The Faces Behind BizCom x Brand J: Sophia Giordano-Scott, Senior Editor at Brand J

Sophia Giordano-Scott, Senior Editor at Brand J, on opportunities in franchise development and search engine optimization.

What’s something you wish more clients knew about content creation and search engine optimization?

When it comes to creating content, most people want to just get stuff out there. We have to stop and think about the purpose of the content before we start creating it. Who is this content for, how is it going to be released into the world, and what efforts are going behind it to get this content to the right audience? All of this and more should be answered before the creative begins. Planning and then strategizing a way for your content to be search engine optimized helps bring clarity to the purpose of the content. 

What are the difficulties when it comes to utilizing SEO in franchise marketing? 

I think the term “SEO” gets thrown around a lot both in the B2B and B2C space. I see franchise owners spending hundreds of dollars on SEO every month, without knowing what their money is going towards. I also see franchisors claiming they need SEO, and paying for SEO retainers, but still not understanding where their money is going. It’s easy to get confused, because there are so many layers to SEO. 

Trusting a professional that has practiced SEO for franchise development is absolutely important for franchisors, as the audience, and often search patterns, are entirely different for business buyers versus consumers. But what’s more important, and this applies to both franchisees and franchisors, is to really dive deep, either in house with your marketing team (or solo if you are a small business owner), or with an SEO Specialist. Discuss and define what you want (goals), and how the process works to get you there (strategy). Don’t be afraid to ask any type of question, ask for reports, ask for reasoning or clarification, ask for what you need to understand what is happening and why. This is how you can know where your money is going and how to best utilize SEO in order to reach your goals.

What are the opportunities in franchise development right now?

There are so so so many opportunities in franchise development right now. There are always new concepts, new audiences, new strategies, new things all the time, it’s easy to get excited. My favorite movement to see right now is a refocus of the industry on franchisee profitability. I think it’s easy when so many things are going on to lose focus of true sustainable profitability. 

We see franchises that are running themselves into the ground, focusing on the wrong side of profitability, like cutting on quality. But the flip side is we are seeing franchise systems doubling down, investing in quality and the customer experience, breeding customer loyalty and repeat business. This is what brings true, sustainable franchisee profitability, and I love to see it both as a member of the franchising community and a consumer.

What franchise marketing advice would you give to franchisors?

Don’t forget the importance of a solid website. We see a lot of brands out there using one-pagers, or sometimes not even a website at all. When I am searching for something I’m interested in purchasing, especially something with a big price tag, I want to spend a lot of time reading everything I can to ensure I am making the right decision. I want to hear what other people are saying who have also made this decision, and I want to know the total price tag before I get too emotionally invested. This especially applies to franchise systems. 

Not only does a high-quality, content-rich website give your audience a platform to spend their time on, which ultimately leads to a higher quality lead, it also creates an amazing foundation for lead generation to work effectively and sustainably.

Now for some lighter questions….

What is your ideal way to spend a weekend?

In the Spring, outside at a Mardi Gras parade or at a crawfish boil. In the Summer, inside watching a movie with my cats and fiance. In the fall, sipping cocktails with the ghosts in the French Quarter. And in the Winter, cooking meals from the heart (that means filled with butter) for my family and friends.

Are you a cat or dog person?

I probably started out a dog person, but have since fallen deeply into cat territory. My fiance and I have a tabby named Romulus (our first child), a lusciously fat tuxedo cat we call Moogy (he looks like a cow), and we recently took in Stevie, a small black cat that surprised us one day by giving birth to 5 kittens, which has been the whirlwind we never expected, but truly a learning experience! I would like to, however, go back to only having 3 cats.

What are 2-3 things others probably wouldn’t know about you or “fun facts”?

• I come from a franchising family. Many of my family members either own a franchise, work in franchise development, or work for a franchise, including myself and my fiance. We own 2 territories of Dryer Vent Superheroes franchise.
• I started writing at a very young age. My first collaborative piece of content was a supernatural story my friends and I co-wrote about our supernatural alter egos fighting crime. I am now a published editor, published poet, and am always working on a one-day best-selling novel. 
• I make my own tomato sauce every other week.