E29: Telling Franchise Stories On Video With Trevor Rappleye
Hosts: Michael Hyam and Liane Caruso
Guests: Trevor Rappleye, CEO & Storyteller of FranchiseFilming
In the competitive world of franchising, standing out from the crowd requires more than just a good business model—it demands compelling storytelling that resonates with potential franchisees and customers alike.
Trevor Rappleye, CEO of FranchiseFilming, shared valuable insights on how video content can be the secret weapon for franchise growth.
Podcast Summary: The Power of Sharing Franchise Stories On Video From Trevor Rappleye
Why Storytelling is the Ultimate Franchise Growth Hack
The franchise industry has a fundamental truth that many brands overlook: people don’t listen unless you’re sharing something emotional, meaningful, and relatable. As Rappleye puts it, “We are never as memorable as we think we are as salespeople, as brand leaders, as friends—people do not go to bed thinking about us.”
This reality makes video storytelling crucial for franchise success. One powerful example Rappleye shared involved a franchisee who went from homelessness to owning five franchise units. These transformation stories create the emotional connection that dry facts and figures simply cannot achieve.
The Trust Factor: Third-Party Validation Wins Every Time
This statistic really shifts how we think about marketing: Forbes reports that 4 out of 5 people don’t believe what brands say about themselves. However, they’ll trust a complete stranger talking about your brand.
This is why customer testimonials and franchisee success stories are so powerful.
When real people share genuine experiences about your franchise, it carries infinitely more weight than any corporate marketing message. In an age where AI-generated content is becoming increasingly sophisticated, authentic human stories will become even more valuable—and legally distinguishable from artificial content.
Common Video Marketing Mistakes Franchisors Make
The “One and Done” Mentality
The biggest error Rappleye sees repeatedly is franchisors treating video content as a one-time project. Just like attending a single franchise show won’t guarantee results, creating one video won’t sustain your marketing efforts. Video content needs to be consistently refreshed and continuously produced.
The “College Kid with a Camera” Trap
Many franchisors think they can handle all their video needs with a single amateur videographer. While this might work initially, the backlog of editing and production needs quickly becomes overwhelming. Professional video production services exist specifically to handle the scale and consistency that franchise brands require.
Real Results: Video Success Stories
The proof is in the numbers. Rappleye shared two compelling case studies:
Bumble Roofing leveraged video content to go from 0 units sold to 57 units in just 9 months. Their internal team credited the video content as essential to achieving their sales goals, stating they wouldn’t have been able to award the same number of units without it.
Senior Helpers saw immediate results after implementing professional video content, selling 3 units in just 7 days after their videos launched. The transformation came from going from “no story” to having compelling narratives that prospects actually wanted to consume.
Empowering Franchisees with Video Content
Smart franchisors don’t just create video content for corporate use—they equip their franchisees with the tools they need to succeed locally. The key is providing high-quality B-roll footage and content that isn’t location-specific, allowing franchisees to use professional-grade materials while maintaining brand consistency.
Think of it like providing boundaries on a soccer field—give franchisees clear guidelines about what they can and cannot post, while supplying them with quality content that’s hard to mess up.
Making Video Content Affordable for Emerging Brands
The “video is too expensive” objection often comes from not connecting the investment to its potential return. Consider this: the average franchise fee is $50,000, plus ongoing royalties over 10+ years. When viewed against this potential revenue, video content investment becomes a no-brainer.
As Rappleye emphasizes, “What is the potential of this video to [bring results], and if you talk about how much it will help your sales people…” The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in video—it’s whether you can afford not to, especially when your competitors are already using it effectively.
The Ongoing Video Strategy
Video content doesn’t stop once someone becomes a lead. In fact, that’s when it becomes even more critical. With multiple franchise brands likely following up with the same prospects, video content helps you stay top-of-mind throughout the nurturing process.
Consider incorporating video into every email in your follow-up sequence. Phrases like “watch here,” “play here,” and “see this” can dramatically increase open rates and engagement, leading to more booked calls and ultimately more franchise sales.
Platform-Specific Best Practices
Here’s a tactical tip that many overlook: don’t just link to YouTube videos on LinkedIn. Upload videos directly to each platform. LinkedIn doesn’t want to send traffic to YouTube, so native uploads get better organic reach. While your first upload might get modest views, consistent posting builds momentum—your 11th video might get significantly more engagement than your first.
The Future of Video in Franchising
Despite rapid advances in AI and technology, one thing remains constant: consumers want to watch video content. Most people consume 15+ hours of video content per week on their phones alone. This appetite for video content isn’t going away.
While AI-generated video content is becoming more sophisticated, authentic stories from real people will become increasingly valuable. The human element—real franchisees, actual customers, genuine testimonials—will never be replaceable by artificial content.
Key Takeaways for Franchise Leaders
- Invest in emotional storytelling that showcases transformation and success
- Prioritize third-party validation over corporate messaging
- Commit to consistent content creation—video is never “one and done”
- Equip franchisees with high-quality, brand-compliant video assets
- Calculate ROI properly—compare video investment to franchise fee potential
- Use platform-native uploads for better organic reach
- Integrate video throughout your entire sales funnel, not just at the top
The franchise brands that will thrive are those that embrace video storytelling as an ongoing strategy, not a one-time tactic. In a world where attention is the most valuable currency, compelling video content is your best investment for capturing and keeping that attention long enough to grow your franchise system.
Listen to the full episode now to hear more from Trevor and the LFG Podcast team!
