Welcome to the Franchise Marketer Newsletter Edition 12!
⏳ Read time: ~ 6 minutes
Welcome back!
This week, we're breaking down three massive AI developments that will fundamentally change how people discover and interact with your franchise brand. Plus, why your marketing team might need a skills refresh sooner than you think.
Here's what you'll learn today:
✅ Why most franchisors are missing their most significant lead generation opportunity (it's right under your nose)
✅ Instagram just became your new SEO goldmine (and most franchises don't know it yet)
✅ OpenAI's browser could kill traditional franchise discovery as we know it
✅ The AI marketing skills your team needs right now (spoiler: it's not what you think)
Don’t forget to check out my Franchise Marketer Podcast.
Franchisors Are Missing Their Biggest Lead Generation Opportunity
While everyone's talking about AI and new technology, here's something that drives me crazy:
Most franchisors aren't using LinkedIn at all.
It's a big shame because LinkedIn is where all your ideal franchisees hang out.
These are professionals with capital, business experience, and the drive to start their ventures. Yet most franchisors are invisible on the platform.
Here's a perfect example of how to do it right:
Look at this franchisor's profile Iain Griffiths - the banner, profile picture, tagline.
It stands out in the crowd and builds a really strong personal brand.
He posts consistently on LinkedIn, sharing insights about business ownership, franchise opportunities, and entrepreneurial success. The result? People regularly reach out wanting to "give the boss their flick" and start their own franchise with his brand.
Here's what most franchisors don't realise:
A lot of potential franchisees won't search Google for "franchise opportunities" or browse franchise directories. But they're scrolling LinkedIn daily, and a strong personal brand from a franchisor can generate serious inbound interest.
The 5 elements you need to nail:
Professional banner that clearly shows what you do
Quality profile picture that builds trust
Compelling tagline that speaks to potential franchisees
Strong feature section highlighting your franchise opportunity
Detailed about section that tells your story and value proposition
From there, it's about consistent content that positions you as the franchise leader people want to work with.
I'm considering building a program around this:
If you're interested in one-on-one coaching to build your LinkedIn presence for franchise recruitment, hit reply and let me know. I'm looking at creating a structured program to help franchisors master this completely underutilised channel.
Most of your competitors aren't doing this. That's your opportunity.
If you want more free LinkedIn advice, reply to this email to let me know your interested.
Instagram Just Became Google's New Search Results Page
Here's what happened: Starting July 10th, Google began indexing Instagram content from business accounts. Your franchise's Instagram posts, Reels, and videos now show up in regular Google searches alongside websites and news articles.
Why this matters for franchising:
Most franchise owners are still thinking about Instagram as a "social media thing" for brand awareness. Wrong. It's now a search engine.
When someone searches "best pizza near me" or "gym classes in [city]," your Instagram content can appear right in Google results. Not just your website—your actual posts.
The opportunity is massive because:
92% of franchises aren't optimising their Instagram content for search (yet)
Local search is where franchises win or lose
Visual content drives faster purchase decisions than text
What you need to do immediately:
Audit your Instagram strategy. Are you posting content that answers customer questions? A local gym posting "proper squat form" videos will now rank when people search that exact phrase.
Optimise your captions like blog posts. The first 125 characters matter most. Use keywords naturally, but write for humans first.
Train your franchisees. They need to understand their Instagram posts are now discoverable assets, not just pretty pictures.
Think local SEO. Each location's Instagram feed is now local search real estate. Use it.
The franchises that get this first will dominate local search while everyone else is still debating whether Instagram is "worth the effort."
OpenAI's Browser Could Kill Traditional Franchise Discovery
Here's what's coming: OpenAI is launching its own web browser in the next few weeks. Instead of clicking through search results, users will ask an AI assistant to find what they need, and the AI will do everything from research to booking.
Think about this scenario: Instead of Googling "pizza delivery near me," clicking through websites, comparing menus, and calling to order, someone will tell their AI: "I want good pizza delivered tonight under $30."
The AI will research options, compare reviews, check availability, and potentially place the order—all without the customer ever visiting your website.
Why this terrifies me (and should concern you):
Traditional franchise marketing assumes customers will visit your website, browse your menu, and convert through your branded experience. That journey is about to disappear for many transactions.
What this means for franchise discovery:
SEO as we know it becomes less important. If customers aren't clicking through to websites, ranking #1 on Google matters less.
AI-readable data becomes critical. Your hours, menu, pricing, and services need to be structured so AI can easily find and present them.
Brand differentiation gets harder. When an AI is presenting options, what makes customers choose your franchise over competitors?
How to prepare:
Make your data AI-friendly. Ensure your franchise information (hours, services, pricing) is clearly structured and easily accessible.
Focus on reviews and reputation. AI assistants will likely prioritise businesses with strong review profiles and clear value propositions.
Don't panic, but don't ignore it. This isn't happening overnight, but it's coming faster than most franchisors realise.
The franchise brands that adapt to AI-mediated discovery will thrive.
Those that don't will become invisible.
Your Marketing Team Needs New Skills (And Fast)
The reality check: LinkedIn's latest study found that demand for traditional marketing skills dropped 28% since 2022, while AI marketing skills surged 412%.
Translation: The marketing playbook that worked for your franchise two years ago is becoming obsolete.
Here's what's actually happening:
59% of marketers are already using AI for campaign automation, content creation, and customer interactions. But here's the kicker—the most in-demand skill isn't technical. It's "collaborative problem-solving."
Why this matters for franchising:
Franchises live or die on consistent execution across multiple locations. AI can help standardize and scale marketing efforts, but only if your team knows how to use it properly.
The skills your marketing team needs now:
AI Marketing Strategy - How to integrate AI tools into franchise marketing workflows
Prompt Engineering - Getting better results from AI content tools
Data Analysis - Understanding what AI-generated insights actually mean
Creative Direction - Knowing when to use AI and when human creativity is essential
But don't forget the human element:
The study found that creativity, relationship building, and emotional intelligence are more valuable than ever. AI handles the repetitive work so humans can focus on strategy, creativity, and genuine connection.
Action steps for franchisors:
Audit your current team's AI knowledge. Most are probably using ChatGPT occasionally but missing bigger opportunities.
Invest in training, not new hires. Your existing marketers who understand your franchise model just need AI skills.
Create AI marketing standards. Your franchisees need guidelines on how to use AI tools while maintaining brand consistency.
Balance automation with authenticity. Use AI for efficiency, but keep the human touch that makes franchising personal.
The franchisors who upskill their marketing teams now will have a massive competitive advantage. Those who wait will be playing catch-up for years.
Example Interview
This is a good example of how I do my franchisor interviews.
I keep it casual, make it relatable and give our franchisor a video asset that WILL CONVERT sales for years to come.
All you need is Zoom and an LLM to re-purpose, that’s it!
60 Page Growth Playbook
As a subscriber, you can get access to it here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oyw3daW6nxR1fWPH3rwaiYSEMaa_h-mwJsifZeeOqcE/edit?usp=sharing
Created by Sectalabs
I hope you found something valuable; if you did, forward it to someone in franchising who would find it helpful.
