Vertical Marketing

09/24/2025

In 2023, we had the privilege of rebranding Iowa Lakes Corridor —transforming both their logo and brand system.

We're thrilled to continue our partnership with them today and excited to see their brand flourish!

Watch our blog series as we take a look back! 🎨✨

We've been a little quite lately - but doesn't mean we aren't doing big things!

We love seeing clients who understand aligning strategies, tactics and analytics to get our area on the map and in front of the eyes of investors, entrepreneurs and residents.

In the last year and half, Vertical Marketing has worked with the Iowa Lakes Corridor to develop their rebranding system, develop marketing tactics and manage their multiple social channels, and more, with a great group of marketing agencies walking along-side!

We've seen great successes and a few failures, but overall the path has been easy with clients who understand the importance of strategies and taking the time to find the Y for our area together! We aren't all experts in every facet of this new digital marketing landscape, but working together makes the entire process a concerted effort with real teeth! Pretty cool for an economic development corporation, right?

Is your own marketing model getting stale? We are working behind the scenes to further develop this type re-branding system product with other marketing experts to provide a full service marketing agency experience without paying agency prices!

Watch for future projects as we expand this new service line - we are super excited to see what the future holds!

09/15/2025

Thanks for sharing everyone.

The spot has been claimed so we are booked up on retainer clients again.

Additional projects are on case by case work as usual, please call or message to discuss your project scope and timelines.

We have an additional contractor covering the next few months, and I'll be looking again to hire likely in the spring.

Keep an eye out if you've been messaging me!

09/10/2025

Due to a seasonal client pause, our marketing agency has a short 5-month availability window (November-March).

We are offering three service tiers to accommodate varying business needs and budgets:

Full-Service Social Media Management
Complete social media strategy, content creation, and account management while you focus on core business operations.

Social Media Consulting + Coaching Program (New Offering)
Comprehensive training to develop sustainable in-house social media systems and strategies. Available at introductory rates during our trial period.

Build Your Own Social Media Workshop Series
Budget-conscious workshop format ($99 per session) designed for businesses of all sizes—from local retailers to institutional investors.

**Please note: Due to current capacity constraints, we cannot guarantee availability beyond March 2026 without additional team expansion.

For businesses seeking to strengthen their digital presence this winter or develop internal social media capabilities, we welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can support your objectives or connect you with another marketer who can.

Contact us directly to explore which option aligns with your needs.

09/02/2025

Who says you can't grow your Facebook audience organically right now?

This chart from one of our clients profile analytics report proves an important principle about social media growth that's often misunderstood. The steady, consistent upward trajectory you're seeing is actually more valuable than the roller-coaster peaks that viral content creates.

Think of it like building a house versus winning the lottery. Viral content is like a lottery win - it might give you a massive spike, but it's unpredictable and doesn't create a foundation you can rely on.

Strategic organic growth is like building a house brick by brick - each month adds another solid layer to your foundation.

The beauty of this approach is compound growth.

Just like how a savings account grows faster over time due to compound interest, an engaged audience builds momentum. Each genuine follower is more likely to engage, share, and stick around than someone who stumbled across viral content and hit follow on impulse.

Virality doesn't work. Strategy does.

08/19/2025

You think you can spot AI writing by counting em dashes?

That's like trying to identify a master chef by how much salt they use.

I'm dying laughing at this McSweeney's piece where the em dash itself responds to accusations of being an "AI tell." It's comedic genius and hits close to home.

My earliest mentor, Jane, was a marketing VP and journalist who taught me proper punctuation—the Oxford comma, en dash, em dash, and ellipses (You mean they aren't just three periods?! THE HORROR!)

Here's the thing... I've been overusing ellipses and misusing dashes for decades despite knowing better.

I use proper punctuation for business documents, but in casual writing? I'm all over the place.

So when I read about people hunting for AI "tells" based on punctuation patterns, I just shake my head.

You're analyzing the seasoning when you should be tasting the entire dish.

Punctuation habits are just flavor enhancers—the real artistry lies in the substance of the ideas, the authenticity of voice, and the human experience behind the words.

