Maryam Ehsan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Market Pro, a hybrid marketing agency with in-house creative teams providing state-of-the-art marketing solutions to local and global businesses. With her innovative ideas, Maryam is bringing revolutionary changes to digital marketing.
Maryam has completed her education in Accounts & Finance. In 2017, she graduated from Kinnaird University in Accounting and completed the Master’s from Govt. College University in 2019. Her professional career started in 2019 as a Team Lead Content Marketing. Today, we’ll ask her about the journey of her life as a woman CEO, the difficulties she faced, tough times, and how she managed to cope with all the challenges.
How did you get started in this business?
When I stepped into the digital marketing field, it was new for me. In fact, I have an entirely different educational background, as working in this line was not the plan. It all started when a motivation sparked inside me to manifest my creative abilities and try my luck in digital marketing.
I did many internships, taught myself online, and worked very hard. I knew a strong grip on initial learning was the key to becoming successful in anything, and that is what I did. Starting off as a content marketing team lead has led me to co-found a thriving marketing agency and I feel this is just the start.
How do you make money?
We’re a service provider, so most of our revenue comes from providing our digital marketing services to enterprises and SMEs. Market Pro provides all major kinds of digital marketing services, including SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, and more, as we say, “You name it, we have it.”
From day one, our mission has been to help businesses achieve their goals through measurable and effective digital marketing solutions, and this is what drives a major part of our revenue.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
For me, the profit was when Market Pro started helping businesses enhance their online visibility and build an online customer base for them. Our focus has been on the quality of operations. We invested a lot in the workforce in the initial days, because in order to provide quality services, it was important for us to hire talented employees who could do the efficient work. I am proud to tell you here that Market Pro was one of those few agencies that provided up-to-the-standard services in the initial days, and that’s what made us successful.
When you were starting out, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
It was my first attempt at starting a business, so yes, I had a small doubt if it would work or not. However, I knew that failures are a part of life, and I shall not be disappointed if it doesn’t work, instead, it’ll teach me a new thing. It’s essential to consider the failures when launching a business. Failures work as a knowledge hub, guiding us away from repeating mistakes in the future.
In my case, Market Pro became successful in the first attempt. The reason lies behind my aim and strategy. I never worked on Market Pro as a profit-generation venture, instead, I wanted to provide clients with effective and data-driven insights to foster their growth results and ROI. Today, we are one of the fastest-growing marketing companies in the country, with 1,000+ successful marketing campaigns in its name.
How did you get your first customer?
We gave free trials and ran demo marketing campaigns without any commitment to prove our abilities to the clients.
I knew that Market Pro has the potential to provide up-to-the-standard services, the key was to demonstrate this capability to our clients. We received a positive result from the clients, and today we’re working with a number of international clients and expect to grow in the future as well.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works really well to generate new business?
We use multiple marketing strategies, but the most beneficial is email marketing. It helps us gain organic clients with better conversion rates and allows us to reach the right customers at the right time. We design personalized content for clients and communicate with potential leads to develop our brand’s recognition.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
In the last few months, the toughest decision I had to make was to extend our workforce. I knew that in order to expand the operations and enhance our services, it was essential to have more capable resources in place. However, hiring the workforce wasn’t an easy task. We had to invest a lot of time and effort in the recruiting procedure, expand the office premises, and invest a lot in that task.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
The most important thing that makes my company successful is my employees. For a business, it is only possible to achieve success with the dedication of the team. My teammates have always worked hard for the success of Market Pro, and I appreciate them for the efforts and time they’re putting into the company.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
The most satisfying moment for me is when I see my clients successfully achieving their goals with the help of Market Pro. From the day this company was founded, it was established on the ideology of a client satisfaction model. No matter how far we’ve to go, we will make sure that our clients are satisfied with Market Pro’s services.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
I have a positive vision for the business and foresee a bright future. Our client base is continuously growing, and to date, we’ve introduced five startups worldwide and have 50+ team members in back, supporting our company and aiming for further growth in the coming times.
Our primary focus remains on the client’s satisfaction rate, aiming to deepen the relationship with businesses. Moreover, we plan to invest in employees’ growth, training, and well-being because a company’s success is impossible without employees’ dedication and satisfaction.
What business books have inspired you?
There are various business books I’ve read in my life, but “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz” is the one that influenced me a lot. It explains the agreements and code of conduct for becoming a good leader.
The book explains how to be impeccable with your words. When leaders commit or say that they’re going to do something, the commitment or promise should not be negotiable. Additionally, the book also explains that leaders should not take anything seriously.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would advise my younger self to be dedicated to the project on which I am currently working and to focus on the quality of service rather than quantity and sales. Business is not about making money, it’s about the quality of services offered to the clients. Customers purchase the service, aiming that it’ll help them streamline their work or life. If the product or service is good, the business will succeed.
Are you willing to be a mentor? If so, how should someone contact you?
I’ll be more than happy to offer advice, answer questions, and provide insights to new entrepreneurs. Feel free to ask any questions or seek advice on digital marketing, business strategies, leadership, or anything related. You can reach out to me on LinkedIn