What Are Some Top 2021 Franchise Industries, What Role Has COVID Played, and Why is Franchise Digital Marketing More Important Than Ever?

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s not to take anything for granted. Life can change in an instant, which can be incredibly stressful for business owners. As if they don't have enough on their plates, entrepreneurs and small business owners must do everything they can to lessen risk and boost ROI — tough enough in good times. But in bad? Now their lives get a whole lot more complicated.

Perhaps that’s why the franchise model has always been so appealing. As compared to going it alone, franchises offer small business owners a lot of security in the way of tested business models, franchisor training and support, and name recognition — and smart brands boost that recognition with well-thought-out franchise digital marketing strategies that keep their name in front of their best customers!

Sometimes Bad Can Be Good

The fact is, challenging times can often propel brands into the spotlight, and for some, COVID has done just that. Here, we’ll look at a few top 2021 franchise industries, how the pandemic has helped bring them to the forefront, and why digital marketing services for franchises are invaluable, no matter what’s going on in the world.

• Commercial Cleaning: The pandemic might be behind us, but that doesn’t mean some of the changes it ushered in won’t continue to make sense. Anyone in the commercial cleaning industry can attest to that. Disinfection and sanitization services have never been more in demand, as businesses prepare to welcome back customers and employees, and any franchise brand that caters to janitorial services, in general, is benefitting. We predict their popularity will continue long after COVID.
• Urgent Care: Healthcare is another industry that has obviously been hugely affected by COVID-19. More people are paying very close attention to wellness and are doing all they can to safely address any health issues they may have. Urgent care brands have always been popular, but the smart ones have pivoted quickly to address social distancing guidelines, create telemedicine portals for their patients, and reiterate their convenience and suites of services. Consumers are responding.
• Property Restoration: These services, which include water and fire damage restoration, mold mitigation, and biohazard cleanup, have always been in demand and are relatively recession-resistant. But COVID has allowed many brands in this sphere to branch out into disinfection services while at the same time reinforcing their value as an essential resource for other property-related issues. 
• Quick Service Dining: Thousands of restaurants across the country were forced to shut down, some of them permanently, due to the pandemic, but that didn't mean people stopped "eating out" — they just did so from the comfort of their cars or couches! Quick service restaurant brands directly benefitted from that, with their drive-thru options and their partnerships with third-party delivery apps. This trend, already hugely popular before the pandemic, is going nowhere anytime soon.

Why Now More than Ever, Digital Marketing Services for Franchises Matter

You’ve heard that old adage — strike while the iron is hot!  If you’re a brand in one of the industries we’ve just mentioned (or any industry for that matter), you’d be wise to do so. A well-crafted franchise digital marketing strategy can help brands that are enjoying the spotlight do so for a whole lot longer, maybe even indefinitely! And those brands that might be struggling as a result of outside forces (like a pandemic) can benefit immensely from digital marketing that addresses their pain points and reiterates their value. 

The truth is, it shouldn't take a pandemic for brand leaders to reevaluate their marketing strategies; that kind of attention should be paid on an ongoing basis, preferably by experts who know what to look for and how to respond. Good marketing takes a fluid and holistic approach and working with professionals to help you reach your best customer always makes sense, no matter what industry you’re in or how crazy the world might sometimes feel.

Let the experts at IDS craft a franchise digital marketing strategy that’ll reach your best customer! Get in touch today!