Thought Leadership Archives

The Power of Print – Tom Dean

17 January 2025/in Thought Leadership

The Power of Print: Why It Still Matters in a Digital World

In a world dominated by digital content, one might assume that print is on the decline. However, reality tells a different story. Print is experiencing a notable resurgence, with businesses and consumers alike rediscovering its unique ability to connect, engage, and leave a lasting impression. Let’s explore why print remains a powerful medium, how it complements digital strategies, and what steps can be taken to maximise its impact while staying sustainable.

The Resurgence of Print

Over recent years, print has seen a surprising comeback. Why? In part, it’s due to the overwhelming saturation of digital content. Emails, social media notifications, and online ads flood our screens every day, making it increasingly difficult for brands to stand out. Print, on the other hand, offers a tactile and sensory experience that digital simply cannot replicate. The physicality of a beautifully designed brochure, the weight of a high-quality direct mail piece, or the bold presence of striking signage creates a level of engagement that is both memorable and personal.

Additionally, the pandemic played a role in this resurgence. With people spending more time at home, printed materials—whether magazines, catalogues, or direct mail campaigns—became a welcomed break from screen fatigue. This shift reminded us of the unique power of print to deliver thoughtful, impactful messaging.

Print in a Digital-First World

Many businesses have embraced digital-first strategies, prioritizing online platforms for content creation and distribution. While digital is undeniably important, print remains an essential part of the marketing mix. Why? Because it adds depth and dimension to campaigns, offering a tangible connection that digital channels often lack.

For example, pairing a digital campaign with printed materials can enhance brand recognition and trust. A direct mail piece arriving in someone’s mailbox, followed by an email or social media ad, creates a cohesive and multi-dimensional experience. Print also provides an opportunity to reach audiences who may not be as active online, ensuring no customer segment is left behind.

Tried and Tested Printed Marketing Materials

Certain printed marketing materials have stood the test of time, proving their value time and again:

Point of Sale (POS) Displays: Eye-catching POS materials, such as posters and Free Standing Display Units, influence purchasing decisions at the moment of truth.
Signage: Perfect for events, trade shows, or in-store promotions, signage can be versatile, vibrant, and impactful.
Promotional Items: Branded items like notebooks, tote bags, and calendars keep your brand in front of customers long after the initial interaction.
Direct Mail: While email inboxes are crowded, a well-crafted direct mail campaign can cut through the noise. Thoughtful design and personalization can make recipients feel valued, increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Sustainability and Print

One of the challenges often associated with print is its environmental impact. However, advancements in sustainable printing practices have significantly mitigated these concerns. Here are some ways the industry is becoming more eco-friendly:

Recyclable and FSC-Certified Materials: Many printers now use paper sourced from responsibly managed forests and ensure their products are recyclable.
Waste Reduction: By adopting digital printing technologies, businesses can print on demand, reducing excess inventory and waste.
Carbon-Neutral Initiatives: Partnering with organizations that offset carbon emissions further enhances sustainability efforts.

By choosing environmentally conscious printing partners, businesses can create impactful materials without compromising their commitment to sustainability.

Top Tips for Creating Powerful Print Materials

To ensure your printed marketing materials make an impact, follow these best practices:

Start with a Clear Goal: Understand the purpose of your print material. Are you driving sales, increasing brand awareness, or promoting an event? A clear goal will guide your design and messaging.
Invest in Quality Design: High-quality design is non-negotiable. Work with professional designers who understand typography, colour theory, and layout to create visually appealing materials.
Focus on Your Audience: Tailor your messaging and design to your target audience. Consider their preferences, needs, and pain points.
Use High-Quality Materials: Premium stock, vibrant inks, and finishes like matte or gloss can elevate the perceived value of your materials.
Incorporate a Call to Action (CTA): Whether it’s a QR code, a website link, or a phone number, make it easy for recipients to take the next step.
Test and Iterate: Run small batches of your print materials and gather feedback before committing to a larger print run. This ensures your message resonates with your audience.

Conclusion

Print is far from obsolete. In fact, its resurgence highlights the unique role it plays in a well-rounded marketing strategy. By leveraging the power of print alongside digital channels, businesses can create deeper connections with their audience. And with sustainability at the forefront, it’s possible to make an impact while protecting the planet. So, don’t underestimate the power of print—it might just be the key to your next successful campaign.

Written by,

Tom Dean

Managing Director – Screentec

The Power of PR – Louise Morgan

3 December 2024/in Guest Blogs, Thought Leadership

Public relations is a powerful tool for any organisation to have in its communications toolbox. When done well, PR can open doors, build bridges and create opportunities. It can boost a brand’s visibility, burnish its reputation and improve its credibility.

