It’s that time again when you meet the amazing people who make up the Earnipay team. Welcome to another episode of our Employee Spotlight Series. Today, we will be having a chat with Mosimileoluwa Alabi, our Product Marketing Specialist.
Hi Simi, Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Simi. My full name is Mosimileoluwa Alabi, but sometimes it can be a mouthful, so I ask people to just call me Simi.
I studied Microbiology but here I am, a Product Marketing Specialist.
I am also an environmentalist. I am very particular about climate education and innovation. That’s it for now.
You have a fantastic personality. Can you tell us 3 interesting things about yourself?
I think Amala is the king of all meals. Anyone that slanders Amala, please check yourself!
Growing up, I wanted to be a Medical Doctor, but here I am in Marketing. Thank God I did not become one because I don’t have the guts for it.
I loveeeee children and I enjoy teaching them. However, I’m not a fan of their excesses. I love it when they apply what I taught them.
I find your career trajectory pretty interesting. How did you navigate from studying microbiology to building a thriving career in product marketing?
As I mentioned, I’ve always dreamed of becoming a Medical Doctor. However, the school I got accepted into for Medical Laboratory Science was facing some internal issues back then. It made me realize that if I continued there and chose to stay, I might actually end up getting married while still in school 😂
Since admission to Federal Universities had already closed by the time I came to this realization, I turned to a private university as my final option. I ended up securing admission into McPherson University, where the closest courses to Medicine were Microbiology and Biochemistry. Opting for Microbiology, I embarked on the journey with hopes of finding something captivating, and indeed, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the course.
Toward the end of my time at the university, my fascination with the environment grew. This newfound interest blossomed from my final year project which focused on the Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in the soil. I wanted to create solutions to the environmental challenges we face using biotechnology.
However, my writing abilities have always been strong. I even had a blog when I was 18, where I regularly wrote poems, stories, and articles. During my time at the university, I was also the editor for my departmental magazine.
Right after completing my final exams, and even before receiving my NYSC call-up, I secured a position as a content writer. This marked the initiation of my journey in the field of marketing. I was well aware that entering a reputable organization with just a Microbiology degree and without completing NYSC would be a challenge. Hence, I made the choice to leverage my existing skills to secure employment.
During this period, I was exploring various aspects of the marketing field. I got bored quickly, so I wanted something that’d make me stay and that I’d enjoy for a long time.
Consequently, whenever a company approached me with a job opportunity in a certain capacity, even if it was unfamiliar to me, I remained open to trying something novel within the realm of marketing. This approach allowed me to discover potential interests.
Despite all these, I still felt some form of dissatisfaction. It was during this time that I came across the concept of product marketing. It felt like a role I could envision myself thriving in over the long run. Eventually, I landed a position as a Product Marketing Specialist.
I honestly love Product Marketing.
Has the fact that you’ve worked in various sectors of marketing contributed to the success of your role as a product marketing specialist?
Absolutely!
Everything that has made me a product marketer stems from the transferable skills I gathered throughout my career. My content writing, creative writing, research, analytics, and social media management skills became very useful in my product marketing career.
How did you join Earnipay?
A friend of mine was part of a marketing community, and she came across this opportunity there. She reached out to me and said, “Hey Simi, I think this role would be a great fit for you.” At that time, I was already employed as a product marketing specialist. After seeing the posting, I decided to apply, and they gave me an assessment to complete. Unfortunately, I submitted it past the deadline due to a mix-up. While sending it in, I included an apology for the delay, not really expecting to hear back given the circumstances.
To my surprise, they actually responded and asked to schedule an interview. So, I had a conversation with the HR Specialist, followed by discussions with the CEO and the Growth Manager. Eventually, I received the offer!
One thing I love about my role is that it is fully remote.
What’s a typical day in your life as a product marketing specialist at Earnipay like?
Because we are a start-up, sometimes my day might go out differently than planned.
But then, my day typically involves executing certain initiatives and collaborating with cross-functional teams. As a product marketing person, you speak with sales, product, operations, and engineering. So my interaction with them basically entails getting feedback and brainstorming on infusing them into the marketing materials I would be creating.
Somedays, I analyze customer journeys and tweak the workflow, on other days, I work on just creating marketing materials. It could be emails that resonate with each of our target audience because we know that the pain points of our target audience differ. Also, I write and direct video copies for ads, conduct market research to see what our competitors are doing, and stay on top of the trends. Additionally, I analyze data to help me know what to tweak, stop, and continue.
It’s a dynamic role and not one-size-fits-all because it’s a start-up.
What do you find most challenging about your job?
Two things, actually!
Customers can make you feel like you’re not doing enough sometimes. But this makes me see a reason to keep pushing and pressing.
Another challenging aspect is staying on top of market trends and competitors. As you know, Earnipay is the pioneer of On-Demand Pay in Nigeria. However, there are already existing products for our additional features, such as savings, bill payments, and more.
Having to adapt quickly to changes and ensure that your messaging reflects all of these changes can be quite demanding. Because much more than this, there’s a need to use all of this information to make data-driven decisions to maintain our competitive challenge.
Marketing can be challenging, but it’s exciting as well.
What aspect of your job as a product marketing specialist do you find most exciting?
Earnipay is a great place to work, and there are a lot of amazing people. It’s been 5 months since I joined and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting remarkable people. When you work with remarkable people, it makes your job easier. I mean, you’re not getting anxious when you hear your Slack notifications.
I’m always very excited when I see how Earnipay positively impacts lives and how employees who use Earnipay no longer have to wait till the end of the month before sorting their bills.
As I mentioned before, marketing can present challenges, and interestingly, the aspects that I find the most difficult are also the most thrilling parts of my job. Moreover, one aspect I truly cherish about my role as a product marketing specialist is observing the tangible effects of my marketing endeavors. Witnessing customers engaging with our emails and individuals taking specific actions prompted by a post notification that deeply resonates with them brings me immense happiness.
Additionally, I have a fondness for problem-solving. When crafting messaging strategies, I enjoy putting myself in the shoes of our target audience. This approach brings me a sense of contentment.
How do you unwind when you’re free?
I love to sleep! I am quite introverted, and I draw my energy from within. When I have the time to be alone, I’m always excited.
I also love watching movies.
Very soon, when I have enough money to live the baby girl life I want, I will begin to travel around the world.
Does marketing for start-ups differ from that of established brands? How should marketing for start-ups be approached?
Marketing for start-ups differs from established brands because start-ups usually have limited resources. For start-ups, it’s like there’s a time ticking, and you must achieve a certain level of growth within a period to stay afloat. While established brands can take their time, start-ups don’t have that luxury of time; it requires agility and speed. Additionally, in the context of start-ups, marketing places a stronger emphasis on establishing brand awareness (to cultivate trust) and attracting early adopters. Subsequently, the goal is to encourage these users to sustain their usage of the product and ultimately generate revenue.
One thing most start-ups should do before marketing is to determine their product market fit. While having an innovative product and lofty ideas is good, start-ups should deeply understand how their product fits into the market and what their potential customers need and want.
Figure out what your competitors are doing and look for a gap you can fill.
What advice do you have for young professionals looking to start a career in product marketing?
The first step is getting the necessary skill sets. The most important are excellent writing skills and the ability to communicate empathetically. Others include research and having a high level of objectivity.
For every other thing, you should be prepared to take courses, practicalize everything you’ve learned by getting hands-on experience, and stay curious and hungry for knowledge.
Any parting words for us?
Amala is king forever; take it or leave it!
That’s it for today! See you next time.
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