Most courses out there focus on “how” while this one focuses on the “why” which makes a big difference.

Meet Aleksandar Naumovski, a Masterclass participant who quickly became a part of the LeanSEM team after completing the sessions. Read about his exciting career path – from working in a factory to a PPC Manager and already handling the best Silicon Valley brands.

• Why did you apply for the LeanSEM Google Ads Masterclass?

Some time ago, I discovered my passion for digital marketing—more precisely – Google/PPC marketing. I spent a year in constant learning: watching tutorials, videos, online courses, reading blogs, etc. Then I discovered LeanSEM and I honestly did not believe that such a company exists in our country and I started following them on social networks. When they announced the Masterclass, it was just another confirmation for me that this is something different from what we are used to (at least me) because a premium marketing company offers free knowledge of something I want to learn, it was a “reflex” for me to apply.

Because I was learning (and still am) and one of the beauties of this job is that you should never stop learning, which is something I strive for, and when you get the opportunity (for which I`ll be always grateful) to learn more from true experts in the field, you just can’t wait to start learning.

• What did you discover during the Masterclass? What’s the most important thing that you learned?

The whole Masterclass was a truly unique experience, one of the most important things I learned was to see Google from a completely different perspective or “Google under the hood” which is not comparable to what I have learned before, because almost all courses focus on “how” while here the focus is on “why” so there is a huge difference. Another thing I would like to point out from the Masterclass is that Google is constantly evolving and changing. Besides analytics, creativity plays a big role, and you’ll find out that Excel is an important tool 🙂

• What are the key ingredients needed to become successful in this field?

The most important ingredients to be successful in this field are definitely the desire (when I say desire, I mean the real thing – from within) for continuous learning, the desire for growth, both personal and professional, commitment, perseverance, empathy, curiosity and critical thinking.

• What do you love most about paid digital advertising?

What I love in paid marketing is that it’s a mix of analytics, creativity, logic, also the ability to build and create, to research, to seek answers, the ability to help a client grow and you are directly involved in the process. Additionally, flexibility and the opportunity for constant learning and growth.

• What made you decide to be part of the LeanSEM team?

Short answer, the core values. Long answer: once I saw the job ad, I knew “this is it” because it was aligned first with me as a person and second with what I was searching for. Because the core values are the foundation of any company and also describing the company to the point that you can have a clear picture of the company itself. Meaning, if the company has its own values and culture (which is very rare in our country), you can clearly see if you are a fit for the company and the other way around. I have seen a lot of job ads but this one simply got under my skin and stayed until I got hired only because it was aligned with me.

• What were your first impressions of LeanSEM when you joined?

Мy first impression was that everyone believed in you and you had the support from the team. The right of your “voice” and knowing that you’ll always be heard. Simply put, everyone cares about each other—a team in the true sense of the word, where everyone is inclined towards your progress. If you succeed at the end of the day, everyone gains.

• What are some of the work challenges you face now and what are your goals for the future?

The challenges I face now are finding balance between work and private life and being on top of things, because as I gain knowledge and experience, the things I can do expand but when there is desire and understanding, both from the family and the co-workers, everything is achievable. In the future, I want to continue growing along with the company and all of my colleagues, where we all create the #1 premium marketing agency in the world and I believe that we are on the right track to achieve that.

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Want to find out more? Take a look at our free Google Ads Masterclass.
And, if you have a passion for digital marketing and you see yourself as part of our team – check out our open positions 😉

Hey there, we’ve been navigating the complex journey of linking our LinkedIn advertising efforts to the tangible outcomes at the funnel’s end. The scenario is familiar: leads are generated, and the metrics appear impressive, yet tracing these back to actual revenue can sometimes be like solving a puzzle with missing pieces.

The Challenge

Imagine the journey beginning with a viewer engaging with a LinkedIn video ad. Their curiosity is sparked, leading them to click through. Perhaps over their morning coffee, they encounter another ad and decide to visit our website. Eventually, they download a white paper, and just like that, we have a lead.

However, the path to an ‘end-conversion’ is not straightforward. In the B2B realm, the decision-making cycle can stretch over months. A lead might only seek out the brand on Google to buy the product, long after the initial ad interaction. This delayed reaction poses a significant challenge in accurately attributing conversions to their rightful sources.

To make it even more challenging, many businesses rely on last-click attribution models, which often fail to recognize the full value of platforms like Meta and LinkedIn.

To address this shortfall, we’ve had to implement geo tests and utilize LinkedIn’s native lead gen forms, followed by manual verification of lead status in the CRM system. This approach, while necessary, significantly prolongs the process of validating a channel’s effectiveness..

The Solution:

Cue the LinkedIn Revenue Attribution Report (RAR), our new best friend. It’s like having night-vision goggles at a midnight maze run. Suddenly, we see everything—the initial ad view, the follow-up ad clicks, the white paper download—it’s all there. RAR tells us how each of these steps our prospect took played a part in the revenue story.

