In Conversation with Pradeep Kumaar, CEO, Neil Patel Digital
With Neil Patel Digital (NPD) making its way to India, we spoke to Pradeep Kumaar about the agency’s launch plan, what different it has to offer, and what he thinks of the digital landscape in India.
Q. You have been appointed as the CEO of Neil Patel Digital (NPD) very recently. How do you intend to use your past experience in this new venture?
I am proud to be part of NPD India. It’s a big responsibility carrying forward. With my 12 years of experience in the digital marketing industry, I have come across diversified market potentials in India and other countries. Being in this industry for many years, I understand where the agencies are missing out. Many of the recent trends and strategies are yet to be adopted by the digital marketing campaigns in India. We drive results for businesses by understanding their core expertise and providing value addition to their users. We aim to bridge the technological and strategic gap by providing the best results for each of our clients.
Q. With an incredible success journey in US, how did India make for a fertile land for your operations? Also, with a plethora of SEO agencies in India, what makes you different from them?
India is ripe with Gen Z talent now. They know precisely what they want in life compared to the previous generations. They are mature enough to show their energy through creativity, analysis, and exploration of their career.
We see massive potential in their innate talent and want to help the ones who are seeking opportunities in digital marketing. Since operating in India will be much easier now compared to the last decade, we can thrive by giving the best digital marketing solutions and by attracting the best talent. With the Neil brand getting a lot of traction in India, both on the website and on social media, we sense that most of these talent align towards the spirit and energy that we have towards the digital marketing. Above all, a majority of them are avid followers of Neil Patel, both as an SEO guru and as a prominent internet influencer.
Q. How are you charting out the creation and implementation of NPD India’s vision and mission?
Our focus is to bring an ROI driven engagement model to India. Conversion is soon becoming the new norm, and obviously, marketing cannot stay out of this disruption. We have already seen the changes, thanks to powerful tools such as AI-powered conversational chat-bots and automation platforms built over CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, etc. Our aim is to provide solutions to the problems faced by marketing departments and to help brands in India get the maximum reach through digital marketing.
Q. How do you see NPD benefiting the small agencies and startups?
NPD has experience in helping small and medium businesses and startups to succeed in their industry. We know what works and how to implement them successfully. Now that Neil Patel Digital is making its way to India, we are excited to help Indian companies scale up their potential growth. With the right people, we’ll lead as a performance-centered marketing company to support small businesses and startups in India.
Q. How would you rate the digital marketing sphere in India when juxtaposed with the latest global trends?
The digital marketing landscape in India has been on a steady growth but the hype around it has resulted in startups and small businesses banking on false promises. We want the best practices to prevail; hence, we would like to take up the role of a beacon, showing the right path to digital marketing success for Indian companies to follow. To achieve this, we have assembled a team of thought-leaders who devise strategies based on the nuances of each industry.
Q. What type of talent/ acquisition is missing in digital agencies today?
As I touched upon in an earlier question, Digital Marketing agencies in India lack the technological advancement of their western peers. Most agencies here are still practicing traditional strategies. Due to this, the talent in the country is not exposed to the latest advancements. We are looking for talent who never stops learning and the ones who have the thirst to innovate and experiment.
Q. What according to you would be the key digital trends ruling 2019?
AI is disrupting almost every industry and digital marketing is no exception. Features such as Chatbots and voice assistants will rule the roost, and we can see the transition already happening within the industry. In addition to this, digital marketing will invest time and money in finding the right micro influencers who can build trust for brands. Of course, the content will still be king when it comes to search engines and social media marketing. With companies like Google and Facebook investing more into understanding the content and user intent, only a well-laid out digital marketing strategy with a focus on customer behavior can drive success.
