Shark Theory Media

Shark Theory Media focuses on taking the day-to-day stress of managing social media platforms away from busy business owners. They recognise that many business owners simply don’t have the time to fully get to grips with digital marketing strategies and how to use social media for their business, including creating the right content and building and managing digital audiences. But what makes Shark Theory Media different from other social media marketing agencies is their encouragement for business owners to be involved in the ongoing strategy and understanding their clients business like they’re part of the team.

“Nobody knows a business more than the business owner, so we feel that it’s really important to keep them involved on some level to ensure that we deliver a true reflection of the business on social media. We don’t want to be an agency that puts out generic content that doesn’t represent the business well - we want authenticity” - Tommy Wathen, Director of Shark Theory Media.

Tommy launched Shark Theory Media in early 2022 after spending many years as a professional journalist working for some of the biggest titles across the UK. His career started as a freelance sports reporter within a local news publication, before completing senior journalism qualifications and becoming a social media editor working within national news. He has always had a passion for digital storytelling - something that skyrocketed his career and led him to starting his own business.

“I’ve spent my whole career working for a company and I’ve always been good at it, but I’ve always wanted to work for myself and set up my own business for my future children. I spoke to family and friends who run local businesses and many of them told me that they’d used big corporate marketing agencies and were being charged thousands of pounds for different services and not getting much back for it. They also mentioned that whenever they had a query or question about their own marketing channels, they had to phone a hotline and jump through hoops to get an answer and that seemed so wrong to me. I felt like there was a gap in the market for an agency aimed at local business owners who don’t have the time or don’t quite understand the benefits that they can get out of social media and other various marketing tactics - and I knew I had the skills to do it” - Tommy Wathen, Director of Shark Theory Media.

As a fan of sharks and their tenacity, Tommy knew he wanted to try and incorporate sharks into the name of his business as he was not keen on going along with a business named around his own name. He started researching logos and business name generators to find the perfect fit and stumbled across a logo designer who had made the ideal logo - and Shark Theory Media Ltd was born.

Shark Theory Media has worked across the last two years supporting a wide range of local clients to create and improve social media presence, including Plume Academy, Maldon Mud Race, Maldon Fireworks and Vaycay Luxury Travel in Witham.

Tommy’s time working alongside Plume Academy started when he noticed that the school didn’t have an official Facebook page. He asked for a meeting with then-Principal Carl Wakefield and Head of Communications Chris Barton and highlighted the opportunities that would come from opening up this new line of communication with pupils, parents and external stakeholders. Within a six month period, the work that Shark Theory Media carried out resulted in the account hitting just under 1,000 followers.

Another Shark Theory Media client required a full rebrand of their website and logo - along with full social media management services. Previously using Yell.com, a period of inactivity had resulted in a drop in Google search rankings and lack of online enquiries. Shark Theory Media supported the creation of a brand new website and logo, whilst also taking full control of Facebook and Instagram accounts and implementing a social media strategy that would relaunch them into the digital world. Using a mixture of video content and SEO, the business has seen a massive boost in online enquiries and over four million organic video views.

Whilst Shark Theory Media is predominantly a social media management agency, Tommy has built up some excellent partnerships with local designers, videographers, photographers and web developers to be able to offer a full inclusive service to small businesses who need help with their digital marketing. Shark Theory Media wants to make social media support as accessible as possible, giving small business owners a voice and a space to grow.

“If there is one thing we offer at Shark Theory Media, it’s an approachable environment where business owners can get support and a better understanding of social media and its benefits for their business. Our services are bespoke as we recognise that everyone is different and need different levels of support. We help business owners to understand how your business needs to sell much more than just a product or service, it needs to sell feelings, benefits and the values of your business” - Tommy Wathen, Director of Shark Theory Media.

Looking ahead to the future, Shark Theory Media is intending to work even more closely with the local community and new clients with a focus on expanding their own reach and audience - and hopefully increasing their team too. Shark Theory Media sees real value in the importance of having a community around a business and offers its local knowledge and expertise to help skyrocket their growth.

“Social media is becoming more and more important every year and some business owners think they don’t need it. I would never say they are wrong, but most businesses can benefit from social media in some shape or form. It isn’t just about generating revenue or getting more customers as it can be about boosting your brand awareness, celebrating your business, building trust or simply just engaging your current audience. Doing social media well can be the difference between staying stagnant and growing your business, and we want to help small businesses achieve that success.” - Tommy Wathen, Director of Shark Theory Media.

To find out more about Shark Theory Media, you can visit their website at www.sharktheorymedia.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharktheorymedia or Instagram at www.instagram.com/sharktheorymedia