Category: Emerge

Small Towns: The Heartbeat of America

Small Towns: The Heartbeat of America

While big cities typically steal the spotlight, there’s a quiet magic to small towns, especially those sprinkled across the golden plains of Iowa. These communities are more than just places on a map; they’re vibrant locations where everyone plays a role. Here’s why small towns, like those in Iowa, are the unsung heroes of American life.

The Power of Neighbors Helping Neighbors:

In small towns, volunteers are the foundation. From coaches cheering on little league teams to helping hands at a local church or food pantry, these acts of kindness keep communities running. Residents come together for park clean-up days, ensuring beautiful green spaces for everyone to enjoy. This kind of hands-on involvement fosters a sense of shared responsibility and pride in where you live.

Local Businesses: The Pillars of Community

Small-town businesses are more than just storefronts; they’re community partners. By financially supporting local organizations and initiatives, they ensure there are engaging activities for all ages. This creates a sense of belonging and provides essential services for residents. Think movie nights in the park sponsored by the local bank, or art supplies for the school funded by the hardware store. It’s this kind of local investment that keeps the heart of the community beating.

Looking Out for Each Other: A Tight-Knit Community

Small towns offer a unique sense of community. Neighbors know each other, and when someone is facing adversity, the whole town rallies. A casserole appears on the doorstep for a family going through a health crisis, or a fundraiser is organized to help someone experiencing financial hardship. This genuine concern for one another strengthens the social fabric and creates a safety net for those in need.

Wearing Many Hats: A Diverse Range of Activities

One of the hidden advantages of small towns is the sheer variety of activities available. Students and adults alike can be involved in a multitude of organizations. From sports leagues and theater productions to historical societies and book clubs, there’s something for everyone. This allows individuals to explore their interests, develop new skills, and connect with others who share their passions.

In a world that often feels impersonal, small towns offer a refreshing alternative. They’re a testament to the power of community, where neighbors become friends, and everyone contributes to a shared sense of well-being. So next time you drive through a charming Iowa town, take a moment to appreciate the small-town spirit that makes these places so special.

Why We Created ‘Evolution of the Heartland’

While the magic of small towns is undeniable to those who experience it firsthand, capturing that essence and conveying it to outsiders can be a challenge. That’s why we created ‘Evolution of the Heartland’. We know there’s a misconception that there’s “nothing to do” in small towns. Evolution of the Heartland aims to disprove that stereotype by showcasing the unique assets that set these communities apart.

Here’s what makes small towns in Iowa, and the Evolution of the Heartland initiative, so special:

Experiences You Can’t Find Anywhere Else: Evolution of the Heartland isn’t about cookie-cutter experiences you can find anywhere. It’s about immersing yourself in the unique character of each community. Imagine touring a cutting-edge agricultural operation, and then sampling delicious local cuisine made with farm-to-table ingredients. Or picture yourself volunteering alongside friendly residents at a community park clean-up day, followed by an evening stroll through a community farmer’s market that features many locally-owned businesses. These are the kinds of authentic experiences offered by Evolution of the Heartland.
A Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Small towns in Iowa aren’t stuck in the past. Evolution of the Heartland highlights the dynamism and innovation happening in these communities. From sustainable farming practices to thriving small businesses, there’s a spirit of progress that fuels the local economy and creates a vibrant environment.
Strong Agricultural Roots, High Quality of Life: The rich agricultural heritage of Iowa is a cornerstone of its small towns. Evolution of the Heartland connects you to these roots, showcasing the dedication to producing high-quality food, fuel, and fiber, while fostering a strong sense of community. The focus on quality of life and the pursuit of a balanced and healthy lifestyle is often envied by city dwellers.

Evolution of the Heartland goes beyond showcasing attractions; it’s about capturing the essence of small-town life. It’s about the feeling of belonging, the chance to get involved, and the opportunity to experience a unique way of life. If you’re curious to discover the heartland’s hidden potential, head to https://www.evolutionoftheheartland.com/ and see for yourself why small towns in Iowa are anything but ordinary.

Maximizing Sales: Understanding the Customer Journey

When it comes to business, success hinges on more than just having a great product or service. Understanding where your customers and prospects stand in the sales pipeline and tailoring your marketing efforts accordingly is crucial for sustainable growth. Today we dive into why this understanding is essential for business and explore a few effective strategies for each stage of the sales pipeline.

Awareness

At this stage, potential customers may not even realize they have a problem that your product or service can solve. Marketing efforts should focus on raising brand awareness and capturing attention. Examples include:

Social media advertising campaigns to reach a broader audience.
Content marketing through blogs, videos, or infographics to educate and engage.