But what is PR, exactly, and what makes it such a powerful tool? In this blog, TMPR founder and managing director, Louise Morgan, delves into what PR is (as well as what it isn’t) and explains why it’s one of the most powerful communication tools your business can invest in.

Defining PR

Ironically, the PR industry hasn’t always been very good at doing its own PR. This has led to a general lack of understanding about its work, with people often struggling to define PR and to fully appreciate its value.

It’s no surprise, then, that there are many misconceptions about PR.

PR doesn’t stand for press release, though press releases are an important part of the PR mix.
PR isn’t all about getting publicity, though that is an important PR tactic.
And PR isn’t the same as marketing, though the two disciplines are closely linked and can complement each other.

The two key words that sum up public relations are ‘reputation’ and ‘relationships’. The UK’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), describes PR as “the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour”. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), defines it as “a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics”.

In the modern world, reputation is a vital asset for any organisation. A positive reputation enhances trust and inspires confidence and loyalty, and can be the differentiator that gives your organisation a competitive edge. A positive reputation takes a long time and a lot of hard work to build, yet it can be lost in a moment.

Think about the damage bad reputation can do to a brand. When Gerald Ratner of Ratners Group joked that some of his company’s jewellery products were “total crap” in 1991, he wiped nearly half a billion pounds off the value of his company. Even today, people refer to ‘doing a Ratner’ because of his gaffe. Similarly, in 2010, BP CEO Tony Hayward committed a series of PR gaffes after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, causing an environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. Among other controversial comments, Hayward caused outrage when he told reporters: “I’d like my life back.” BP suffered huge reputational damage and billions of dollars were wiped off the value of its shares as a result.

PR has the power to help your business to create a positive reputation and to help you manage, maintain and grow it. And if your reputation is damaged, PR has the power to help repair it. This can be achieved through communicating and building and maintaining strong and meaningful relationships between your organisation and its key stakeholders, whether they are customers, investors, shareholders, politicians or authorities.

Earning trust

Another of the key words associated with public relations is “earned”. A lot of what PR seeks to achieve is through earned means, rather than paid – it’s the ‘E’ of the well-known PESO (paid, earned, shared owned) model.

Earned media is when someone else talks positively about your brand in an organic way, because you’ve done something newsworthy or interesting. It is often considered more genuine and credible than paid media. As well as straightforward news coverage, earned media can include product reviews and endorsements by third parties.

Think about some of the biggest PR campaigns and how they’ve earned reams of coverage for their brands. One of the most successful campaigns of recent years has been Spotify Wrapped, the annual recap of listening habits and data that Spotify shares with its millions of users. Every year since 2019, the campaign has encouraged users to share their own personal Wrapped, earning millions of social media mentions and likes and thousands of news pieces. It’s achieved this by tapping into people’s interest in their own habits and their enthusiasm for sharing their own stories.

In the summer of 2023, the Barbie movie dominated the cinema worldwide, raking in millions of dollars at the box office. The PR campaign around the film involved multiple partnerships, events and influencer-led content. It also saw life-sized pink Barbie boxes popping up all over the place. In the six months before the film’s release, half a million articles were published about the film, and tens of thousands more over the course of the year. The strong brand storytelling around Barbie and the focus on empowering girls and women helped this PR campaign to huge success.

PR and marketing – powerful allies

What’s the difference between PR and marketing? Sometimes the terms can seem interchangeable, and there are certainly areas of overlap. Both disciplines are ultimately concerned with promoting a brand, but their methods and end goals are different:

Marketing sells your product or service; PR tells your story.
Marketing helps build sales; PR helps build trust.
Marketing makes people want to buy; PR makes people want to invest.

While marketing can be seen as a straightforward and direct way to reach customers, PR should be seen as a longer-term approach to build credibility and trust in your brand as a whole.

Together, PR and marketing can be powerful allies. Having both a strategic marketing campaign and a strategic PR campaign can help create a strong, consistent brand message. One type of PR in which the two disciplines work closely together is B2B PR.

B2B PR – or business to business PR – is a specific subset of PR for businesses that want to promote their products and services to other businesses, rather than the general public. A B2B PR strategy will target key decision makers in the sectors the business is looking to sell to, focusing on things like awareness building and lead generation. B2B PR campaigns will use many of the same tactics as B2C campaigns, but there will be some differences in their approach.