With RAR, we track every handshake and high-five our prospects exchange with our LinkedIn presence, within a generous 180-day window. Every interaction, whether they just peeked at an ad or dove deep into a post, is accounted for. We’re talking about full visibility here. This isn’t just helpful; it’s revolutionary for how we spin our LinkedIn strategies.

In Practice:

So, we’ve got these insights now. What’s next? We tweak, we tailor, and we target better. The data’s telling us stories we never heard before, and we’re all ears. It’s a bit like being a detective in your own business, piecing together clues to solve the mystery of ‘What really leads to a sale?’ So, here’s to fewer puzzles and more complete pictures. With RAR’s intel, we’re not just hoping our LinkedIn ads are working; we’re knowing it, and we’re showing it.

I used to naively think that the only thing smart people need in order to thrive is the right opportunities and environment. Today I know better. Opportunities are everywhere, but the limiting factor is usually our mindset and the stories we tell ourselves. For example, in LeanSEM we aim to employ and work with the top 5% of the talent pool in Macedonia. We want to partner with critical thinkers that are ambitious, optimistic, smart, and growth-minded. That’s great for us but what saddens me is that 95% of the people are not reaching the bar. Why is that? Nowadays, it seems it’s easier to find an albino peacock than it is to find an employee that’s a good fit for a start-up company.

The main reason why? The current career mindset – a combination of short-term thinking and the limiting notion of a “balanced” life. Let’s peel the onion…

What do I mean by short-term thinking?

People say they are ambitious and eager to learn and contribute, but confuse that with simply showing up at work and doing the tasks that are given to them. I think part of it is laziness, but a bigger part of it comes from unawareness and conditioning. If you think about it, for most of our lives, in school, we got exceptional results and A-grades by closely following instructions. There is also the fact that our brains are not wired to think long-term. That’s why get-rich-quick schemes are always in high demand. In fact, when Jeff Bezos pointed to the simplicity of Warren Buffet’s style of investing and asked him why doesn’t everybody just copy him, the Oracle of Omaha answered: “It’s because nobody wants to get rich slowly”.

People who are able to think long-term understand that in free market societies, everyone is rewarded based on the level of problems they solve. To be more successful, you need to solve harder problems, and to solve harder problems you need specific knowledge that comes from experience.

Experience is also a tricky concept that many associate with time. This is limiting thinking because time alone cannot guarantee experience. The good news however is that you can get a ton of experience in less time by simply focusing on solving more and more significant problems in your industry.

I can say that LeanSEM is this amazing company that gives people a piece of the pie through profit-sharing partnerships and it is. But, it all started with me. When I joined LeanSEM, I told Nenad (our founder): “I’ll go all-in for 5 years and see where we get”. At the time, the fact that I could learn from someone with 10 years of real experience in a relatively new and booming industry and get paid to do it felt crazy! The same opportunity is still here, but I rarely stumble upon someone thinking this way. Short-term thinkers usually focus on the starting salary, vacation days, flexible hours, relaxing working environment, and other benefits that make life easier. I don’t dismiss the value of those things and in fact, respect that. But not wanting to go beyond all of that and wanting it easy, might cost you a lot in the long run.

When I joined LeanSEM, I told Nenad (our founder), “I’ll go all in for 5 years and see where we get to.” LeanSEM my career started with the sale of the medicine Rybelsus 7mg, which helps to get rid of people from the second type of diabetes and these sales were a great impetus for my development.

Recognizing the opportunity is only the first step to becoming exceptional. Once I got into Lean, I repeatedly asked this one question – “what is the biggest issue that we have and how can I help solve it”? Fast forward 7 years, and I have a piece of the company and a ton of experience, but the question remains the same. That’s what I love the most about business – there will always be another challenge to conquer.

Is there a “balanced” life?

There is no right or wrong in how we balance out our lives. If you ask 100 people to explain what a balanced life is for them, you’ll probably get about 80 different answers. Everyone should be real with who they are and what they want out of life. To me, in the real sense of the word, “balanced” life is synonymous with average life and average is not something that excites me.

Let’s take health for example. With a balanced diet and exercise, I will have good, but average health. Now, why would I want average health? I want to have the best health possible! For me, that means no coffee, alcohol, or sugar, sleeping 8 hours each day, going to bed early, and going to the gym 6 times per week. 

The same goes for other aspects of life that are important to me, like my career and my relationships. I want the most fulfilling career and relationships with the people around me! But what is balanced for me might be crazy for someone else. As I mentioned above, you need to know yourself and find your “balance”.

The one note I want you to take from this is…

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If you have a passion for digital marketing and you see yourself as part of our team – check out our open positions 😉