Q&A with Tanvir Farabi, Digital Marketing Specialist at Roadmap

This may sound strange, but I found Tanvir on LinkedIn. We were in our first round of trying to hire a Digital Marketing Specialist at Roadmap and I was scouring LinkedIn for someone who had the technical skill set we were looking for. Tanvir had PPC Expert, FB Ads, Google Ads and Certified Digital Marketer in this title, making it easy for me to see he had the right skills, so I connected with him. He was very responsive when I reached out, but said he was happy in his current role, fast forward a month or more and he sent a message to ask if we were still looking to fill the role. By this time, we were into our second round hiring and his timing could not have been better! I was thrilled when he was chosen by the team as our new hire - all my internet sleuthing had paid off!

I tell this story because it’s an interesting way to meet someone, but what I’ve learned about Tanvir in the past few months has been much more rewarding than that initial story. He is caring, funny, super-duper smart and is much more than a “good-fit” for Roadmap, he brings a different culture and perspective to our team, and we’ve only just started getting to know him. So, he is a perfect candidate for one of my Q&A’s!

Tell us about your background. What led you to the Roadmap team? 
My home country is Bangladesh. I came to Canada back in 2018 to do my MBA and fell in love with this beautiful country. So, I decided to call it home. I completed my undergrad from the top business school in our country. There, I picked up my liking for brand communication and advertisement. After graduation, I worked with many organizations and teams, but digital marketing always remained constant. 

How did you end up choosing and coming to Canada? 
North American degrees are highly valued in our country. Most successful professionals have one. So, when I felt that I needed to do something more to propel my career, I decided to do an MBA in Canada. I looked for an esteemed yet affordable institution, and the Memorial University of Newfoundland fit that bill perfectly. So, I packed my bags and moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, in the fall of 2018. 

Where did you go to school? What made you want to be a Digital Marketing Specialist?
I completed my undergrad in Bangladesh back in 2015, where I majored in Marketing. During my final year, I was introduced to brand management and advertising. My professor did a great job explaining the basics of marketing and advertising. He invited a digital marketing specialist as a guest lecturer for one of our classes, where I was introduced to Digital Marketing for the first time. I got interested in that topic and started reading about it online.

When I graduated, I got the opportunity to start working for an organization in the digital marketing sector. That was the first step. From there on, I kept on learning and growing in this sector.

Tell me about your current role and what you do?
I work as the Digital Marketing specialist at Roadmap Agency Inc. I started working here in February 2022. In simple words, I work to solve the challenges that our clients face with their inbound marketing efforts. I help them develop strategies and make the best use of platforms like Google, Facebook and LinkedIn to reach people who are ready to take action. 

What are your favourite projects? Or most meaningful project for you?
The biggest motivator in my everyday work is to see that my work and efforts are making positive changes to people's businesses. Making an impact through my contributions remains my goal for all my projects. Over the past 3 years, I have worked with over 30 Canadian companies from various industries. Through my efforts, I have managed to boost the revenues for the businesses I have worked with by 5-25%. So, all projects are meaningful to me as I get to hone my skills and learn new things while solving challenges.

You put a consistent effort into your LinkedIn presence, how has this impacted your job opportunities/relationships?
 LinkedIn has transformed itself into a great professional networking platform. I started using LinkedIn to be able to follow leaders in the digital marketing industry and learn from them. I always liked how they organized their profile, so I followed suit. I would say that LinkedIn is phenomenal for building relationships with people. It is a platform where people remain professional and are often willing to help others with advice and suggestions. I have made some good connections through LinkedIn. I would highly recommend people to update and organize their LinkedIn profiles, especially if they are looking for a job. It takes a bit of time, but a complete LinkedIn profile can be a valuable asset for job seekers with a consistent effort.

What are your hobbies and interests?
I am a big fan of hiking. When I moved to Newfoundland, I was elated to see all the trails. My wife and I would go out hiking often. I also love going for long drives. I drove from St. John's to Ontario, which is a 3000 km drive. My next plan is to drive from Ontario to British Columbia to complete the cross-country drive. 

What are some of the biggest learnings? What were your biggest challenges?
Be honest and truthful. For me, dishonesty or lying is extra stress which is easily avoidable. 

Some of my biggest challenges were:

• Seeing unethical practices in the workplace
• Move to Canada, leaving behind a comfortable life back at home.
• Learning to go out and talk with strangers because of my introverted nature. I am trying to overcome this, and it remains a work in progress.

What qualities do you value most in your team, clients, and vendors?
Honesty and respect. I expect people to be truthful to me like I am to them. I would be happy to be told that I am bad at something rather than being lied to. 

Who do you admire and why? Or who inspires you?
My father. He has built his entire fortune with hard work and honesty. He didn't have anyone to support him during his struggling days, so he kept his head down and worked hard to reach where he is today. His advice was, "Give your best effort on what you are doing so that even if you fail, you remain content with yourself."

What are your goals for the future?
I want to continue to learn and grow into a complete data-driven marketer and a good leader. To become capable of leading a big team with confidence and help nurture and grow new leaders. 

What's on your bookshelves? Or podcasts?
I am reading the book Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great by Carmine Gallo. Next up is Purple cow by Seth Godin, followed by Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion, Revised Edition Robert B. Cialdini.

Where can we find you?
You can find me on LinkedIn