For example, because a B2B campaign will be aligned to specific business goals, it is likely to be more closely integrated with sales and marketing. It will be more focused on trade media than general press, because it’s targeting a smaller audience. And because it’s linked to sales cycles, a B2B PR campaign will make greater use of tactics like relationship building and thought leadership content to build authority. It’s also more likely to make use of a wider variety of content formats, such as email campaigns, online webinars, white papers, podcasts and videos.

How to harness the power of PR

If you are looking to implement a strategic public relations campaign, whether corporate, B2C or B2B, there are lots of things to consider. Here are some of our top tips for harnessing the power of PR:

Decide on your objectives. What do you want PR to achieve for you? Do you want to win new customers and improve sales? Are you targeting new investment? Or are you looking to create a ‘buzz’ around your brand? Knowing your objectives will ensure your message is focused.
Segment your audiences. Who are you speaking to? The public? Investors? Policymakers? Your messages and stories will need to be tailored to each of your audiences.
Be clear about your story. What story do you want to tell about your organisation, or your products and services? A compelling narrative can help connect your brand with your audiences.
Target your media. What are the key publications in your industry or sector? What kind of stories do they cover? What opportunities are there for you to get your organisation featured? E.g. Interviews, Q&As, comment and analysis pieces etc.
Identify the right journalist. It’s important to identify the journalists who cover your industry and target them directly, rather than fire off a blanket email to everyone. Ask them how they prefer to be pitched to (e.g. social media, email, phone) and when.
Have a strong news hook. One tip is to look at your story and ask ‘so what?’. You might care about it, but will it be of interest to a wider audience?
Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and a positive reputation can’t be built overnight. It’s going to take time.
Invest in an agency. If you have the budget, a specialist PR agency can achieve excellent results for your organisation. They will already have the expertise to build a strong PR strategy, the knowhow to craft a compelling story and the contacts to make sure it gets picked up and shared.

Written by

Louise Morgan

Director, TMPR

The Power of SEO – Beth Kempster

12 November 2024/in Guest Blogs, Thought Leadership

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a commonly used channel in digital marketing. Most marketing managers will have an SEO and Pay-per-click (PPC) budget earmarked every year with the aim to increase online leads or revenue.

Sometimes though, SEO can feel like an afterthought. You’ll often hear questions such as “is that article optimised for SEO?” or “will the new website be SEO friendly?”.

And in fact, 5-10 years ago that could be enough to rank on page one. Throw a few keywords onto a blog post or launch a site with minimal errors and watch as the rankings climb.

Now though, there’s more competition than ever…

Did you know that today there are over 1.1 billion websites online? That’s nearly double the number from 10 years ago, so competition for being on page 1 of Google has skyrocketed.

Because of such heavy competition, websites need to ensure they’re providing the absolute best experience (sometimes globally) for the user. Often, that means they’re aiming to be the top website of 10-500 million other websites.

For example, the keyword “kyc software” (a B2B tool to verify a customer’s identity) has over 15 million results. Or “b2b sales leads” has over 36,600,000 websites listed on Google.

Is it worth being on the top page of Google anymore?

As we’ve seen over recent years, Google has been putting more and more ads on their search engine results page. So why bother with organic rankings, everyone is just clicking on ads now right?

Wrong.

A 2024 study by SparkToro found that 75% of users click on an organic listing, 24% go to a Google product (imagery, youtube, maps etc) and only 1% will actually click on an ad. So organic listings are likely to yield much more traffic than ads.

Another study that interviewed marketing managers across europe found that 60% of marketing managers believed their best quality leads came from SEO. So, not only does an organic listing receive better click-through rates than their ad counterparts, but they also tend to attract better quality leads overall.

What other benefits can SEO bring?

We know that organic listings are still what the majority of users click on. We also know that SEO tends to bring in a higher quality of leads compared to other channels.

But how else can SEO benefit a company?

For SEO to work, it considers every aspect of the visitor’s experience. SEO tasks range from improving the quality of information provided to cleaning up any errors. Even if you don’t rank 1st for your chosen keyword straight away, there’s often changes happening to the site that benefit all your other digital channels.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the other benefits that SEO brings to your site:

User Experience

Google has confirmed that one of the top ranking factors for any site is the user experience. But what exactly defines a good user experience? That’s debatable, and different search intentions will need different experiences.

For example, if I’m searching for “first time buyer mortgage calculator” I’ll want a page that shows me a big calculator straight away, where I simply input my figures and see a result straight away.

Whereas, if I’m searching for “the best horror movies that came out in 2024”, I’d probably prefer to see a long list format with a high number of reviews attached to each one to verify the validity of the results.

