AfterFirst Media

AfterFirst Media is a digital marketing agency based in India, founded by Amit Khetan, an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus with 25+ years in the field. The agency positions itself as India's first digital marketing firm focused exclusively on pharma, chemical, and B2B manufacturing sectors. Khetan left a career in corporate banking and information security at Citigroup to start the company, bringing analytical rigor and ROI focus to client engagements. The firm has built a roster including MNCs, SMEs, and startups across these verticals.

Services and capabilities

AfterFirst offers six core services: Search Engine Optimization (whitehat SEO with research-backed strategy), Web Design & Development (responsive, search-engine-friendly sites), Lead Generation, Director Website Design (founder-focused credibility building), Pay Per Click (Google Ads and Bing Ads management), and Email Marketing.

On the SEO side, the agency runs keyword research, on-page and off-page optimization, and backlink building. Their typical timeline: 3–6 months to see significant results. The firm emphasizes ongoing optimization rather than one-time fixes, citing constant algorithm updates and competitor activity.

Email marketing services include audience segmentation, list management, A/B testing of subject lines and send times, and automation deployment. The agency cites email ROI figures of 36x and claims $1 invested in email yields $40 in return. For PPC, they handle keyword selection, landing page optimization, budget allocation, and campaign monitoring on Google Ads and Bing Ads platforms.

Web development includes modern, responsive design with built-in SEO features and AI components. The firm's engagement process follows four stages: Website Audit, Gap Analysis, Strategy Creation, and Execution & Post Followup.

Notable work

Alkan Chemical Europe GmbH received a website redesign that enabled management of over 160 products and improved search visibility. Procurement & Sales Manager Dr. Peter Michael noted the work was "elegant, fast, and well optimized, already appearing in search results." Other named clients include Shamrock Pharmachemi, Rampex Labs, Kekule Pharma, Emil Pharmaceuticals, Cogent Life Sciences, Deepak Chemtex Ltd, Atlas Tints Inc, Belami Fine Chemicals, Ameya Precision Engineers, Chakradhaar, Sampoorti, Galaxy Products, and Anil Associates.

The agency won the Web Excellence Awards S12 (Basel, Switzerland) in the Website Development & SEO Optimization category for work on BlueTide Analytics in data analytics. That season had over 950 entries from 27+ countries; AfterFirst was the only Indian agency to win. It also won Global Excellence Awards 2023 (Mumbai) and has exhibited at CPHI Milan 2024, claiming to be the only digital marketing agency worldwide to qualify for that pharmaceutical trade show.

How they work

The agency uses a structured process: initial website audit and gap analysis, followed by strategy creation and then execution with post-project follow-up. Amit Khetan and the team emphasize proactive communication and often work beyond agreed scope. Timeline expectations: SEO results in 3–6 months; PPC delivers immediate traffic and measurable results. Email campaigns require consistent frequency (suggested once weekly) and segmentation for effectiveness. Pricing details are not disclosed on the public site; quotes are request-based.

Team and credentials

Founded by Amit Khetan (IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus, CA designation, 25+ years in digital marketing), the agency also lists a Chartered Accountant (CA) co-founder. The source does not specify total team size. Khetan has published books on digital marketing in pharma and chemical industries, delivered keynotes at IIM-Ahmedabad, and gave a TEDx talk. The agency won awards conferred by dignitaries including author Chetan Bhagat and actress Madhuri Dixit. No certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA) are mentioned in the source material. The firm serves clients in the US, UK, Germany, India, and other countries, suggesting English-language service capability.