FROM A STATIONERY STORE SMM SPECIALIST TO HEAD OF SMM & CONTENT AT N1 PARTNERS. Sasha Kufayeva - openly for HWYD

HWYD: Tell our readers about yourself in a few sentences. Who is Sasha Kufayeva today?

Sasha: I'm a person who creates, works, laughs, is inspired by the people around me, and loves my family, dogs, and good food. I just live and enjoy every moment.

HWYD: What was your childhood and school years like? What were you fond of, what vivid memories from that period can you share?

Sasha: My childhood was quite eventful. I studied at a physics school, so physics and math were top priorities (I still remember the drill and cosine 30° rule). This, in fact, helped me get into Kyiv Polytechnic on a state-funded basis.

In my free time, I played CS 1.6, went to show ballet, was fond of photography and retouching, and, of course, lived my teenage life with my classmates. It's like most people, but it was this mixture of technical and creative that really shaped me.

HWYD: How did you get into marketing? Why and what attracted you to it, and when did you realize that you wanted to develop in it?

Sasha: To be honest, I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time. After graduation, I was very selective in my first job search and went into SMM in an office supply store. I ran a TikTok account, was a model, a screenwriter, and an editor myself. I worked with influencers, came up with newsworthy stories - in short, I lived for creativity.

I liked to see how content really affects sales and brand awareness. That's when I realized that marketing was my thing, because it's about creativity, quick results, and the freedom to experiment.

HWYD: How did you find out about the industry? What was your impression of it?

Sasha: It was a pure accident. I was looking for a job, a friend sent me a vacancy, and I took it, and so I got involved in this arbitration quite unexpectedly. And, to be honest, I got involved in the golden period, and it just went from there.

The first days I really thought: «What kind of industry is this and why does everything look like a fierce scram?» But very quickly I realized that this is a big industry with big budgets, frantic dynamics, interesting tasks, and people who are really driven. I looked at everything that was happening here and caught myself thinking that I had caught my golden ticket. I was drawn into this abyss, and for almost four years now I have been living this rhythm and cannot imagine myself in any other field.

HWYD: What position did you take in the industry? What kind of company was it? What vertical did you work with? (here we give the first hints about your personal experience in the iGaming niche)

Sasha: I also entered iGaming through SMM. My first job here was in a large holding company that everyone in the industry knows very well. The verticals were gambling and betting.

She created content, ran social media, announced events, covered conferences, was part of PR communications, and even became the media face of the company at one point.

HWYD: How did you continue to move up the career ladder? In which project did you feel your own realization and competence?

Sasha: In three years at the holding, I've changed three positions and really developed myself in all areas of SMM and communications.

I've been doing all kinds of things:

• promoted the brand on social media;
• was building the media presence of the tops;
• was a presenter and brand person herself;
• attended more than 20 international conferences;
• built processes for content and event coverage;
• brought brand communication to the Ukrainian market.

I sincerely enjoy working with people - this is my superpower. I love building a community around a brand, uniting loyal people who stay with the company for a long time. After 3.5 years in the industry, I already had a full baggage of knowledge, strong expertise, and a willingness to move on - that's how I came to N1 Partners.

HWYD: How many offers met your requirements and wishes? Why did you choose N1 Partners?

Sasha: I was very selective. I spend most of my life at work, so it's important for me to enjoy what I do and have the freedom to realize my ideas. There were a lot of offers, but I knew for sure that I wanted to work for the international market, I wanted to be in the product, I wanted dynamics and projects where I could create something great. The product has more diverse tasks, more drive, faster growth, and budgets that allow you to realize even the boldest ideas. N1 Partners has fully met all these criteria, and I have never regretted my choice.

HWYD: N1 Partners is a leader in the iGaming niche. Have you analyzed the company in terms of the iGaming market? What achievements has the company made in this field and how did it gain trust among the iGaming community?

Sasha: Yes, of course. I have known about N1 Partners for a long time, even before I joined the team. The company has been on the market for more than 7 years, and the industry perceives it as a stable and trustworthy player. This is the case when you don't even need to ask about reputation, it is simply clearly visible in the community's reaction.

How did N1 Partners gain trust in the iGaming industry?

• Flexible payout models - CPA, RevShare, Hybrid, individual conditions, and various withdrawal methods. Partners get what is really convenient for them.
• Personalized offers tailored to geo and traffic type.
• High product conversion and a strong retention system: loyalty programs, bonuses, promotional materials that really work.
• Analytics and constant support from managers. Partners know that they will be prompted, helped, given a quick response, and supported 24/7.
• Trust from the community. This is important - N1 has good relations with the market, and many have been working with the team for years.

HWYD: How many iGaming offers are in the company's portfolio? What GEOs do they cover?

Sasha: In our case, offers = brands (casino and betting). Currently, we have more than 14 of them: N1 Bet Casino, RollXO, Lucky Hunter, Slot Lords, Spirit Casino, Jet4Bet, Slot Lounge, and others.

Our main focus is on Tier-1 markets (Austria, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, Ireland, etc.), which provide a wide range of geos with strong growth potential. We follow a flexible traffic strategy, effectively using SEO, PPC, ASO, Facebook, Email, SMS, UAC and other promotion channels.

