Founder Stories: Aida Vopyan On Building WeProdigi
In today’s Founder Story, we feature Aida Vopyan, CEO and Co-founder of WeProdigi!
Read on for lessons she has learned from launching and marketing her business.
1. Please introduce your business and share your role.
Hello! I’m Aida, the architect behind WeProdigi, where creativity meets digital mastery. With a passion that lights up digital spaces and a mind that thrives on innovation, I lead a team of digital prodigies committed to transforming the B2B landscape. As the CEO & Co-Founder, my journey has been anything but ordinary. From unraveling the complexities of digital marketing to producing visual narratives that captivate, my path has been paved with challenges, triumphs, and endless learning.
At WeProdigi, we don’t just work; we craft digital experiences that resonate. Our name encapsulates our ethos: “We” represents our cohesive and dynamic team spirit, while “Prodigi” reflects our commitment to delivering PROfessional and cutting-edge DIGItal solutions.
With an in-house team of over 40 certified digital specialists, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of businesses across various industries. Whether it’s Paid Advertising, Social Media Management, or Explainer Video Production, our approach is 100% customized, ensuring that every project we undertake is not only unique but also precisely aligned with our partners’ objectives.
Our vision at WeProdigi is both bold and straightforward: to become the global agency that removes all barriers, challenges the stereotypes of choosing non-local digital service providers, and delivers unparalleled results by valuing the time of our people.
2. What’s your backstory, what kind of challenges did you face, and how did you come up with your business idea?
My journey to founding WeProdigi is rooted in a deep passion for digital marketing. Alongside my partners, we launched the agency with a vision to blend creativity, innovation, and love for the digital realm into every project. The early days were challenging, requiring us to wear multiple hats and work tirelessly.
Our dedication quickly paid off, leading to significant breakthroughs, including developing unique digital tools and forming partnerships with prestigious brands like Porsche and Audi. Despite initial personal financial sacrifices, WeProdigi’s growth remained robust, attracting a global clientele. This journey, driven by passion and resilience, underscores the essence of WeProdigi: transforming challenges into opportunities and continuously innovating in the digital marketing landscape.
3. How did you prepare for, and go about your launch?
Initially, we believed that no one could be an expert in everything. Thus, 7 years ago, we embarked on our venture by focusing on Social Media Marketing (SMM), an area where we boasted over ten years of expertise and profound knowledge. We began offering comprehensive SMM services to local medium and large enterprises, from strategic planning to performance analytics, pouring our extensive SMM knowledge, skills, and resources into our offering.
Understanding that product development demands ongoing research and enhancements, we concentrated our efforts on establishing ProDigi’s footprint across various social media channels. The launch was heralded by a teaser campaign titled “Something great is coming,” through which we engaged our target audience with direct messaging within the campaign’s scope.
The triumph of our SMM efforts hinged on two pivotal elements: creativity and the ability to measure success. We recognized the challenge of navigating the overwhelming flow of online information and banner blindness, where traditional tools often fall short in effectiveness. Our solution—branded games on social media—proved to be a hit by focusing on enriching user-generated content and fostering interactivity. This product quickly became a favorite among both clients and users.
Leveraging this strategy, we introduced an innovative way to emotionally connect with audiences, generate quality leads, and enhance brand visibility through the use of branded advergames on social media. Launched in 2017, these games went viral, smashing our initial KPIs by 250%. This success propelled us to broaden our offerings beyond SMM to include measurable digital advertising and digital production services on a global scale, just five months later.
4. Since launching, what types of marketing campaigns and designs have worked best to attract and retain customers?
Since we started, two main things have helped us attract and keep customers: redoing our website and using SEM (Search Engine Marketing) tools.
Website Redesign: Our initiative to revamp the website significantly bolstered our digital presence, enhancing both aesthetics and user experience. This strategic overhaul was aimed at optimizing user engagement through intuitive navigation and visually compelling design.
By articulating our value proposition more clearly and showcasing our portfolio prominently, we succeeded in elevating brand trust and credibility. The enhanced digital interface not only captivated potential clients but also facilitated deeper exploration of our services, thereby improving conversion rates.
