My name is Eugene Ivanov, and I am a digital marketing and SEO specialist with over 10 years of experience. My journey into digital marketing began with traditional marketing during my role in the sales and marketing department of a pharmaceutical publishing company. It was there that I realized traditional marketing wasn’t necessarily outdated, but it often struggled to keep up with the opportunities offered by digital methods.
I was naturally drawn to the digital side of marketing, but circumstances often pushed me into more traditional responsibilities. For example, I wanted to create an online calculator to improve the client experience and even identified potential customers interested in buying banner ads on the company’s website—something that hadn’t been explored before. These moments helped me discover that my passion and true calling were in digital marketing. Believing in myself, I decided to step into freelancing.
Building My Foundations
For about six months, I worked on various projects as a freelancer. While not all of them were successful, the experience taught me valuable lessons, especially about the financial side of running a business. I realized I needed more structured experience, which led me to my next role: a marketing position focused on developing the website for a leading PVC material manufacturer in Ukraine.
This role was pivotal for me. Over two years, I learned how to build and promote websites, develop strategies, optimize visibility, and launch advertising campaigns. It provided me with the foundational knowledge that would shape the rest of my career. Although I decided to seek growth opportunities after two years, I continue to maintain warm and friendly relationships with the company to this day.
Scaling My Expertise
The next step in my career was as a digital marketing specialist at an Experience Gift Marketplace—the largest platform for experience gifts in Ukraine. During my time there, I significantly enhanced my skills in a dynamic and fast-growing environment. Working with a young and energetic team, we launched and tested creative ideas, often within just a week. This fast-paced atmosphere not only accelerated my professional growth but also contributed to my personal development.
Leadership and Innovation
After a year, I realized I wanted to take on even greater challenges. This led me to a marketing leadership role in a gift card company, where I was able to build and implement the marketing model I envisioned. Over 2.5 years, I achieved remarkable results, growing the company and creating a product I am still proud of. I look back fondly on the time spent there and the successes we achieved as a team.
During my time as the Marketing Director at a gift card company, I worked alongside like-minded individuals to develop and promote various online products. In our free time, we brainstormed, tested, and launched different concepts. While not all of them were successful—which is entirely normal—some of these projects are still alive today, quietly benefiting their niche audiences.
A Landmark Project
One of these projects grew large enough to become a full-time endeavor. In 2020, we began developing an online platform focused on cognitive assessment through various types of testing. Within a year, the platform gained enough traction to allow us to leave our primary jobs and dedicate all our time to its growth. Over the next year, the platform continued to expand, generating significant traffic and strong sales. It stands out as one of the achievements I’m most proud of.
Overcoming Challenges
While working on this project, we faced numerous challenges, including scaling it globally, translating content into more than 30 languages, adapting it to different cultural contexts, and retaining our audience. As the platform grew to 500,000 monthly users, it gained significant visibility—not just among genuine users, but also among competitors who focused more on undermining our product than improving their own.
We encountered various issues, such as DOS attacks, negative SEO campaigns, and ad click fraud. Overcoming these obstacles taught us how to protect our platform and strengthened our confidence that any challenge can be resolved with persistence and strategy. These experiences not only fortified the project but also reinforced our belief in the importance of resilience and adaptability.
A New Chapter
At this stage of my career, I have embraced a new challenge: achieving success as a Digital Specialist in a new country. I am expanding my services not only for local businesses but also for a diverse range of companies, which allows me to understand their needs better and adapt to the cultural nuances of the population where I now reside.
Additionally, after developing the online cognitive assessment platform, I discovered an entrepreneurial spirit within myself. This drive pushes me to explore and create new online products constantly. As some of these ideas mature, I look forward to sharing them with you.