HWYD: How many affiliates does the company have now? Do you plan to scale up? Social networks show that you care about your partners (including helicopter flights, various gifts, etc.) - how do you choose the approach and what is the principle of loyalty programs? What can a website that cooperates with you get besides payments?

Sasha: We do not disclose the exact number of partners publicly, but I can say that it is 10k+ affiliates around the world. Of course, we are planning to scale - I would say that this is the main task that all departments are constantly working on. We launch new products, enter other GEOs, provide partners with even more benefits, and simplify the scaling process as much as possible so that the cap expansion happens as quickly as possible.

Building and maintaining partner loyalty is one of our top priorities, so in 2025 we focused on the partner community. And judging by the results, we did a good job, so we will continue to develop this area in 2026. Social media activity, PR placement, awards, conferences, the launch of a flagship YouTube show, and, of course, N1 Puzzle Promo - is a campaign that the entire industry is talking about.

HWYD: What is the name of your current position at N1 Partners, and what are your responsibilities?

Sasha: My position is Head of SMM & Content. I am responsible for the development of all our social networks and all the content we create: visual, expert, event content, rolls, scripts - everything that shapes the brand externally.

HWYD: Tell us about the brand marketing department at N1 Partners. What are the main areas of work, what is paid special attention to, and what does the company focus on in terms of positioning itself as a brand?

Sasha: 

The brand marketing department at N1 Partners is divided into 4 key areas:

• PR
• Event
• Production
• SMM & Content

As part of brand marketing, we are engaged in shaping the company's image in the market, creating a positioning strategy (identity, TOV, key messages), maintaining the brand's reputation in the industry, content and communications, and developing partner loyalty. All areas of work are built around our main message - «Be Number One with N1», which underlies the entire brand strategy.

HWYD: Your direct department is SMM & Content. How many people work on content creation, what channels of information distribution do you use for this purpose? What types of content are “flying in” and for what audience? Who is your direct reader/consumer of information?

Sasha: A whole team works on the content: SMM managers, copywriters, designers, production, videographers, and brand personalities. It is always a team effort. We run several channels: Instagram, Telegram, LinkedIn, Facebook, as well as blogs and a website.

Each channel has its own formats and tasks:

• Instagram - more entertaining, dynamic content, rolls, interactives.
• Telegram and blogs - expert materials, longreads, news.
• LinkedIn - HR brand, company news, and team growth.
• Facebook - important announcements, newsworthy events, and a channel for additional diversification of traffic and reach.

Our audience includes affiliates, media buyers, teams, and business development in the iGaming industry. We customize the content and tone for each platform to make it really stick.

HWYD: What niche content do you consume/read, what do you follow to stay on trend and aware of the latest industry trends in terms of social media?

Sasha: To be honest, I consume absolutely everything related to the industry and social media. I am subscribed to all the key influencers in the field of iGaming, arbitrage, and marketing and actively follow each of them. In Telegram, I have a separate folder with about 50 thematic channels and from time to time I skim through them all to quickly gather context and understand what is trending. Every day I monitor competitors: what formats they launch, how they present information, what appeals to their audience. Plus, I am constantly in communication with the community - in closed chats, working groups, and internal expert discussions. I'm always in the flow, it's already part of my life)

HWYD: The company is regularly extremely visible with its presence (including stands) at the world's top conferences. How do you and your team prepare for such events from the point of view of your particular area?

Sasha: Conferences are an important part of our work, as they are major media events and a powerful tool for brand development. Therefore, we prepare for them in advance and systematically.

In 2026, N1 Partners will be represented at four leading events: iGB Affiliate, iGB L!VE, SBC Summit, and SiGMA Central Europe. From the brand marketing side, we set goals for each conference, develop a stand concept and activities that should increase awareness and interaction with partners.

The SMM & Content team works in parallel:

• prepare a content plan;
• we brief the production;
• We think about interactive activities that will gather coverage and new subscribers;
• We communicate at all stages.

Communication is organized in a before/during/after format:

• To: announcements, intrigue, signing up for meetings, warming up activities.
• During: live events, interviews, dynamic content from the stand, partner engagement.
• Afterwards: summaries, photo and video reports, case studies, and materials for the media.

Our goal is to make N1 Partners as visible and understandable to partners as possible during the conference, and to make the content work for recognition and engagement.

HWYD: What successes have you already achieved as part of the company? What are your goals for the future?

Sasha: In six months at N1 Partners, we have managed to do a lot. The number of subscribers has doubled, and the reach has increased by 3 times. I built the department so that everyone understands their goals, area of responsibility, and development trajectory. We rewrote the strategy, updated our approaches to content, and refreshed the corporate identity together with designers - now it is coherent and recognizable.

I am also proud to work with the HR brand: our LinkedIn page is now one of the most visible and active among competitors in the niche. My goal is not to stop. I want to continue to improve the visuals, messages, and tone of communication and build a level of brand presence that would make people know about us, want to work with us, and want to be part of our team.