SEM Tools:The application of SEM tools has been a cornerstone of our digital marketing strategy. Employing a comprehensive approach that includes paid search campaigns, SEO optimization, and meticulous keyword research, we’ve significantly amplified our visibility across search engines. This targeted visibility strategy is crucial for driving relevant traffic to our site, populated by users with a high intent to engage our services.
Strategic ad placements and keyword targeting have enabled us to connect with our ideal customers, ensuring that our marketing efforts yield a high ROI. Moreover, SEM’s analytics capabilities have afforded us invaluable insights into consumer behavior and market trends, enabling us to refine our strategies continually and align our offerings more closely with customer needs.
5. What have been the most influential brands for your business? Whose branding and marketing do you aspire to and why?
The most influential sources of inspiration for our business have not been singular brands but rather the collective energy and creativity showcased at events like the Cannes Lions Festival and other marketing and creative community gatherings.
We aspire to the level of creativity, strategic thinking, and excellence in execution that these community events showcase. They remind us of the power of storytelling, the importance of connecting with audiences on an emotional level, and the need to constantly innovate to stay relevant in a fast-paced industry. By drawing inspiration from the collective genius of these gatherings, we aim to infuse our projects with the same level of passion, creativity, and impact.
6. What are your favorite marketing platforms/tools?
Our favorite marketing platforms and tools are those that empower us to craft, measure, and execute our marketing strategies with precision and creativity. Among the myriad of tools available, a few stand out for their exceptional capabilities:
- Think with Google: This platform offers a wealth of data and insights directly from Google, providing invaluable information on market trends, consumer behavior, and the latest in to resource for staying ahead of the curve and making data-driven decisions.
- AI Tools: Artificial Intelligence tools have revolutionized how we approach marketing. From automating customer segmentation and personalization to predictive analytics and chatbots for enhanced customer service, AI tools allow us to innovate and provide tailored experiences at scale.
- Google Analytics: For measuring the effectiveness of our marketing strategies, Google Analytics is crucial. It offers detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion metrics, helping us refine our tactics and improve ROI.
- Adobe Creative Suite: For more advanced design needs, including 2D explainer video production, the Adobe Creative Suite offers a comprehensive set of professional-grade tools for graphic design, video editing, and web development. This suite enables us to produce high-quality creative content that effectively communicates our message through engaging visuals and storytelling.
- Semrush: Semrush is indispensable for its comprehensive SEO toolkit. It helps us in keyword research, competitor analysis, and SEO audits, ensuring that our content strategy is not only robust but also highly optimized for search engines.
7. Who or what inspires and motivates you?
What truly inspires and motivates me are my business partners, our team, and the shared successes we achieve together. The collaborative spirit, diverse perspectives, and collective drive within our group fuel my passion and dedication to our mission. Each team member brings unique strengths and insights to the table, making every project an opportunity for learning and innovation.
8. What are some lessons you’ve learned along the way that you would share with entrepreneurs hoping to launch or who have just launched?
As our business embarked on expansion, transitioning from a small team to an organization with 43 professionals, we received valuable lessons critical for entrepreneurs aiming for growth.
Strategic Decision-Making: The complexity of a larger team necessitated a shift from swift to strategic decision-making, emphasizing risk assessment and the broader impact on our operations. This approach is essential for navigating the challenges of expansion.
Continuous Improvement and Adaptability: Expansion highlighted the importance of fostering a culture open to continuous learning and adaptation. Keeping pace with market and client needs ensures sustained growth.
Investing in People: The core of our expansion success lies in valuing our team. Focusing on development, empowerment, and cultivating positive relationships has been fundamental to our growth and fostering a shared sense of purpose.
9. What do you believe are the qualities of a good entrepreneur? And what makes a team successful?
In my opinion, good entrepreneur possesses several key qualities that set them apart, with one of the most critical being the ability to value both their own time and the time of others. This respect for time encourages efficiency, prioritization, and a focus on what truly matters, allowing for the strategic allocation of resources where they can have the greatest impact. Entrepreneurs who excel are those who not only manage their own time wisely but also recognize and respect the time and contributions of their team members. This approach fosters an environment of mutual respect, efficiency, and productivity.