A good SEO team will be able to assess hundreds of keywords and recommend (and even help to build) specific pages and experiences for your customers that provide a positive experience. This means that they’re more likely to convert whether they came in via SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing or any other digital channel.

Content Clarity

I’ve mentioned keywords throughout this article because they are central to any SEO strategy. Once the best keywords are picked, your SEO team will decide what page is best suited to each keyword. This is often called keyword mapping.

Then, an SEO-trained copywriter will rewrite that page, making sure that it covers all the relevant information surrounding your keyword, while removing any information that feels unnecessary or not relevant to the focus topic of the page.

A common misconception is that an SEO-optimised article will be long winded, often 1,000+ words long. But, in reality, Google will prioritise the most useful content.

Sometimes, only 200 words are needed to answer a query. E.g. “How long to scramble eggs” doesn’t need a 2,000 word essay so Google will prioritise a page where the answer can be scanned in under 1 second. Whereas “The history of Shakespeare” would benefit more from a longer format.

Once optimised, your SEO content should feel clear, useful, unique and relevant to your audience. Better content that I can use across all channels as well as more leads? Yes please.

Technical Support

I’ll keep this section short, as I know technical chat can be boring to some, but it certainly has its place in any SEO strategy. An SEO strategy should highlight any technical issues on the site. We often find that most clients aren’t aware of the issues we raise.

A technical issue can range from anything from a broken link or image to a slow checkout process. An SEO expert can clear up these issues and improve the overall site performance, meaning your web visitors may have a better online experience compared to competitors.

Longevity and ROI

As you’re probably aware, SEO can take some time to build up. Writing and building new content, clearing up errors and building backlinks can take months of strategising, outreach and sign offs. That’s why marketing managers will often have a PPC-heavy strategy to start with, with the hopes of pulling back on their paid ad budget once SEO begins to increase.

However, one benefit of SEO is that once a page has reached page no.1, it often maintains that position for months, sometimes even years. It does depend on the industry, as some are more competitive than others, but generally we’ve had clients that will hold a page 1 position for 6 months to a year and onwards. This means that once you’re happy with a keyword position, your SEO team can move on to working on the next batch of keywords, and the next and the next.

After some time, even though your budget with an SEO agency hasn’t increased, you’re seeing 5x-10x better returns, as more and more keywords are visible in the search results. Hooray!

Conclusion

SEO really is a digital marketing superpower. We know that most people still click on organic listings. We know that the people who do click on organic listings are typically higher quality leads. And, we also know that doing SEO has many benefits that improve the entire site experience.

So, focus more on your SEO efforts and watch your results improve across the board!

Written by

Beth Kempster

Co-Director, alumi marketing

The Power of LinkedIn – Jamie Martin

8 October 2024/in Guest Blogs, Thought Leadership

The Power of LinkedIn Profiles

We research you on social media before committing to buying from you, don’t we?…

The importance of ethics and brand to business individuals you need to be aware of – what are they looking for on your profiles when they decide to purchase services or products?

LinkedIn in particular is known as the number 1 B2B (business-to-business) social media channel, with a significant increase in traffic since COVID, LinkedIn is used for winning customers, networking, and job searching. Your profile will also be used as your online CV during recruitment processes (both your CV and LinkedIn profile require to be coherent with each other).

The purpose of your LinkedIn profile is, however, individual to you – do you want to win new customers? Retain existing? Develop a brand? Search for a new career/skill?

Whatever your reasons, you need to start working on your profile today, as it could take several months to complete a LinkedIn profile and increase your visibility on this channel.

But what if your LinkedIn profile is not an ‘All-Star’ profile, this term is not as common as initially used by LinkedIn, ultimately it means having 100% of your profile complete. Really – just a tick box exercise on all the sections of LinkedIn… Why is this important?

Not only will you become more easily findable when there are ‘people’ searches on LinkedIn, the potential customer will also learn more about you (career experience, education, interests, groups you’ve joined, and so on), all can be an emotional decider if a consumer wants to speak with you further.

A Social psychological term ‘The Primacy Effect’ highlights that first impressions do matter… If you have not completed all sections on your LinkedIn profile – what does that say about you? Or not say about you?

How can the power of LinkedIn profiles benefit you?

One example:

“Hi Jamie, I saw a comment you made… that led me to your profile, and I am impressed by your experience and background. You seem like an interesting person to have in my network. I hope you will accept my invitation.”

Finding out information on a person’s LinkedIn profile can aid the KLT principle (Know, Like, Trust), for example, if you both support the same charity displayed on your LinkedIn profile, a common ground is developed between you both when mentioned in your conversations.

