Marketing your company

These days, when new and innovative
tools like social networking sites are being available to reach out
to target audience, SPs can definitely utilize this platform to
enhance the marketing activities of their company. With a dynamic and
fast approach towards revolutionizing the IT implementation across
various sectors in the country, SPs have developed a niche zone. They
are capable of adopting new technology, carrying out challenging
projects and providing state-of-the-art solutions to customers with
innovations involved. However, one aspect that has style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;">
not grabbed partners' attention is marketing their own brand.

Discussing the issue with a bunch of
top solution providers, who gathered at the SP Summit in Bangkok,
held between January 29-31, Hemant Mishra, MD, Neeti Brand said that
in order to bring success to the company, SPs need to conceptualize
their thoughts, supported with adequate publicity before it is
executed in the market. Thrusting on the importance of branding for
any size of business, he mentioned that names, logos and designs play
a vital role in bringing reputation to the business. He emphasized on
the fact that brand, visibility and PR should be promoted among the
SPs as it attracts attention of the right of set of customers who are
looking for the solution and while doing so the partners should
market their expertise.

Picking the case study of
Hyderabad-based Choice Solutions that touched the revenue of Rs 85
crore from Rs 50 crore in the last five years, Mishra demonstrated
that planned concentration on a specialized area can bring
recognition and success in the competitive environment.

Supporting the thoughts of Mishra, KV
Jagannath, MD, Choice Solution mentioned, “In the last five years,
I made a difference by understanding the limitations and growth we
wanted to achieve. We analyzed the ways to smoothen the cash flow
that is able to support the system. Choice Solutions planned to
develop in a niche area to gain specialization and datacenter became
the differentiator.” Adding to this, Mishra elaborated on the fact
that communicating to the target audience is important as it brings
differentiating factors to the SPs profile.

Further discussing his thoughts on IT
business, Mishra said, “Perfection is a paralysis. It acts as a
barricade to growth and improvement. Players in the IT implementation
business should not run after perfection. They should make efforts
and move ahead. This will provide them with a broader area to work
and grow.” Talking on the new ways of doing marketing, and also
discussing about contemporary methods to change the face of the
society, Mishra pointed out to social media marketing and also
mentioned that social networking is a new and effective tool to
market products and brands and to reach out to the right set of
customers.

Taking the instance of Sampath Kumar
from Value Point Systems who is highly active on the social
networking sites and has effectively utilized this platform as a tool
to market his company, Mishra noted that SPs need to devote a few
hours per day on social networking sites. Follow ups can definitely
bring about a difference to ones business. Elaborating on his
experience of social media networking, Kumar said,“Through sites
like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, I have interacted with so many
people who would not be interested to meet otherwise. First you need
to make friends with them and then they would follow you. This acts
as a platform to market the brand.”

While discussing about the new and
innovative methods to popularize ones brand, Mishra further added
that manpower and innovation are going to drive the time and it is
important for the SPs to adopt them in their business strategies as
early as possible. Strategy, innovation, manpower and social media
marketing are going to be the key factors for bringing success to a
company. Marketing should not be limited only to large enterprises,
small and mid-sized companies can also avail the benefits by
marketing in a right manner.