Stop counting dashes and start savoring the meal:
https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-em-dash-responds-to-the-ai-allegations?fbclid=IwY2xjawMRcTJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvwh8uHSmytDik39GY1Jjm5kABW4_u-AfrygZ7RhtasbTQDi9YjM0w9zyyJN_aem_hcGbWI03Z_LDMNl9pFWM-g

“In recent months, a curious fixation has emerged in corners of academia: the em dash. More specifically, the apparent moral panic around how it is...

08/18/2025

Here's an uncomfortable truth about networking: most of us connect with people who make us feel good about ourselves, not people who challenge us to grow.

At professional events, I've sat at empty tables and watched what happens over the years. The people who join me? Usually the story tellers - creative, curious, generous with their perspectives. The ones who avoid empty tables entirely? Often impressive credentials, predictable thinking.

We gravitate toward familiar faces and comfortable conversations because it feels safe.

But safe networking keeps us small.

The most valuable professional relationships come from people who show up as humans first, titles second. They include the outsider, ask unexpected questions, and aren't afraid to challenge the status quo.

Next time you're at an event, ask yourself:
Am I networking to feel important, or am I networking to become more useful?

The empty table is waiting. Who joins you says everything.

Read the full strategy: https://www.verticalmarketingdesign.com/post/the-empty-table-test-what-your-networking-strategy-says-about-you

What's your take - do you seek comfort or growth in your professional connections

I prefer sitting at empty tables at professional events—it's where I'm most comfortable. Over time, I've noticed who naturally includes others and who doesn't. These observations reveal character traits that matter in business: empathy, confidence, and collaborative spirit.

08/14/2025

After three intense days of coaching entrepreneurs, I found myself lying upside down in the grass, grounding myself and processing everything I'd learned.

Day 3 at OEI, I watched brilliant students with perfect research tackle surface problems while the real issues lurked underneath. An engineer wanted to fix buggy educational software, but when we dug deeper, the real problem emerged: volunteers didn't have time to learn any system - they wanted to focus on teaching kids.

The pattern was clear: students could identify what was broken, but they were afraid to challenge why it mattered.

Here's what I learned: when you ask "What do you wish you had more time for?" people tell you what they actually value. And when you know what people value, you can solve problems that align with their priorities instead of their complaints.

Take a jump over to the full blog post 👇

08/13/2025

Day 2 at OEI reminded me why I love coaching entrepreneurs and students.

These students are brilliant - innovative solutions, solid research, clear vision. And in our conversations, we discovered together that the next step was moving from data to real human connections.

One student said, 'This is a lot of soft skills that people don't talk about in coaching sessions.'

That comment changed how I see my own work.

Sometimes the best business insights come from the most unexpected places.

STOP and make the connections.

New blog post about the power of authentic connection 👇

08/12/2025

Yesterday I sat down with an engineering student who's reimagining American neighborhoods in small-town Iowa.

Incredible vision.
Game-changing ideas.

But he told me he didn't think he was 'eloquent enough' to share his vision, because English is his second language.

Sometimes the most important marketing we do is how we talk to ourselves.

Just published my takeaways from Day 1 coaching at the Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute.

Link in comments 👇

08/08/2025

Why do some entrepreneurs thrive when their industry shifts while others scramble?

After watching my original idea of Marketing Masterminds fail a few years back - and then accidentally building something that works, I think I figured it out.

I used to try to reach everyone.

Now I focus on connecting with the right people.

The difference? My business actually grows now.

Story in comments 👇

08/07/2025

Excited to welcome these entrepreneurial students to the Iowa Lakes Corridor for a week of learning and connecting!

In just 3 DAYS we will be welcoming 32 students from The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, Dordt College, Buena Vista University, and Iowa Lakes Community College to the Iowa Lakes Corridor region for the 19th annual Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute! We are so excited for this year's class to learn from local entrepreneurs and business owners and showcase our special region. Welcome, OEI Class of 2025!💡 🎉

Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation

➡️ For more information on OEI, visit https://oeinext.com/

08/05/2025

Celebrating our amazing creative contractor Sophia as she focuses on her paramedics studies at NWCC and her work as an paramedic!

Sophia brought incredible organization, creativity and fresh perspectives to our social media projects, and we're so proud to see her dedicating herself to saving lives and serving her community.

Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors Sophia! We know you're going to make an incredible paramedic. 💙