Why Community Engagement is important for Franchisees

Remember the feeling of walking into a room full of people who recognize you and applaud. Nothing beats that comfort of being surrounded by a community that knows and appreciates you. Being engaged with the people around you and building a community has more benefits than one might imagine. But what exactly is community engagement, and why is it relevant for franchise business owners?

What is community engagement?

Community engagement is a strategic approach to the relationships, communication, and interactions between community members and an organization (in our case, a franchise business running in a particular area) to influence outcomes for both the business and the people around it. Two terms are used here, community and engagement. Let us understand each individually.

Community: a group of people who share interests or live in the same locality or city. Community encompasses stakeholders, citizens, businesses, and more. For a franchise business, the community is the people living in the area where the business operates.

Engagement: involving local authorities and people's representatives when making decisions for your franchise business, in a way that lets them feel they are making a meaningful contribution. Before you even open your outlet, meeting with local authorities helps you understand how people perceive your new venture, whether they expect any challenge with you opening a place there, and what you can do to resolve it for them.

Why does community engagement matter?

Community engagement matters because it can produce positive outcomes for both the community and the business. As a franchise business engaging with your local community, you can make better and more informed decisions. Why? You are not working in isolation. You are aware of the impact your projects and initiatives can have on the community, so you work toward outcomes that are positive for both your business and the people around it. They start seeing your business as a socially responsible entity that thinks about them, which builds a lot of positive sentiment from the start.

Once there is a relationship of trust with the community you run your business in, people have a higher level of satisfaction with your brand, your initiatives, and any projects you might undertake in the future. By engaging with the community, you increase the chances of being accepted and reduce the chances of being rejected or blocked.

Outcomes of community engagement

As a franchise business owner, engaging with the local community fosters strong connections and creates a positive impression of your franchise within the local area. A few examples of community engagement as a franchisee:

• Sponsoring the local sports team or dance troupe
• Organizing food drives for the underprivileged
• Running fundraisers, using the reach of your franchise brand, for local park maintenance and similar initiatives
• Involving customers in menu planning around the festive season

There are many options for a franchisee to engage with the local community. But you are a business running to make a profit, so how do these community engagement initiatives contribute to revenue, profit, and the overall success of the franchisee?

Community engagement always makes your presence felt. It works like a soft marketing pitch that promotes your product or service by being present and engaged at events involving your local community. The positive outcomes are many.

Increases local brand awareness

In all probability, your franchise brand is already well known, or it could be one of those aspirational brands the local community always wished for. That is likely the primary reason you took on the franchise in the first place. Even so, many people in your new area may be unaware of your presence, and that presence has to be made felt in a big and positive way.

Word of mouth marketing

It could also be a case where you are opening a franchise of a foreign brand that is somewhat popular but not very well known. You then have the task of educating people about your brand and what it stands for. Community engagement helps the local community get to know your brand better. Community initiatives undertaken with good intent can give you a lot of positive word of mouth, and word of mouth is still one of the most powerful marketing tools.

Builds trust and support

The simple act of devoting your time and resources to the community, and involving people in a few decisions, helps build trust among prospective customers. It helps build a positive image, and choosing your franchise over other similar businesses in the area comes naturally to your customers.

Good reputation and goodwill

Your involvement in the local community earns you a positive reputation and goodwill, an invaluable asset for any business. Finding reliable, high-quality candidates when hiring for your outlet becomes a lot easier, because people are assured of a healthy work environment.

Types of community engagement

Community engagement is a vast ocean. The type you choose depends on the level of engagement you want as a business owner. Do you simply want to educate or inform the local community on important issues as part of your initiative, or do you want to collaborate with them and make them part of your decision making? Deciding how much input the local community has in your business affairs determines the level of community engagement, and in turn the different practices you employ.

Community engagement practices can be broadly categorized as follows.

Traditional

• Public meetings
• Face to face or telephone interviews
• Open house sessions
• Workshops
• Local authority juries
• Surveys
• Traditional advertising
• Participating in local events
• Sponsoring local events

Digital

• Online engagement platforms
• Social media
• Online surveys and polls
• Online focus groups, meetings, and webinars
• Open online walls where people can post ideas
• Online advertising

Closing words

Community engagement is not a one-time activity. It is an ongoing process with long-term impact on your business. The intent is to develop trust, understanding, and a connection with your local community. At the same time, as a business owner you need to safeguard your own business interests. Think long-term and engage in community activities that are sustainable and beneficial for both your business and the community at large.