Sanu Siddharth, a.k.a. Siddharth Sharma, CEO and Founder at OnlyLoudest
How did you start out as a marketer?
Marketing has always been at my core. But it took on a concrete shape way back in 2012.
This was the time I was trying to create a source of income by writing articles on different sites under pseudonyms.
These things cost, but not that much. I figured this was the time I took the gear into my hands.
Looking back, what was your hardest struggle when it came to delivering results?
I come from a small town in India. We may have the aspirations we need, but we lack resources.
Plus, there is this challenge of being good at English.
English is not my first language, so now and then, it disturbs my goals of getting desired results.
How did you get your first client back then, and what kind of service did you do for them?
As I already told you, I was writing for some blogs under pseudonyms.
But I couldn’t call them clients. My first client, a real client, converted in 2014. It is a local company that wanted to get started in digital marketing and SEO.
I somehow picked up the project and delivered it that way before time. Slowly but continuously, new contacts kept coming and converting.
What do you find most rewarding about what you do?
Money. No matter what you say, money is always going to be the ultimate objective of any person on the planet.
Luckily, my money comes a bit easier now, and I find growing savings most satisfying.
We have a lot of readers who are bent on becoming freelancers. Aside from freelancing, how else can someone earn online? And what is your advice?
First of all, stay away from the self-proclaimed experts who guide you into a career that is good for nothing.
The world is totally digital now. Quite different than what it used to be two or three years ago. So these experts know no more than you about this.
For example, two hot topics like cryptocurrency and digital marketing have gained exposure only in the last couple of years.
If you are trying to figure out a career like this, start with the basics and create your own path. Create a website and stick to it.
Build a portfolio and gain clients by showcasing your earlier works.
Once you are good at your main niche, you can try alternates like link building, affiliate marketing, and lead generation.
Link building is currently the hottest thing in digital marketing. Just master it and see the magic.
If you were given the chance to build your career all over again, what would you do differently so that you could achieve your dreams faster?
I did some projects in partnership and launched a few great projects in partnership without any clear objectives.
If I could relive those moments, I’d surely refrain from sharing my passion with anyone else.
How is your typical workday structured?
Well, my workday begins with me waking up at 5 in the morning, and keeping in mind the dire need for mental peace in my hectic life, I go for yoga and meditation.
Nothing can inspire me more than the inspirational books I have.
After I am through with my personal chores, I begin by keeping myself updated on the hottest trends in the market.
Completing the tasks and meeting the deadlines on time is my strength, so my workday gets a bit extended. So I go off to sleep at 1 a.m.
Can you tell us about a time where you had to put in a significant effort upfront and then wait a long time for success?
Actually, time devotion is something that varies with the workload.
For me, there is no specific time interval when I had to put in my every effort; who I am today is the result of my consistent effort.
But yes, working for a client takes around 3–4 months to bring the desired results.
You’ve been tasked with redesigning the company’s brand strategy from the ground up. Walk us through your process.
I will work on a very strategic approach when it comes to redesigning the brand strategy.
I will begin by checking the company’s history, which is the most crucial pre-requisite; it will give me a basic idea about its shortcomings and achievements.
I will see the company’s vision in 2020 and the perspectives with which it intends to work. Of course, I will keep track of the competitor’s work.
Then, I will sit back and think of redesigning the company’s brand.
Can you tell us about a past situation where you had to juggle multiple projects with competing deadlines?
No, I believe in proper time management, and the best part is that I am good at it.
Although these situations never occurred to me, had they occurred, I would have framed my work schedule accordingly.
For me, the deadline is the most important thing, so I believe in submitting work on time.
What recently developed marketing strategy, technique, or tool interests you the most right now?
Look, I am into digital marketing, and my specialization is SEO.
Some of the tools that I fancy are Ahref, Semrush, Canva, Google Ads, Slack, which is the latest trend to keep in touch with my team, Facebook Ads, Google Keyword Planner, and Buzzsumo.
What do you do to stay up-to-date with new marketing techniques?
First of all, I read a lot, be it a newspaper or any other book.
To keep me updated, I use Twitter, where I read tweets from a lot of digital marketers and Google employees, which gives me an idea of the latest updates.
Then I do some research work by reading blogs like Google blogs and Neil Patel blogs, and yes, the website SEO Round Table helps me a lot.
Can you tell us about a project you’re most proud of from your past work history?
Yes, my first successful Event blogging where we ranked on “ 3 words highly competitive keyword- Happy New Year” on 1st position in search result as well as Google Images result.
And after this success I did many experiments with my team and learnt a lot from experiences.
Here is case study- How We Drive 721k Traffic & Earned $5k+ in 4days
Which one book/blog post would you recommend every Marketer should read?
I will suggest Google Blog, Neil Patel Blog, and SEO Roundtable.
I think any marketer must follow these three blogs. Google Blog has been a benchmark in providing updates by telling about the latest trends.
My favorite books are Zero to One, The Infinite Game, and The Growth Hacking Book.
What advice would you share with other marketers who want to become more productive?
One success mantra is to never follow anyone blindly.
Just consider your strengths and weaknesses and work accordingly.
When you know what you are doing rather than having a mob mentality, results are more satisfying.
If there’s one marketing guru you’d recommend, who and why?
As I said earlier, just don’t follow anyone blindly; there is a difference in work techniques.
Google is the best Guru, I think, and use your brains to find the best for you.
I will recommend only two people: Neil Patel and Darren Rowse.
Neil Patel has excellent experience in digital marketing and SEO, and I have been following Darren Rowse since the time I came into digital marketing, and he explained so many things to me through his blogs.
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