How can the power of LinkedIn profiles impact you?

Following previous research (from one demographic); here’s an important factor that impacts millennials’ buying decisions:

75% of millennials research a company on social media before deciding to buy a service or product from them (Correct Careers Coaching, 2020).

Millennials are the first generation brought up in a technology-led world. It is the ‘norm’ for them to research you online when deciding to purchase something. The same can be said for the other demographics as we continue embracing the digital world.

This behaviour is the same for meeting someone in person – they will still check you out online/LinkedIn before deciding to buy from you. This research is now part of the face-to-face buying process – the two things are becoming inextricably linked.

For those people who are employed for a business, your LinkedIn profile also promotes the brand and culture. It demonstrates your commitment to this business and will inevitably progress your career – thus the in-depth content you add in each of the profile sections should align with the rest of the company ethos too.

If your personal profile/business is not complete on LinkedIn – will a person:

Buy from you?
Choose your service/products over your competitors?
Get in touch with you to sell to your business needs?

If you think and operate in that way – then you will certainly be influenced by the services and products, you see online – being experienced by others you respect. Just as you feel safer doing your own research before deciding to make any investment.

Some #TopTips to enhance your LinkedIn portfolio and creating an ‘All-Star’ profile:

Include a job title and industry within your ‘Headline’ – easier to find you in searches
Make sure you have added the ‘Featured’ section, an eye catching visual element to your profile (add certificates, team pictures, YouTube URLs, etc.)
In your ‘About’ section; demonstrate your passion, mindset and reasons why you currently do what you do in a professional environment
Within your ‘Experience’ section go beyond just the tasks and responsibilities – what achievements do you have? What are the outcomes/results you have generated?
Finally, don’t forget to ask for ‘Recommendations’, what other’s say about you really counts. And remember reciprocity!

Jamie Martin of Correct Careers Coaching.

Jamie@correctcareerscoaching.com

07599 332178

www.correctcareerscoaching.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/correctcareerscoaching

The Power of Photography – Tim Bishop

10 September 2024/in Guest Blogs, Thought Leadership

The Power of Photography in Content Marketing

Let’s be real: we live in a world where people scroll through content faster than you can say “double-tap.” In this visual age, grabbing attention is harder than ever. And that’s where photography comes in. Not just any photography—good photography. The kind that stops your thumb mid-scroll and makes you think, “Wow, that’s cool!” or at least, “Hey, what’s this about?”

1. First Impressions Matter—So Make Them Count You know what they say about first impressions—they’re everything. You’ve got about as much time to make an impression online as you do in real life (hint: it’s less than a second). A killer photo can say, “Hey, we’re professional, we know what we’re doing, and yes, you should keep reading.” Whether it’s a slick headshot or a shot of your latest product, the right image sets the stage for everything else.

2. Building Brand Identity Without the Buzzwords Let’s skip the marketing jargon and get to the point—your brand needs to look like, well, your brand. Photography is like your visual fingerprint. Consistent colors, lighting, and style help people recognize you across all the noise. So, when someone sees one of your photos, they immediately know it’s you. And that’s a good thing because nobody wants to be that brand that everyone forgets about five minutes later.

3. Emotional Connection—AKA, the Feels Ever looked at a photo and thought, “Why am I feeling all these emotions right now?” That’s the magic of photography. It’s like a shortcut to the feels. In content marketing, you want people to connect with your brand on an emotional level—because people remember how you made them feel, not just what you said. Whether it’s a warm, fuzzy portrait or a photo that screams excitement, the right image can make your content hit harder.

4. Making Content Less Boring (Seriously, It’s Important) Let’s face it: a giant wall of text isn’t exactly thrilling. People like pretty pictures; it’s just human nature. Adding photos to your content isn’t just about making it look nice; it’s about making it readable. Photos break up the monotony and keep people engaged long enough to actually absorb what you’re saying. Plus, who doesn’t love a good visual aid? Especially when it makes you look like you really know your stuff.

5. Boosting SEO Without the Tech Headache SEO—three little letters that can give anyone a headache. But here’s the good news: photography can help with that too! Search engines love images (especially when you play nice and add all the right tags and captions). It’s like giving your content a little boost in the rankings. And who wouldn’t want to be at the top of Google’s list? It’s like getting a gold star for your website.

6. Storytelling With a Lens Everybody loves a good story, right? Photography takes storytelling to the next level. A well-placed photo can do the heavy lifting in telling your brand’s story. It’s like a shortcut to the “good part” of a book, except you don’t have to read 20 pages to get there. When you pair great photos with your content, you’re not just telling a story—you’re creating an experience that people will remember.

