The Journey of Faizan Ansari: A Digital Marketer’s Evolution

Digital marketing has been my passion and profession for more than a decade. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to help businesses transform their digital marketing strategies—from the ground up. My name is Faizan Ansari, a marketing and sales professional with over 15 years of experience across multiple digital domains. Here’s the story of how I became the digital marketing strategist I am today.

It all started back in 2008, during my engineering days, when I took on website design projects. Digital marketing, at the time, was largely the domain of affiliate marketers and bloggers, with few mainstream digital agencies, especially in India. I could never have predicted that one day I’d not only work in a digital marketing agency but even run my own.

It was one particular project that truly sparked my interest. A client called me, frustrated that despite the new website I had designed for him, he hadn’t received a single lead in months. I explained that while the website was functional, it wasn’t optimized for search engines. That conversation opened a door for me. I delved into SEO and SEM, realizing that digital marketing wasn’t just about building websites but about driving tangible results for clients.

In 2009, I joined a startup called e-Lightening Technologies—a quirky name, perhaps reflective of the engineering backgrounds of its founders, myself included. Here, I began experimenting with digital advertising platforms, which were still in their infancy. Watching these platforms evolve over the years has been a fascinating journey. I only wish I had started building my personal brand earlier—but as they say, it’s never too late, and that’s one of the reasons for this blog.

By 2010, we were offering social media marketing as well. But scaling the business proved difficult. Trying to grow too quickly became one of the biggest mistakes of my career. We were nine employees by 2013, but we weren’t equipped to handle the increased demand. We lost clients, and I had my first taste of dealing with COPYRIGHT issues. Ignorance of these legalities was costly, both financially and mentally.

To recover, I thought diversifying into product development would create a sustainable business model. But without a mentor or a solid plan, it turned out to be a decision that deepened our challenges. I lost focus on the services side of the business—the very thing that had been keeping us afloat. By early 2014, the business had accumulated too much debt, and we had to make the hard decision to shut it down. While it was a tough time, I take solace in the fact that we helped our team find jobs before we closed shop.

Afterward, I took a job as a digital marketing manager at a startup in Pune, where I rediscovered my passion for driving sales through digital strategies. This role reignited my confidence and confirmed what I already knew—sales were at the heart of everything I did.

However, I wanted more. I wanted to work with bigger brands, perhaps even at an international level. I had my eye on agencies like BBDO, Leo Burnett, and Havas Worldwide. As fate would have it, Havas offered me a job—not in India, but in Muscat, Oman.

The move to Oman in 2014 was both exciting and challenging. Here, I had the chance to work with Muria Developments on prestigious projects like Jebel Sifah and the Salalah freehold developments. But one of my most cherished experiences was working with Majid Al Futtaim’s iconic project, Al Mouj Muscat—a community that stands as a benchmark for luxury living in Oman. The opportunity to contribute at such a strategic level was invaluable.

In addition to this, I managed social media and digital marketing for major accounts like INFINITI, Oman Data Park, and BMW, and was even part of the award-winning team for Nissan and Oman Air. With a lean team of just four people, we managed 14 different accounts, all while delivering results that mattered. These were exhilarating times, filled with intense pitch meetings and rewarding wins.

When I returned to India in 2017 due to personal reasons, I found myself consulting for startups and acting as a core strategist, helping brands grow their presence in a competitive market. I set up Beyond Billboards, my own team in Pune, where we worked on campaigns for clients like Gada Group, Clover Builders, and various other brokerages.

Real estate marketing was always a part of my journey, be it through my projects in Oman or the campaigns I ran for real estate brokerages in Dubai targeting Indian markets.

In 2018, I made a pivotal move to Dubai—a city that has since become my home. Here, I worked with renowned real estate clients such as Metropolitan Premium Properties, haus & haus, and Allegiance Real Estate. It’s incredible to see how these names have grown, now standing as some of the most respected players in the Dubai property market.

Looking back, my journey is a testament to perseverance, adaptability, and learning from mistakes. Today, with over 15 years of experience, I continue to help startups and established brands alike build their digital presence, drive results, and generate continuous revenue streams.

This is just the beginning of my story. My mission now is to share what I’ve learned, help businesses avoid the mistakes I made, and guide them to success in this ever-evolving digital landscape.