If we were an ordinary mareting/advertising agency, I would introduce Nikki like this: Nikolay Karaboychev is the founder and CEO of Proper media. Except we're not.
Nicky is part of the ideological core of Proper media, the prime mover, the silent thinker and the guy who tells us what to do on Google (only when we ask him, and we always ask him). I'm asking him a few questions to help you get to know him. In the process, I realize that I also learned something new about him and even about us. Conclusion and bonus tip: it is good to talk, to ask each other, to exchange thoughts. Always. Daily. This is how we become more united and better.
Mirjana: Since when have you been involved in online services?
Nicholas: I have been involved in online services for 7 years now, but my interests in the field predate that. I have always enjoyed the field. I've been involved in every aspect of online marketing, but I seem to personally enjoy PPC (Pay Per Click) services, SEO and the creativity around web development the most.
M: You seem to have chosen to go in this direction yourself, which suggests that there is something about this industry that appeals to you. What is it?
Н: I am very attracted to the real and measurable result of your efforts.
When you do your job well, success is guaranteed and you can see it.
There is no room for luck, chance and other mysteries 🙂 This is the great advantage of digital marketing and when our clients plan the budget and framework of their overall marketing effort, we enable them to actually predict what the outcome will be in the end.
M: What is the most important thing for a business to be successful online?
Н: It might sound cliché, but the most important thing for online success is also the most important thing for success in general - good team, perfectionism, good positioning and a lot of passion 🙂
M: Please clarify...
Н: Important to have the right people, not only as a combination of talent and skills, but also as complementary personalities. Perfectionism is actually what keeps the bar high and ensures the final quality so that no customer leaves unsatisfied. Positioning is about being aware of what makes you different and reaching the people who need it. With digital marketing, more than ever, this is quite possible and quite necessary.
We should forget about the ambition to please everyone - with that we will repel... everyone!
A passion.... Passion comes from within, I have no control over it 🙂
M: Isn't the Internet too exotic a destination? Can every business afford an online presence?
Н: The internet is no longer the exotic destination it was when I started doing 'it'. I think a growing percentage of businesses are now realising the need to be discoverable and recognisable online. And yes, everyone can afford to be on the internet. You don't need to be a specialist. With the right partner, everything is easier and more accessible. Affordable, not in the sense of cheap, but on the contrary - the Internet makes it possible to do something of real quality and not at any price expensive.
Read More: Tips for small businesses online: part 1 - website
M: When we talk about something as "intimate" as the communication of a business, isn't it more logical that it comes from within? What are the advantages and disadvantages of entrusting your communication to another company?
Н: It always comes from within. At Proper media, we don't speak on behalf of our clients. We communicate with them constantly so we can get a feel for them and their business, to find what we call the spirit of the company. Our job is not just to serve some information to the largest possible audience. Our job is to reach out and create that information with the client so that others can feel and connect with our client's uniqueness.
The advantages are many: You have a whole marketing team behind you that is motivated to constantly think about how to look better online. You have time for your business and you don't get distracted in areas that are far from the core of your business. There are also disadvantages but they mainly come from choosing the wrong marketing agency: poor communication, misunderstanding the company's goals, etc.
M: From your point of view, what are the biggest challenges facing the modern communications agency?
Н: The challenges come mainly from the fact that the industry is evolving very fast and requires a lot of effort to stay up to date with the latest and most effective advertising methods across all channels. And that goes for every single person on the team. But it's not unattainable 🙂
M: And the team? How do you assemble and motivate a team of capable people?
Н: I have always relied on personal example. When you burn in your work and believe in success and good results, the team believes and does the best.
M: It's hard to make business plans nowadays, especially in this fast-paced industry, as you noted yourself. And yet, how do you see Proper.media in the next 5 years?
Н: Quite realistically, I think that if we can keep our passion and turn enthusiasm into discipline, in 5 years we will be in the top 5 agencies in Bulgaria and our eyes will be focused beyond the borders of the country. We wish it!
Or if you have any other questions for Nicky, email him at nikolay@proper.media. He will be most helpful with questions related to Google advertising, targeting, relevancy, keyword selection and cooking (ask for his recipe for chicken with broccoli, mmmm!).