7. Showing Off (In the Best Way Possible) Let’s be honest—everyone likes to show off a little. Photography is a way to flaunt your expertise without saying, “Look how great I am!” Each photo is a testament to the skill, creativity, and hard work that goes into what you do. So, when you see one of my photos, know that there’s a lot more behind it than just pointing a camera and clicking a button. It’s about capturing the essence of your brand in a way that words alone just can’t.

Conclusion

So, what’s the takeaway? Photography isn’t just the icing on the cake; it’s a big slice of it. It’s what makes your content pop, grabs attention, and keeps people coming back for more. In a world where everyone’s vying for those precious few seconds of attention, great photography can make all the difference. So go ahead—invest in some killer visuals and watch your content go from “meh” to “WOW!”.

Tim Bishop – Headshot, Commercial & Advertising Photographer

https://www.timbishopstudio.com/

Top tips from 11 years in business

30 August 2022/in Thought Leadership

When we hit our first decade of trading in 2021, it was some cause for celebration. We think clocking up 11 years is just as exciting, so to commemorate another year in double digits, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to think about what’s helped us get to where we are today… and turned these into tips that will hopefully be some inspiration for growing businesses and budding entrepreneurs.

So, what have we learned since opening the TMPR doors back in 2011? Louise Morgan, our founder and director, shares some insights from the past decade (plus 1)!

1. Trust is key

First and foremost, trust is the enabling factor to build long term relationships, and we believe that it’s no different for professional relationships.

Foundations must be built on trust for both the team and our clients. Having trust in the team’s judgement and for our clients to trust in our ability to deliver, is crucial to ongoing success. In our experience, trust enables creative independence plus breeds mutual respect and loyalty.

2. Right people, right place, right attitude

I’ve always been passionate about recruiting the right people with the right attitude.

Over the years we’ve stayed true to hiring people who share our values and are equally driven, something which I believe to be a contributing factor to our success. It’s important we’re all striving to do our very best and genuinely care about what we do. This has translated into consistently exceptional client experiences and the highest quality standards.

3. Training & TMPR go hand in hand

Since TMPR began 11 years ago, the world of marketing and PR has evolved. In many ways it’s unrecognisable, and in others it’s still the same. To keep pace with change and ensure new talent can grow, developing best practice is essential. That’s why we consistently invest in training programmes.

Most recently, we commissioned social selling specialist and bestselling author, Sam Rathling to deliver a bespoke in-house LinkedIn masterclass. This has ignited a new level of passion for LinkedIn in the team and equipped everyone with fresh skills and ideas to implement for their clients.

4. Let your hair down

While we’re serious about what we do, we also know the importance of having fun along the way. If you’re not having a laugh while doing what you love, what’s the point?

Whether it’s having fun with the team or our clients, a happy and positive workplace is one of the foundations for excellent service. We have a regular programme of team building in place, and some of the activities we have to look forward to include testing our team skills at white water rafting and letting out our competitive side at this year’s Rugby Autumn Internationals (thank you for organising Charlene!).

5. Google Drive is a game changer

Since switching to Google Drive several years ago, we’ve never looked back. The move to Google Drive has acted as a catalyst for growth within the business for several reasons.

Firstly, Google Drive increases security. The robust infrastructure has given us even greater data protection and makes manual back-ups a thing of the past.

The flexibility it provides via the cloud-based operations makes it easier to support remote and hybrid working environments – while all working seamlessly on the same systems.

Google Drive has also enabled us to integrate long term freelancers into our operations, all of which has helped drive sustainable growth while maintaining quality.

6. Agencies need agility

Working across multiple clients means our priorities are constantly changing, often daily. Agility is key as it enables us to respond and adapt quickly.

The fast-paced environment can be challenging, but the secret to success is a client-first mentality. Our priority is to make every client feel the most important in the world, because they are.

Whatever size the client, whatever the brief, we value them all equally. Balancing the workload is our challenge to solve, it’s down to us to always deliver… and we have always delivered.

7. Strength of partnership

We have long standing clients that have worked with us since the very first day we formed. There are combined elements to our success that sets us apart when it comes to our strong relationships, the TMPR blend, as I like to call it.

8. Stick in your own swim lane

Specialising in technical marketing is our priority and passion, something which is non-negotiable for the future.

We have got B2B running through our veins and truly technical is where we will stay. There are some excellent marketing and PR companies out there covering hospitality, professional services, and leisure sectors – but that’s not for us. We’ve carved a niche in construction, engineering, manufacturing, and tech, and this is where we will stay.

