5 Minutes with a Digital Marketer: Maneesh Sharma of BlueCube Network
Stay focused, be patient, and prepare for the advance of data science.
- By James E. Powell
- October 19, 2016
Maneesh Sharma describes himself as a gadget freak, analytics lover, and a tech enthusiast. He has over six years of experience in digital marketing and is the co-founder and chief traffic officer (CTO) of BlueCube Network, which helps consumers make purchasing decisions. Maneesh has specific interest in customer value optimization and search strategies. He has particular expertise in data analytics and growth hacking. He spoke with Upside about what he does and where he sees the industry going.
UPSIDE: What's the one thing you wish people knew about your job?
Maneesh Sharma: It's a little difficult to explain my work to people. I wish others could understand that we have to take calculated steps for every decision we take. We have to consider relevant KPIs before going one step forward. Our results are now interpreted in terms of figures. ROI is what we work for and nothing goes random here.
Are you working on anything interesting right now? If not, what's your dream project?
As a company, we have a number of ongoing projects, but currently I'm personally focused and interested in tech gadget blogs such as Top Drones for Sale. These gadgets interest me to the core. As a company, we are experimenting with content and search marketing tactics. When it comes to my dream project, I would love to have an active content and commerce amalgamation project.
What personality trait do you think people need to succeed at your job?
Patience. I feel everyone who wishes to succeed in their professional life needs to have ample amounts of patience. In addition, the consistent desire to learn and grow add up to success levels a professional can achieve.
What's the most common roadblock you hit in your work? How do you deal with it?
Anything that breaks your concentration.
Yes, this is the last thing that anyone would want while working, and I am no different. You're dealing with marketing, statistics, figures, data of all sorts, and focus remains the key here. It can be in any form -- queries from colleagues, surprise visitors at your office, or meetings. In order to make sure that this happens as infrequently as possible, I follow the Pareto's Principle. Trust me, it is very effective.
Other than that, I have and maintain a schedule and follow it strictly -- that schedule includes meetings notifications, Office visits and timing of appointments, sessions, seminars etc.
Where is data analytics/data science headed in the next few years?
It's no surprise that the field has a long way to go. The other day, I was reading this Forbes article where a chief data scientist at Intel, Bob Rogers, was speaking about how the business leaders now want "the answer." By the answer, he means the specific analytical representation of risks and results.
Data and analytics are emerging as the focal point of deciding the core business route and strategies. Although tools and automation have found their place in this, data science has strengthened its role over the years and will attain more power in times to come.
About the Author
James E. Powell is the editorial director of TDWI, including research reports, the Business Intelligence Journal, and Upside newsletter. You can contact him
via email here.