Category Archives: Blog

Every business has a story. How you got started, what you stand for, and where you are headed are all aspects that make up your company’s unique story. At Mantooth, we love hearing our clients’ personal journeys that have made them (and continue to make them) the fabulous, community-oriented business everyone knows and loves.

However, a business’s story is only good as their public relations team. Mantooth knows that PR is much more than writing a press release and sending it out into the abyss. It’s about constantly digging into those unique angles that set businesses apart and sharing them with the right storytellers in the community. Here is a bit of insight into our process:

Timing is Everything

If you send out a press release too soon, the media will forget about it. If you send it out too late, the media won’t have any room to include it. We find that golden balance based on the type of news you have to share, as well as our personal relationship with the media gatekeeper you are trying to reach. And just as a side note – refrain from sending out press releases on Friday afternoons. Does anyone do work on Friday afternoons?

How Often is Too Often?

You know that relative who tends to get on your nerves because they call every single day to share a tidbit of meaningless drama? Don’t be that relative to your local media scene. When it comes to contacting the media with your latest business news, we believe in quality over quantity. Make sure your press outreach efforts align closely with your overall marketing and branding strategy so that you can garner purposeful media coverage. We’d recommend limiting the number of press releases to one or two per month for a typical business.

Know Who You’re Talking To

You may have heard us say it a time or two, but Mantooth is full of relationship builders. We don’t just send out a press release to a few general email addresses – our team has developed rapport with media gatekeepers across northern Colorado. Media heads recognize our names when they see an email from us, and we keep tabs on what makes it in the news so we have an idea of what constitutes a newsworthy tidbit. Because we really take the time to tell your story, Mantooth has a 98 percent pickup rate.*

Newsworthy or Not Really?

Not sure if something qualifies as newsworthy? No problem, our team can help you decide that. Although you can’t exactly write a formula for newsworthiness because each business is unique, there are certain pegs that generate more coverage than others. For example, community events, large-scale fundraisers and new business openings usually catch the eyes of local media.

Our team has been telling clients’ stories for more than 20 years because we want everyone in our community to know why they are so important. If your business has a story that needs telling, give us a shout!

*Defining a media pickup as coverage in at least one (but oftentimes many more!) valuable news source(s)

Throughout the years, one of Mantooth’s number one priorities has been connecting businesses with the community so that they can foster strong, long-lasting relationships. While there are countless ways to get involved with the community, the verdict is in: Community involvement DOES WORK! Here are just a few benefits of integrating your business into the community:

1. Put a Face to the Name

Placing ads in the newspaper is certainly great for business awareness, but what really builds a personal connection is when your target audience can see that real live human beings are behind a local business. Having a presence at community events, volunteering as a company, or hosting an event of your own are all great ways for people to relate to your business and trust your brand.

2. Communicate Messages One-on-One

Becoming involved in the community allows for the unique opportunity to chat with potential customers one-on-one. These conversations are often the starting point of a valuable future relationship because your team has the chance to communicate their product or service in layman’s terms, answer any questions and adjust their selling strategy based on immediate feedback.

3. Show Your Support of the Community

While this one may seem like a no-brainer, many business leaders forget that their company automatically becomes more appealing when they present themselves as a supporter of the community. When your logo is listed on event promotional materials or when you are thanked for your generosity on social media, people flag you as a company who cares and one they want to do business with.

So…how should you get involved?

You don’t have to look too far to find a plethora of ways to get involved in the community. For example, the Lagoon Summer Concert Series and Town of Timnath both present excellent sponsorship programs that provide ample opportunities for engaging with the public.

The Lagoon sponsorship program is unique for several reasons:

• This eight-week long, free summer concert series draws a loyal crowd of 1,000-1,500 listeners every week. That’s eight times the community engagement and brand awareness of a one-time event!
• We offer space, flexibility and encourage fun activities so you can make the most of your booth space. Want to bring a bounce house? Give massages? Hand out free samples or coupons? You do what you need to do to attract people to your booth.
• Don’t just take it from us – many of our sponsors come back year after year because of the noticeable impact it makes on their brand awareness.

From a recent sponsor survey:

• “It’s a great opportunity to interact with families, which can be a more hard-to-reach part of the population given their childcare needs and busy schedules.
• “We benefited greatly from the number of people in attendance, as well as event recognition across the community. Lagoon has regulars that will show up regardless of the band.”
• “The amount of people that stopped by to see what we were about made this a valuable avenue for brand exposure.”

Interested in expanding your business’s community involvement strategy through Lagoon, Timnath or other means? Contact callie@mantoothcompany.com so we can get you started!

Search engine optimization is the backbone of organic search rankings. The primary purpose of SEO services is to optimize the visibility of your website. This can include on-site content as well as back end planning. In order to drive substantial traffic to your website, your pages’ elements need to be optimized. Luckily, Mantooth offers a portfolio of services to help you do just that:

Keyword Research

Keyword research is an initial step in the SEO process. It all starts with a word typed into a search engine box, and you want to be a top result for that search. But just as important as being a top result is being a result for the RIGHT keywords for your business. Mantooth will conduct extensive keyword research and compile a curated list of keywords that will best benefit your business.

Initial On-Site Content Optimization

Content is the king of SEO. On-site content optimization handles your websites pages, meta tags, content, titles and structure to make sure they are matched up directly with your primary keywords. Our team will audit your website’s current content and make changes that will benefit your page ranking.

Bad Link Cleanup

Unfortunately, not all links are created equal. Bad links can sink your website’s page ranking, undoing all the hard work that has been put into your SEO! Our team will monitor all backlinks to your site and ensure that penalties and other counterproductive consequences are avoided.

Directory Submissions

Directory submissions provide your website with high quality, spam-free backlinks.  There is also the added benefit of establishing a presence in massive directory databases.

XML Sitemaps

A sitemap provides information to a search engine about URLs on your website that are meant to be “crawled.” This helps the search engine understand your website and will increase your page ranking accordingly.

Adaptation to Search Engine Ranking Updates

The rules of the SEO game are constantly changing. Google and other major search engine are constantly tweaking their algorithms and adjusting what their “spiders” are looking for. Our team will adjust their approach to ensure that your page ranking does not falter with these changes.

Google Analytics Account Management

Google Analytics provides a plethora of statistics for your website. These include page views, bounce rate, site visits, average time on site, percentage of new visitors and more. Our team will create an account for your business and leverage this information to further bolster your SEO.

Monthly Ranking Reports and Updates

Every month, our team will cultivate a monthly report outlining your SEO performance. This can include average organic rankings, site visit percentages and much more. This is our way of showing you how your website’s SEO health is doing.

SEO is an integral part of successful digital marketing. Each business is unique, and Mantooth is committed to analyzing and presenting the best possible solution to help your business succeed.