9. Balance work and life

When TMPR was just starting out, I was working seven days a week and more than 12 hours a day to get the agency up and running. Over time, TMPR has developed into a trusted team with shared values – which includes a proper work life balance.

The balance is crucial to the team’s wellbeing and the agency’s effectiveness. That’s why we have flexi-time, hybrid working, birthdays off, Christmas shopping days, and a new healthcare scheme.

10. You can’t know everything

At our very core, we are writers. We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding written content, but the agency’s broad briefs mean we often get involved with wider projects. We never try to be a jack of all trades, we’re a master of marketing communications and anything outside of that we bring in the specialists.

We’ve built a network of trusted partners over the years, which means we can rapidly deploy experts in SEO, video, design, SoMe, and much more, to deliver on specific client briefs when needed.

11. Gratitude is salient

Being grateful for all successes – big or small – is a crucial takeaway for anyone in business. I’m fully aware that the last 18 months have been tough on industry and at TMPR we feel very fortunate to have navigated through those times.

We’re now equally grateful to be going from strength to strength, and I’m particularly excited for the future, while never forgetting where we started.

One thing is for certain, our passion to deliver exceptional experiences – for our colleagues and our clients – is here to stay.

Massive thank you to all our clients, supply partners and team for another successful year of business. Here’s to a dozen!

TMPR at The Fire Safety Event 2022

14 April 2022/in Events, Thought Leadership

As we begin to get back into the flow of live industry events, the TMPR team recently visited the NEC in April for the first in-person Fire Safety Event since 2019.

Marketing Assistant Oliver Thorne headed to Birmingham alongside Tom Martin, and shares his experiences of the show with us here:

Keeping on top of the industry’s latest

With the stands filling quickly and the atmosphere growing from early on, it was great to see an enthusiastic response from everyone involved after the three year hiatus from live events.

With over 100 exhibitors and even more visitors, there was plenty to explore and lots of connections to be made at the event. Seeing some of the latest products and practices in person was eye-opening and refreshing to see the current level of innovation in the industry.

Sharpening our knowledge

Various presentations from industry leaders ran throughout the first day that were not only engaging but also imperative for those in the fire safety industry. We attended a couple of these sessions which included talks on the process of CCPI verification and recent developments in the prevention of fires in the healthcare industry.

Catching up with familiar faces

Fire safety is a huge consideration for some of our clients in the construction industry, some of which were even present at the event. It was lovely to say hi to some familiar faces – and some new ones too! It was great to see some of our clients in person for the first time, as well as catching up with other wider contacts that help us do what we do on a regular basis.

Alongside this, it was rewarding to see some of the great work put on display by our clients. We love to support our clients on projects like these and it’s even better when we get to see the finished products looking so good in the field – it’s fair to say our visit was definitely worth the commute across the border.

Our time at the event has us eagerly looking forward to the next one!

Until next time…

Reduce unsubscribers with preference centre power

3 June 2021/in Thought Leadership

Picture this: it’s Monday morning, you check your emails with trepidation. Suddenly, you are hit with an overwhelming tide of digital correspondence.

You put up a mean fight, sorting the influx into various subfolders, a red flag here and a delete there, in your hunt to find those crucial pieces of information amongst the slurry.

It’s 9:05am, and your tired little brain already needs a break. You cry out to the Outlook Gods, “There must be an easier way!”

Well, there is: UNSUBSCRIBE!

Simple, no?

The unsubscribe button oft gets neglected in favour of move-to-trash (or willful ignorance, for those hoarders amongst us), which does nothing to curb the bloat of our inboxes with unnecessary content. But trust us when we say there is something so satisfying in that little act of rebellion: hitting the “opt out” button.

Minimalism: fashion statement, or state of mind?

When militant cleaning – Marie-Kondo-style – swept the world in 2017, we experienced a collective eye-opening to the clutter in which we allow ourselves to be surrounded. But clutter doesn’t stop at the physical world.

Our digital space is just as important to keep clean for peace of mind, and ease of thought. You wouldn’t believe how much head space gets freed up when faced with a decluttered inbox, allowing you to focus on the important stuff.

But don’t just take our word for it: a recent study found that 60% of Brits feel less stressed after decluttering their devices, 69% feel more productive, and 71% feel more organized.

