The most common question we receive from prospective clients is a variation of this: What do you do, exactly?
Our answer, versions of: Public relations consulting paired with multimedia content for private sector organizations.
Admittedly, our elevator pitch could be sexier. We’re working on it!
In the meantime, we’ve put together this blog to help you figure out if TNKR’s PR and web content is right for you or your organization, and to outline some of what we can work on together.
Who needs PR?
Most businesses could use at least occasional help from a marketing firm, including with tasks like simple website maintenance. If your business is in the public eye, if you attract attention from news media at least on occasion, or if you are a high-profile leader in your field, then pubic relations specialists might be your marketers of choice. Depending on your goals and budget, a combination of sales-oriented web marketing and PR-driven content could be a winning combination.
Every organization’s media mix is different. For instance, Company A may rely more on media relations for TV news, curated content for LinkedIn and a newsletter; Company B may see better results with media coaching for their spokesperson, podcasting and a blogging plan. First, we figure out who your audience is (or will be), then we’ll create some interesting content in the spaces where those audience members are likely to spend some time.
Even for small businesses flying under the radar, occasional help from a marketer is often effective enough to stay relevant. Monthly blogs or weekly social media posts can help keep your brand looking fresh, relevant and helpful. Some clients come to TNKR Media as little as once or twice a year, for PR campaigns, launches, events or to spruce up their web and social media presence.
But if you’re organization isn’t small anymore, perhaps over 15-20 employees and becoming a leader in its sector, your communications needs are growing proportionally to the size of your client base and audience. Maintaining and supporting your brand(s) through web content like blogs, social media, podcasting or video then becomes more of a responsibility than an option.
Entrepreneurs in Montreal and Toronto are blessed to have plenty of creative marketing talent to choose from. Check out our working Thinkbait manifesto for one major reason we think our content sets us apart.
Who needs to produce media content?
Only a small number of well established, typically B2B-type of organizations can get away with avoiding the expense of creating web content. If you head one of these blissfully low-maintenance organizations, we salute you. For most other SMBs, nonprofits, multinationals and all large organizations, if you haven’t realized this already, we are pleased to inform you that you are now in the media business, too.
All forms of media are becoming more decentralized, democratized and too widely-available for savvy entrepreneurs to ignore. A firm like TNKR, which combines strategy consulting with content production, can help leading businesspeople identify the form, frequency and tone of the messages they want to communicate to the public.
If the parts of your website reserved for public engagement — blog, news, media, events, etc. — are stale, or if no such sections exist at all, you likely need a content boost. (We have à la carte options for all budgets, or packages that start at only $150-200/month, ranging to intensive plans that will generate enough content for you to start a small news outlet, social community or audio/video hub.)
Ultimately, the best argument for industry leaders to create content on a regular basis is this: if you don’t assert yourself publicly at least on occasion, your competitors will, and their growing media capital could seriously impact your bottom line.
Where do we start?
If you have a marketing plan in place and a good idea of what content you need to accomplish your communication goals, then get in touch with us and we’ll send you our full list of services. A form will be attached and we’ll ask you to highlight any service you may be interested in. (Ask us about our bundles: order three or more services to unlock permanent discounts!)
For most entrepreneurs, an introductory consulting session is needed to first establish: a) communication goals, b) budget, c) timeline, d) a creative profile, and e) a general execution plan.
From there, you’ll enter the TNKR system. You’ll have the option of handing over control of your website, blog, social media platforms or other communication channels. We actively encourage entrepreneurs to delete their social media apps and let us take care of the chores, trolls and various unpleasant tasks (while maintaining direct contact with your audience). We’ll set up regular meetings with your TNKR consultant and/or producer, work with your organization’s manager or communications chief, and begin producing the content that will form the basis for your public outreach over the next few weeks, or years!
Meticulous quality control
No piece of content is published by TNKR Media without having been edited and approved by a manager or a client’s signing officer. We take our comms work seriously and craft thoughtful, informative messages. TNKR’s founders explain their role in the process and why it is more rigorous than most competitors:
Jessica Mailas, Managing Partner, Content: “On top of setting up standard Google alerts and keeping an eye on social media, we have certain keywords for each client that I search when on my early morning ‘content crawl’. This allows me to keep up to date with the latest news, not only about my client’s field of specialty but related issues as well. Our qualitative approach to news gathering provides our clients with more useful information, and the insight to give them an edge over competitors. It guides our content production as our goal is to not only be relevant and timely but avant-garde in our communications. We are constantly mindful of what we’ve shared to the client’s channels over the previous days, weeks and months so as not to repeat information or dwell too much on one subject – I find that this practice is key in helping me to curate and create content that touches on a wide range of pertinent topics that will keep followers interested and engaged.”
Dan Delmar, Managing Partner, Public Relations: “We begin by evaluating the organization’s business goals, then look at the content produced to date and the discussion it’s generated. We research the industry and work with the client on how to best create content or initiatives that will favour public dialogue. That’s why we have speech bubbles in our logo! When we’ve done a few dry runs and are on solid ground, we’ll start putting the word out to select partners, never spamming our media contacts or casting too wide a net. Later, we will evaluate the audience’s response and spokesperson’s performance. We’ll keep coaching, producing content and evaluating results on an ongoing basis, working toward more ambitious goals, broader coverage and media projects to help cement an entrepreneur or cause in the public consciousness.”
If you think you may benefit from public relations consulting or Thinkbait web content, get in touch with us with as much detail on your goals as possible. We’ll get back to you within a couple of business days.
FOR MORE THINKBAIT DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX, SIGN UP FOR THE TNKR WIRE NEWSLETTER AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. IN THE NEXT EDITION: NEW THOUGHT-PROVOKING PODCASTS AND DAN DELMAR’S TAKE ON THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MEDIA BAILOUT.
photo: @bank_phrom via Unsplash
