![\"Sunita](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sunita-rai-interview-with-themeisle.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nI have personally known Sunita for many years, and even though we have never met in person, it’s always been a pleasure to collaborate and chat with her online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve ever heard about ThemeGrill<\/a> before, chances are that Sunita<\/a> somehow had a hand in it, because she’s the marketer behind the company’s success. They are the makers of popular WordPress themes like Zakra<\/a> and ColorMag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Sunita’s professional activity is not limited to marketing. She likes to help organize WordCamps, write content, speak at WordPress events, and teach people new things. She says her career in WordPress started as a coincidence because, at the time, she didn’t know she was applying for a job in the WordPress community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s get the full story from Sunita:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t When and how did you start working with WordPress? Is there an interesting story here?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I started working with WordPress in May 2015 by coincidence. Yes, a nice coincidence. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a Social Science student, and I was pursuing my Master\u2019s degree in Sociology at that time. Along with my college, I was also teaching Social Studies at a school in Kathmandu. I had a long career as a school teacher in different schools throughout my Bachelor\u2019s degree and Master\u2019s degree first year. Those were hectic days; hence I wanted a change, a less time-demanding job to give me more time for my studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right then, I saw a vacancy notice for a \u2018content writer\u2019 on a job portal. I didn\u2019t know what to do in that role, but I applied. I went for the job interview, and they asked me to write something like \u2018best places to visit in Nepal.\u2019 After a few days, I got a call and got invited to the job!<\/p>\n\n\n\n See the coincidence; the company turned out to be a successful WordPress development company at that time, Access Keys. They had popular WordPress themes like AccessPress Lite and AccessPress Mag, but no one to market their products. Hence, they hired me. I learned WordPress right there at my job, and that\u2019s how my WordPress journey began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My mother says that our life is a combination of some coincidences and some conscious efforts. I cannot say what percent each contributes, but coincidences have definitely shaped my life. And this one was a good coincidence that happened to me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What’s your favorite\/must-have WordPress plugin, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n For a content creator, it\u2019s an excellent topic for a piece of content. I could write a whole article on this. Haha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, I\u2019ll name two plugins – one my current favorite and one must-have plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My favorite plugin now is Masteriyo<\/a>, a WordPress LMS plugin to build and sell online courses. It\u2019s a product of ThemeGrill, where I currently work. My first impression of the plugin was that it\u2019s straightforward and anyone can use it confidently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many plugins in WordPress offer great features, but they turn me off instantly due to poorly designed user interface, lots of ads, and lazy speed. Masteriyo solves all of those problems with React JS integration and clean design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re currently using the plugin to power our employee training site. We have built online courses for onboarding new team members, training them about our products, and answering the most asked questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let me share my must-have plugin; it\u2019s Yoast SEO. An SEO plugin is essential for every content creator, and Yoast has been my favorite since the beginning. It offers simple yet best features to optimize WordPress sites. It\u2019s straightforward and not stuffed with too many features. That\u2019s what I like most about this plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are now great alternatives to Yoast<\/a>, like Rank Math<\/a>, All in One SEO, and SEOPress. In fact, we\u2019re using Rank Math on some of our websites. But Yoast SEO is still my personal favorite as I believe it has done everything just right, nothing more and nothing less. My personal opinion, though.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n How do you define “being successful”?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Well, it\u2019s a difficult question. I think the answer can be just one word or one billion words. And can differ for each individual, group, or organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, \u201cbeing successful\u201d means \u201cbeing able to help others.\u201d As an individual, did I help any other person do better? Did I help anyone to solve their problem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think that\u2019s all it matters in the end. Wealth, reputation, and achievements are all relative. So, the impact we can make in the lives of others is what should be the marker of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, we all can help our family members and co-workers in everyday work. Or you can help someone go to a WordCamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, as a business, you can help people solve a problem they are facing. If they are happy with your services, then it\u2019s your success. Customer success is a real success for businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our personal\/business achievements matter, but we should also make big\/small contributions for the overall good of others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What’s the no. 1 thing a new business entering the online space should do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n There are many things, so I cannot say what the no.1 thing is. Also, I\u2019m not an entrepreneur, so I’m not the right person to answer this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But since you asked, my only suggestion is \u2018just start.