it's just a powerful thing."

The platform that's working? LinkedIn.

"LinkedIn is the most underutilised tool by everyone in franchising in Australia," Glenn observed. "There's more than a billion users on LinkedIn, and these are people who are high net worth, the ideal franchisees."

The opportunity is massive: use LinkedIn's Sales Navigator to identify ideal franchisee prospects, engage with their content, and build relationships before they're even in-market for a franchise.

Perhaps the biggest untapped opportunity in franchise marketing is franchisee-generated content (FGC).

"You should be desperate for franchisees to do it," Glenn argued. "Some of the brands we're working with can't get 1% of their franchisees to generate content. So if someone sticks their hand up, just get out of their way."

The key insight? The positives far outweigh the negatives.

Yes, there are risks: franchisees might leave or create off-brand content. But the upside is enormous: authentic local marketing that builds trust better than any corporate campaign ever could.

Glenn's advice for managing FGC:

"Normally, you're gonna have two or three or four people within that brand who are absolute guns. Work closely with them: they'll set the tone."

One of the biggest barriers to content adoption is the obsession with direct attribution.

"I get a lot of inquiries saying, 'Don't call me, just send me an email,'" Glenn noted. "Where did you find out about us? Website. But they don't necessarily remember it was the 20 things they consumed before that."

The reality of modern buyer behaviour:

The solution? Focus on building trust and brand awareness rather than chasing immediate conversions.

"My gut instinct is telling 15 franchise owner journey stories and cutting them up into 150 different pieces is good content and good marketing to invest in," Glenn said. "If any executive above them says no, they have no idea about the future of marketing."

One fascinating insight from our conversation was the cultural difference between American and Australian franchise marketing.

"Americans are quite receptive to that sales process," Glenn observed. "Where I think Australians don't love knowing they're going through a process when it's so obvious."

Key differences:

This cultural nuance matters for content strategy. Australian franchise brands need to lead with authenticity and let the numbers speak for themselves through genuine franchisee stories.

Perhaps the most frustrating barrier Glenn encounters is the obsession with brand consistency over growth.

"Their main comeback is about the fonts: what about the content?" he said, clearly exasperated. "Don't let brand guidelines get in the way of the growth of your brand."

The reality check every franchise marketer needs:

"All this stuff is gonna be happening anyway," Glenn pointed out. "You either get on board or the train's gonna run away from you."

While content is king, Glenn doesn't believe traditional information packs are dead: they just need evolution.

"I still think there's a lot of people who like to download something and put it on their desktop," he explained. "It sends a signal of authentic trust if you're putting it in writing."

His recommendation? Transform information packs into content-driven experiences:

The goal isn't to replace information packs but to make them more engaging and valuable.

Glenn's business model evolution reflects the industry's needs: he now only offers 12-month content packages.

"I was sick of the surge mentality," he explained. "We get the same amount of money, but it gets spread over 12 months, so it becomes more sustainable."

This approach forces franchise brands to commit to consistency—the only way content marketing actually works.

The three-month sprint model:

Based on Glenn's insights, here's your action plan:

The franchise marketing landscape has fundamentally changed. Brands that cling to traditional methods will continue to see declining results while their competitors build massive advantages through content-led strategies.

As Glenn put it: "Content is king. Getting content out there is king."

The opportunity is massive, but it requires a fundamental shift in thinking: from campaign-based marketing to relationship-based trust building. The brands that make this transition now will dominate their markets for years to come.

The question isn't whether your franchise brand will eventually embrace content marketing. The question is: will you lead the change or be forced to follow it?

What's your experience with content marketing in franchising? Are you seeing the same resistance Glenn describes, or have you found ways to overcome it? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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