The best defence is a good preference (centre)

“But wait”, I hear you say, “Why is TMPR espousing digital minimalism? They handle my e-marketing!” Yes, if you’re reading this there’s a good chance you are one of our clients who rely on email marketing as a major source of revenue (and no, we haven’t been taken over by a rogue gang of Zen Buddhists). We’re here to tell you there’s a way to avoid the unsubscribe: a solid preference centre is worth it’s bytes in gold!

Any good marketer knows there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to what an audience will respond to, so why would emailed content be any different? Preference centres put the consumer in the driver’s seat, giving a feeling of control, and allowing your subscribers to decide on the content that is meaningful to them.

Allowing subscribers to tailor what they see, and how often they see it, helps mitigate unsubscribe rates. It also gives you valuable insight into what your customers really want.

In keeping with the hyper-personalised world that digital media and marketing has become, tailored content can be super useful if funnel marketing is your bag. And as data privacy laws are tightening for third-party collectors, Preference Centres provide a direct source for first-party data.

An engaged, interested reader is far more likely to share your content, widening your audience in a way that is far more valuable than “delivered” numbers on a stats report. So, while an email a day may not be able to keep Dr Unsubscribe away, stop worrying and embrace the power of the preference centre.

Why lockdown doesn’t have to mean shutdown

19 June 2020/in Thought Leadership

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of our daily lives from the way we interact with our families and colleagues, to the way we do our weekly shop. As lockdown restrictions are beginning to relax, the last few weeks have seen some businesses busier than ever and others at a standstill.

That said, in a crisis, a natural response is to batten down the hatches and safeguard the business in the short-term. However, from our personal experience we have seen some companies using this time to effectively plan a long-term response and focus on the things that will really make a difference when normality resumes.

So, as we start to approach what is being coined ‘the new normal’, what role does marketing play and why is it important that your voice is heard?

Keeping customers informed – with uncertainty everywhere we turn, keeping customers as informed as possible in your business plans is important. Whether you’ve been operational from the beginning or are completely out of action – ensuring you communicate your actions is fundamental for business continuity.

Staying connected – more people, including new and existing customers, are online and engaging with content more than ever before. This has opened up a world of opportunities for content and digital marketing. If you haven’t before, now is the time to invest in marketing to reach those people that you can’t meet in person.

Building your brand – it may not seem like it now, but normality will resume eventually. Take this time to focus on your brand, the messages you want to convey and those jobs that usually get overlooked. Whether it’s updating website copy, re-branding technical data-sheets or re-evaluating your businesses’ story, use this time wisely.

Marketing will help you to stay in front of the people that really matter. During a crisis, keeping in touch and staying connected with your customers is important, but it’s also an opportunity to get your ducks in a row so you can be fast out of the starting blocks when the world fully reopens for business.

Re-thinking events: Taking them online

6 May 2020/in Thought Leadership

One of the longest standing forms of marketing, events are a major element in many businesses’ marketing strategies. Particularly well-established in B2B sectors, events such as trade shows, are the ideal opportunity for brands to elevate themselves on a relevant platform with a targeted audience. To launch new products, network with the industry or generate new leads, face-to-face events have been fundamental.

Much like every other area of marketing there has been a rise in digital formats in recent years – webinars proving particularly popular. That said, face-to-face events are still a major springboard for activity for many businesses.

However, as face-to-face events have halted for the foreseeable future, now could be the perfect opportunity to add digital events to your plan and get creative with the space to explore what works (or more importantly, what doesn’t) for your brand.

So, if you’re looking to get started, what are some of the practical things you need to consider?

Audio – Audio is the most important element in online events. Ensure you have appropriate mics and technology that you can rely on.
Video – Live video is not always needed, but if this is your chosen method, use it as an opportunity to share the experience – and most importantly, it has to be done right.
Time – Dive into the most important content quickly. It is vital that your audiences are engaged from the outset.
Customisation – By taking your content and localising it for different regions is key to engaging different audiences and creating evergreen content.
UX – whatever your chosen platform, the user experience needs to be simple from registration through to follow up. Give your audience easy access to everything they will need to further their understanding.
Plan – have a structure in place but leave room for spontaneity. Audience demands may lead the way, don’t be intimidated by this, ensure you can be agile.
Unique – be unique and have a personality. Bring your brand to life just as you would on a stand at an event.

While face-to-face events will always have a place in the marketing strategy of B2B brands, digital events can help to plug the content gap while we wait for normality to resume. And when it does, we expect to see much wider spread digital adoption given that they break down geographical and time boundaries, making audiences accessible without the need for travel.

In fact, the current situation could actually be the catalyst needed for many businesses to review event strategies and identify where digital has the potential to add value.

The Power of LinkedIn Profiles

Get in touch

Get in touch