In this episode, guest Ryan Spalding joins host Jason Mudd to discuss the franchise industry, home improvement, and home services. They dive into the uniqueness and nuances of doing business in Canada and the U.S.
Tune in to learn more!
🤔 Five things you’ll learn about during the full episode:
How marketing in the music industry differs from the home improvement industry
How customer home service has changed after the pandemic
How online reviews impact lead generation
The nuances of doing business internationally
How PR can be used for franchisors
🎧 Episode Highlights
[04:50]
Ryan: “[In the music industry and the home improvement industry] you’re still using the same marketing principles. You’re identifying your target market and you’re looking at tactics to reach those of that audience, whether it’s through traditional marketing, avenues, digital marketing avenues, or whether it’s through publicity campaigns.”
Ryan went from the music industry to the home improvement industry, taking his skills along with them. The two differ greatly, but he was able to see the overlapping marketing similarities.
[06:07]
Ryan: “In 2020, we actually saw quite a rise during the pandemic when people were looking to make a change from working in a traditional office or corporate setting to become their own bosses. We actually saw the franchise network grow quite tremendously during 2021 and through 2022.”
[09:52]
Ryan: “During the pandemic, it was almost easier [for franchises] to launch, because everyone is really interested in improving your home during the pandemic.”
[11:12]
Ryan: “I think that the demand is reverting back to what it was before the pandemic. Now you’re maybe back in the office and can travel. There’s options to spend your money in other places.”
The pandemic changed the office world drastically, but it also changed how people worked at home, spent time at home, and refurbished their homes.
[18:37]
Ryan: “Now more than ever, online reviews are more important than perhaps they were a couple years ago. Especially for our industry and our segment.”
[19:04]
Ryan: “People are going to online reviews whether it’s Google, Facebook, or the platform to see what the reputation is of the company, especially if they’re not too familiar with it. That’s a perfect place for them to go to.”
ReviewMaxer manages online customer reviews and turns good reviews into free advertising. It’s a simple, easy-to-use tool that allows you to monitor, gather, and promote positive online customer reviews. ReviewMaxer users see an increased average star rating, better SEO, and improved online reputation within 60 days.
[19:30]
Ryan: “Google reviews are obviously super important because they feed into other aspects like your SEO and your google rankings.”
If Google sees you actively participating and responding as a business, they’ll send more traffic to your site.
[21:00]
Ryan: “People are going to look to profiles to see if they’re active, if they have a lot of followers, how they are responding to people leaving comments. It’s just another way to build your reputation and your social trust.”
[23:00]
Ryan: “When we’re looking at our marketing strategy, we’re not looking at just one area of marketing, whether it be digital advertising, Google reviews, or social media, we’re not just looking at them in silos, we’re looking at them as a whole picture. I believe that PR plays a big role in that.”
[25:00]
Ryan: “When we were getting mentions through national media or local media, or our franchise owners are appearing on morning television shows or in their local digital papers, that’s just creating more brand awareness. It’s actually going to feed into our social media following because now people are seeing our name or reading an article or seeing them on the TV, and now they’re picking up their device and going to their search engine and they’re going to type Garage Living.
Media coverage can be direct advertisement to your social media channels.
