Sunita Rai is a WordPress lover, digital marketing, SEO and blogging enthusiast. She writes articles in different websites and loves media marketing. She started WordPress as a blogger and currently, working for one of the WordPress companies as an SEO Copywriter. At WordCamp Kathmandu 2016, she talked about creating a great blog focusing on the WordPress bloggers and WordPress business developers. We had a little talk with her right the same day.
How and when did you get started with WordPress?
It has been almost two years since I started using and working with WordPress. I love blogging and writing randomly. I just got dropped in one of the WordPress companies. I would say it was a random start for me.
What do you like most about WordCamps?
About WordCamps, I like meeting new people and sharing experiences with others. We also get to learn so much about the WordPress community from these WordCamps.
What do you hope attendees will take away from your talk?
I hope attendees will learn more about how one can create a great content and the importance of SEO Copywriting. I am going to share my experience in WordPress as a content writer. So, I hope attendees will learn something new from my talk.
Are there any challenges you faced that you’d like to share with us?
Where there are opportunities, there are bound to be challenges. WordPress is very popular, that means most of the people are using it. Meaning, high competition. In order to get the best out of it, you need to be the best at what you do. I also started out as a writer and I used to be so conscious about the competition. But, I have been trying harder and practising more to better myself and my craft. And here I am now.
What are your thoughts on the WordPress community of Nepal?
I am not much into it but, still, being one of the speakers this time, it feels great. I got a lot of support from our WordPress community and it is awesome.
How have you been contributing or giving back to the community?
I am giving back to the community through my writing skills. I like to share my knowledge and experiences with every WordPress lover. And of course, this time, I am contributing to the community through this WordCamp and I think being a speaker is one of the contributions as well.
Have you ever felt like you’ve had to prove yourself more than men who also work with WordPress? For example, some women working in tech have commented that they feel like they have to work twice as hard to gain the same level of respect.
Not like that but yeah, I think there are some challenges being a woman. In my experience, where ever you go, like in local meetups or in WordCamps, there are mostly male participants. You feel alone and you don’t have friends to sit and chat with. Currently, I am the only woman working in my company. It’s similar in this WordCamp too. There are fewer ladies than their male counterparts. But I never felt like I’ve had to work twice as hard to gain the same level of respect.
What advice would you give to the women who are only joining the WordPress community?
There is nothing to be worried about. As the time changes, more females will join WordPress. So, don’t worry if you are alone and want to start with WordPress. Just go for it and get started with WordPress.
What do you think about female participation in WordPress?
Female participation is very necessary. I think not only in WordPress but in every field, girls should come forward and grab every opportunity. As you can see there are very few ladies in comparison to men. So, I think more females should come forward and participate.
How do you stay updated on WordPress?
I am an SEO copywriter and I stay updated on WordPress through the popular blogs and WordPress websites. I learn a lot from my teammates too.
What can we find you doing when you’re not WordPressing?
When I am not doing something with WordPress, I’d be just reading some books. I also like travelling.
What advice would you give to a new WordPress user?
WordPress is quite awesome. People who are interested should give WordPress a try and explore it. You must just put some hard work on it and it will fill your life with opportunities.
WordPress 4.7 is releasing soon. Which feature are you most excited about?
I’ve heard that this new version of WordPress has many new features. I am excited about all of them and not just any particular one.
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