1. Can you, please, tell a bit about yourself?
– Sure. I am a Digital Marketing Consultant based in Memphis, TN. I grew up in Bangladesh and moved to Memphis when I was about 11. I attended school here and then graduated from The University of Memphis with a degree in Psychology in 2014. Since then I have launched 2 companies. My first company was Chowdhury’s Chess which is a leader education program where we worked with various schools locally and provided this program as an after-school program. We are teaching students about leadership, entrepreneurship, and psychology using the game of chess.
My next company is the one I am currently in the process of launching. Chowdhury’s Digital is an online marketing and web development company which is scheduled to officially launch within the next 2 months.
Other than these main projects, I am also working on a social networking site called myCampusHacks.com…This site will re-launch at the University of Memphis campus in August 2015 and serve as a social networking platform for college students at the U of M. It will help students buy and sell used books, trade notes, and learn many hacks, hints, and tips about their college campus from each other.
On top of all this I work with a local digital printing company called Eco Signs and Banners where I am serving as the digital marketing specialist and heading our ecommerce startup platform.
On my free time, I enjoy blogging at www.rafichowdhury.com and share helpful information on online marketing, chess, relationships, and startups.
2. Is your company client centered and what is your opinion about client centered companies?
– Yeah, I would say so. I work with my clients directly and often act as a project manager and help them out with their online marketing campaigns. Client-centered companies are great, but sometimes it is difficult to scale these types of companies. So, my goal is to eventually move into the software and analytics type of business models which are easier to scale.
3. What do you find attractive in entrepreneurship?
– Being creative and trying out different things to see what works and what does not. I love being able to take some of the craziest ideas out there and make them into a reality. Nothing gives me more joy than to solve big and unique problems by coming up with a crazy and creative solution. Entrepreneurship allows me just that! 🙂
4. Can you give an advice to the entrepreneurs that just start? The one that you find most powerful and helpful to you?
– Gain industry experience.
– Do what you know best.
– Become best buddies with those are already succeeding in the business you want to start.
– Know when to give up.
5. How does an entrepreneur filter good ideas from the bad ones?
– By asking the customers. Any sort of business you want to start should solve a unique problem that enough people are having. Unless you can scale your solution to lots of people, it will be hard to grow your business. Any idea can be a good idea if it is properly executed. So, ask yourself, are you ready to also execute your idea? Because there is no such thing as a million dollar idea. Only million-dollar executions exist.
6. What is the secret to excellent content marketing?
– Creating content that is so in-depth and helpful that people cannot help but read it. Your content has to be through and needs to have set by step processes outlined that a reader can follow and implement. Go above and beyond and take your time to create content that will answer critical questions with great detail. Basically, find the best piece of content you can on the internet on any given topic and then create content that is more in-depth or helpful that the piece you found. If you can effectively do that, your content will for sure get shared and linked to and will make its way to page 1 of Google for your target keyword. Here is an example of an in-depth piece of content I created on how to do on-page SEO using the WordPress SEO Yoast plug-in: HOW TO DO ON-PAGE OPTIMIZATION WITH WORDPRESS SEO PLUGINS – 2015
Next, spend just as much time promoting your content via email, social media, and even text messages!
7. How much time should go into the planning & promotion of website content?
– I spend about 20% time planning and picking the right keyword, 50% writing the content, and about 30% of my time promoting the content. All are necessary steps to producing excellent pieces of content on the web. Google only accepts the very best these days and give lots of brownie points to those who produce excellent content!
8. What will internet marketers be obsessing over in 2 years’ time?
– Video Marketing and Text Message Marketing
9. Key advice for promoting a local business
– City and State and Keyword within page titles
– Creating and optimization of Google Local Business Page
– Getting Reviews on Google Local Business Page
– Submitting Business into directories and getting citations (mentions of the business throughout the web)
– Name Address Phone Number (NAP) Consistency across all directory submissions
– Getting backlinks from high authority local sites (i.e. chamber of commerce or local news sites)
– Press Release submission and distribution
– Local marketing via any and all traditional means
– Providing excellent customer service and competitive pricing
– Quality Content Content Content!