Findings data
All 60 numbers from the 2026 Franchise Recruitment Study, each with its count, its base and an ID you can cite.
Licensed CC BY 4.0. Reuse with credit to "Sell More Franchises / Digital Rocket" and a link to this page. Base sizes differ by check: a percentage is a share of the brands, pages, forms or ads where that check could be answered.
Sample and method
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | Franchise brands studied, all with 50 or more units and already recruiting with paid ads. | Study page 2 | S.1 | |
| 103 / 24 | Brands by country: 103 in the United States, 24 in Australia. | Study page 2 | S.2 | |
| 144 | Median number of units per brand. | Study page 2 | S.3 | |
| 2007 | Median year the brands started franchising. | Study page 2 | S.4 | |
| 34 / 17 / 15 / 14 / 10 | Largest categories: food and beverage 34, home services 17, fitness 15, children and education 14, beauty 10. | Study page 2 | S.5 | |
| $290K–$656K | Median published investment range, US brands. | Study page 2 | S.6 | |
| $49,000 | Median US franchise fee in the group, before any royalty. | 102 US brands | Study page 3 | S.7 |
| 2,128 | Active recruitment ads read in the Meta Ad Library. | Study page 2 | S.8 | |
| 38 | Yes-or-no checks per brand: recruitment page 9, phone view 5, inquiry form 10, tracking 7, Meta ads 7. | Study page 2 | S.9 |
At a glance
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98% | Ask for name, email and phone before a single question about money, timing or territory. | 124 of 126 forms | Study page 3 | F0.1 |
| 90% | Don't say what the opportunity is, or who it's for, on the first phone screen. | 113 of 126 pages | Study page 3 | F0.2 |
| 55% | Use one Meta pixel for customers and franchise candidates alike. | 47 of 86 brands with a pixel on both sites | Study page 3 | F0.3 |
| 0 of 127 | Have all three tracking basics: own pixel, click ID kept in the form, server-side signal. | 0 of 127 brands | Study page 3 | F0.4 |
| 8 of 127 | Clear five recruitment basics in a row. | 8 of 127 brands | Study page 3 | F0.5 |
| 3.9% | Recruitment ads that name or quote a real franchisee. | 82 of 2,128 ads | Study page 3 | F0.6 |
| 61% | Brands that show a named franchisee on their website (same brands). | Study page 1 | F0.7 | |
| 17 | Checks the median brand fails, of the 35 or so that could be measured for it. The best brand still fails 12. | Study page 3 | F0.8 |
The first phone screen
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | Don't say what it is and who it's for on the first phone screen. | 113 of 126 pages | Study page 4 | F1.1 |
| 71% | No sticky call or apply bar. | 90 of 126 pages | Study page 4 | F1.2 |
| 53% | Fail Google's Core Web Vitals on mobile. | 45 of 85 pages with real-user speed data | Study page 4 | F1.3 |
| 52% | No button before the visitor scrolls. | 65 of 126 pages | Study page 4 | F1.4 |
| 29% | Open with a pop-up or banner over the page. | 37 of 126 pages | Study page 4 | F1.5 |
| 3 of 126 | Pages that do all three on a phone: say what it is and who it's for, show a button, and keep a call or apply bar on screen. | 3 of 126 pages | Study page 4 | F1.6 |
The inquiry form
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98% | Ask contact details first. | 124 of 126 forms | Study page 5 | F2.1 |
| 63% | Ask about available capital. | 80 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.2 |
| 47% | Ask about territory. | 60 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.3 |
| 15% | Run the form in steps. | 19 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.4 |
| 11% | Ask when they want to open. | 14 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.5 |
| 8% | Ask capital, timing and territory. | 10 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.6 |
| 7% | Let the candidate book a call. | 9 of 127 brands | Study page 5 | F2.7 |
| 0 of 80 | Forms that ask about capital and ask it before name and email. | 0 of 80 forms that ask about capital | Study page 5 | F2.8 |
| 9 | Median number of fields on the inquiry form. | Study page 5 | F2.9 |
Tracking
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84% | Have a Meta pixel on the recruitment page. | 107 of 127 brands | Study page 6 | F3.1 |
| 55% | Share that pixel with the customer website. | 47 of 86 brands with a pixel on both sites | Study page 6 | F3.2 |
| 49% | Don't keep the click ID or ad source in the form. | 62 of 127 brands | Study page 6 | F3.3 |
| 86% | Show no server-side tracking signal. | 109 of 127 brands | Study page 6 | F3.4 |
| 8 of 127 | Keep the click ID and show a server-side signal. | 8 of 127 brands | Study page 6 | F3.5 |
| 0 of 127 | Have own pixel, click ID and server-side signal. | 0 of 127 brands | Study page 6 | F3.6 |
The ads
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 of 122 | Brands running recruitment ads on Meta, a median of 10 ads at a time. | 111 of 122 brands | Study page 7 | F4.1 |
| 70% | First line calls out would-be owners. | 1,480 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.2 |
| 55% | Lead with ownership and lifestyle. | 1,178 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.3 |
| 25% | Send people to a Meta instant form. | 522 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.4 |
| 25% | Running unchanged for 90+ days. | 541 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.5 |
| 20% | Mention the investment or cost. | 427 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.6 |
| 3.9% | Name or quote a real franchisee. | 82 of 2,128 ads | Study page 7 | F4.7 |
The words
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69% | Headlines that lead with ownership and lifestyle. | 88 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.1 |
| 14% | Hero sections that say who the franchise is for. | 18 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.2 |
| 4% | Hero sections that mention the investment. | 5 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.3 |
| 52% | Pages using the phrase "passion". | 66 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.4 |
| 20% | Pages using the phrase "proven business model". | 26 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.5 |
| 17% | Pages using the phrase "proven system". | 21 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.6 |
| 13% | Pages using the phrase "industry-leading". | 16 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.7 |
| 11% | Pages using the phrase "turnkey". | 14 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.8 |
| 11% | Pages using the phrase "make a difference". | 14 of 127 pages | Study page 8 | F5.9 |
| Grade 13.5 | Median reading level of recruitment pages (US grade). Pages say "we" and "our" more than "you". | Study page 8 | F5.10 |
Five basics in a row
| Result | Finding | Count | Study page | ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 127 | Recruitment page reviewed. | Study page 9 | F6.1 | |
| 60 | Publishes an investment range. | 60 of 127 brands at the step above | Study page 9 | F6.2 |
| 35 | Form asks about available capital. | 35 of 60 brands at the step above | Study page 9 | F6.3 |
| 16 | Form keeps the click ID or UTM source. | 16 of 35 brands at the step above | Study page 9 | F6.4 |
| 8 | Own Meta pixel, not the customer site's. | 8 of 16 brands at the step above | Study page 9 | F6.5 |
How to cite these findings
Digital Rocket (2026). Why franchise ads don't sell more territories: Franchise Recruitment Study, October 2026. Sell More Franchises. https://sellmorefranchises.org/research/franchise-recruitment-study-2026/
To cite one number, add its finding ID, for example "finding F2.1". Every ID links to its row on the findings data page.