1. Thank you for the time to chat with you. You do have a nice name. Do you mind telling us what the meaning is?
Thank you for having me. Olukorode? It means that the Lord brings wealth. It’s an uncommon last name & I love it. I just wish people would stop misspelling it as “Olukorede”. You can call me Ore.
2. Interesting, but not to drift off cause, why did you branch out of medicine to go into marketing and how do you shuffle both?
Well, I did not particularly branch out as I’m still studying medicine lol. But I’d say my love for public relations influenced my interest in marketing. I had a lot of free time during the first pandemic year and I needed to get busy. Fortunately for me, a company I love was hiring interns so I applied and got in.
I work at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and marketing which balances everything out for me. It’s not either this or that but everything, together, all at once. It’s a dream come true for me.
3. Amazing. How did you strategically position yourself as a digital marketer?
I need more people to talk about how much working with the right people could be vital to pivoting your career. I’ve only had to interview for one role since I actively started working and that was because my employer was based in the US.
It’s been one recommendation or the other for me. Of course, the quality of my work and my attitude towards learning played a huge role but I guess I’m also lucky.
4. In your digital marketing journey so far, what would you say has been the most intriguing lesson learned?
Consistency pays. When you do something repeatedly, you automatically get better at it. The same applies to digital marketing for me and as a result, I’ve learned to work smart over the years.
There’s this principle that says you actually get 80% of your results from 20% of your work. You can’t necessarily tell where this 80% will come from so you just have to keep putting in good work.
5. Now, what has been the toughest part of your marketing journey?
Hmm. It’s hard to think of anything serious right now but I’d say walking away from situations that are no longer paying me. As a creative, it’s important to know when to shut the door, especially for clients who think digital marketing is a piece of cake.
I’d also say my growth. Combining digital marketing with studying medicine is not easy. If I were doing this full-time, I definitely would’ve grown at a faster pace.
6. What has been your most successful idea so far in digital marketing?
What I consider my most successful idea is in-house, I’m not sure I should be talking about it here, haha. Oh yeah, I started a trend on Instagram with Asake & Fireboy Bandana video. If you didn’t see it, you can check @pharmarun on Instagram.
7. Let’s not make digital marketers sound boring, what do you do for fun?
I try to keep up with a number of hobbies. I enjoy watching and participating in sports a lot. I also love traveling and reading books–mostly fiction. My newest passion lately has been creating content, so you’d see me on Instagram posting videos from restaurant hopping or french classes. Oui, je parle francais.
8. No brand/business can do without digital marketing even in the pharmaceutical industry, what are the most effective strategies you advise small businesses to adopt to get started?
Hire the right people. As a small business owner, you might want to do everything (logistics, social media management, etc) to save cost but in the grand scheme of things, having like-minded people on your team spurs your growth.
Also, it’s important to be flexible during the early stages. The market is constantly changing and you should learn to adapt and change with it till you figure out what works best.
9. What is one thing you need all brands to understand about digital marketing?
Results take time. Relaxx.
10. For young adults interested in digital marketing, how can they begin?
Speaking from personal experience, the best way to start is by building the required skills using online resources. The internet is an infinite well of information, use it. Learn about each marketing channel, and choose the ones you want to build on because frankly, digital marketing is broad and you can’t possibly do everything.
Apply for internships, or even reach out to digital marketers around you and tell them you’d love to assist them. Another thing you can do is reach out to brands and tell them you want to work with them for free. The initial stages might not be financially rewarding but prioritize knowledge and experience first, money will come later.
Thanks for having me on the series!
ALSO READ: #FifthGems: Meet Feranmi Okafor, A Growth Marketer & Founder of Tech Marketers Hub
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