\u2019 Don\u2019t wait for the right time and right resources. If you\u2019ve got a unique idea that you believe will help a group of people with an existing problem, then you should try it. I think trying, learning, and trying again are the obvious steps in building a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many ideas go wasted because people are afraid to try. Without trying, you wouldn\u2019t even know whether your idea works. They say, \u201crisk is better than regret.\u201d So, put in your humble efforts and start it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, in the WordPress industry, some people say that its market is at the point of saturation. And there are no opportunities for new businesses. But you\u2019d be surprised to see many new companies popping up yearly, making billions in dollars. So, I can only say, \u2018trust yourself and give it a try\u2019 if you truly believe in your idea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s an instant turn-off for you when you read content online?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n An old date showing the content was written long ago and not recently updated. My instant response to such content is to press the exit button. Similarly, an introduction section that\u2019s unnecessarily long with an over-stretched description makes the content boring, and I cannot continue reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, I\u2019d like to add one more point here. An overly stuffed page with ads, banners, links, and congested content is an instant turn-off. Mostly, I close such a page instantly. What\u2019s worse is an untimely popup that appears when I start reading content. User experience is vital for content websites also.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n You are not a marketing professional if you\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Are not curious. Curiosity is what makes a marketer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What do you think is the most efficient way to market a WordPress product at this moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n We need a holistic plan to market a WordPress product at this moment efficiently. The market is competitive, and we\u2019ve already seen brilliant products here. So, we cannot rely on one marketing channel or strategy. We should instead think of a comprehensive marketing plan that connects one goal with the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, let\u2019s say you plan to do content marketing. But don\u2019t limit yourself to blogs. Create content for multiple channels like YouTube, social media, email, etc. Optimize your content for SEO but don\u2019t over-optimize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just make sure your content can connect with people and their real needs. Put in your honest efforts to help people with your product, and tell them how your product solves their problem and what benefits they get.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What type of content marketing has proven to be the most effective for your business so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Blog posts, mainly. That maybe also because we\u2019ve invested the most in blogging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have a blog on every product website where we regularly publish articles on various topics useful for our product users and general WordPress users. We aim to help people succeed with their WordPress website in relation to our product or any other service on the market. The most common post types are how-to WordPress tutorials, listicles, and informational content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through our blogs, we have successfully driven a good amount of organic traffic to our website. Some of whom ultimately became our product customers. Also, we have helped our existing customers with our step-by-step guides to set up their online business with WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although our primary focus has been blog content, we are also working hard to bring quality content in other forms, like videos and email newsletters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n What is driving you to keep doing what you\u2019re doing? What\u2019s your personal mission?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunita Rai:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n The WordPress people! Yes, I mean it. I find people in WordPress, whether in pure business or community mission, all of them incredible. Most of the time, they are happy and motivated whether I meet them online or at in-person events like WordCamps! I really enjoy the vibe here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other question seems more important to me. My mission at the moment is to make an impact through my day-to-day job, which is to train fresh graduates for WordPress marketing roles. We run internship programs for content marketing jobs where we train fresh graduates and students using our in-house resources. Some of them join our team in junior positions and later take leadership positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have been a teacher for a long time and still enjoy the job in one form or another. Working with young people has additional benefits too. Their energy is infectious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n That sums up our Sunita Rai interview. If you enjoyed it and want to learn more, please leave your comments in the section below. Also, if you have any ideas for who we should talk to next, feel free to share your suggestions with us!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\tSunita Rai Interview – “Just Start. Don\u2019t Wait For the Right Time and Resources. If You Have a Unique Idea to Help People With an Existing Problem, Try It”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n