Knowledge

Once aware, customers seek information to understand their options better. Provide valuable content to educate them about your offerings. Strategies could include:

Hosting webinars or workshops to showcase expertise and product features.
Creating detailed product guides or comparison sheets to assist in decision-making.

Consideration

Prospects are weighing their options and comparing different solutions. It’s essential to stand out and showcase the unique value your business provides. Examples of targeted marketing efforts include:

Offering free trials or demos to allow prospects to experience the product firsthand.
Sending personalized email campaigns with case studies or testimonials highlighting success stories.

Selection

At this critical juncture, prospects are ready to make a decision and purchase. Ensure your marketing efforts reinforce confidence in choosing your product or service. Strategies may involve:

Providing limited-time discounts or exclusive offers to incentivize purchase.
Offering flexible payment options or guarantees to reduce perceived risk.

Loyalty

After the sale, focus shifts to retaining customers and fostering loyalty. Engage with them to encourage repeat business and advocacy. Effective strategies include:

Implementing a customer loyalty program with rewards or discounts for repeat purchases.
Sending personalized thank-you emails or follow-up surveys to gather feedback and show appreciation.

Advocacy

Satisfied customers can become your brand ambassadors, driving new business through referrals and positive reviews. Nurture these relationships to harness their advocacy. Tactics could include:

Encouraging user-generated content through social media contests or hashtags.
Implementing a referral program offering rewards for successful referrals.

Understanding where your customers and prospects are in the sales pipeline empowers you to tailor your marketing efforts effectively. While social media can be an easy way to engage people inexpensively, it might not be hitting your customers in the most effective way. By developing a targeted marketing plan aligned with each stage of the customer journey, you can maximize engagement, conversions, and long-term success for your business.

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Emerge Tourism Awards

Emerge Marketing Solutions was awarded the ‘Outstanding Marketing Collaboration’ award and the ‘Outstanding Social Media Execution’ award for their work with Evolution of the Heartland at the 2024 Iowa Tourism Conference hosted by Travel Iowa on March 20^th.

“It was quite an honor and surprise to receive these two awards from Travel Iowa,” said Emerge Marketing Solutions Owner & visionary leader behind Evolution of the Heartland. “We want to thank all the partners who have believed in us enough to invest in our cause and make this vision a reality for rural Iowa. We truly wouldn’t have been able to get this far without them. After attending this year’s Iowa Tourism conference, I recognize that we have arrived, rural Iowa!! There has never been a better time to showcase the evolution of the heartland.”

Emerge received the first award on behalf of the marketing collaborations between Travel Iowa; Iowa Farm Bureau (including Audubon, Shelby, & Carroll County Farm Bureau); Community Foundation of Southwest Iowa; Iowa commodity groups: Iowa Corn, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Turkey Federation, and the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa Soybean Association); local community organizations: the City of Manning, Audubon County Economic Development & Tourism, Main Street Manning, Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park, Audubon County Fairgrounds, Nathaniel Hamlin Museum; various influencers: the Farm Babe, Michelle Miller, Darcy Maulsby, Olio in Iowa – Megan Bannister, Des Moines Parent – Erin Huiatt, and Ceara Kirkpatrick; and 15 private tour locations on local farms and agricultural businesses in the Manning, Audubon, Carroll, and Templeton area.

Evolution of the Heartland

“We wanted to create and implement an authentic agritourism experience that highlights rural Iowa in a way that no one has been able to effectively do before,” said Greving. “Our ultimate goal is to gain exposure for the evolving rural Iowa; change perceptions of rural life and agriculture; create awareness of opportunities to visit, play, work, and live in Iowa where there’s an exceptional quality of life; and ultimately inspire others to pursue the American dream right here in Iowa.”

Through multiple local and statewide strategic partnerships and sponsorships, the inaugural Evolution of the Heartland event was held on August 31, 2022, at the primary host site of the Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park. The second annual event was hosted by Manning/Audubon on August 3, 2023. With more than 90% of Iowa being comprised of rural communities, Greving emphasized the importance of this initiative going beyond one or two communities. So, the Emerge Marketing team is working to bring Evolution of the Heartland to more rural communities in Iowa and scale the experience statewide in the next five years.

Their vision to replicate the agritourism event across the state so that even more rural communities can benefit is already becoming a reality. This year, four Iowa communities will host an Evolution of the Heartland experience: DeWitt on July 25^th, Stanton on September 12^th, Coon Rapids on September 26^th, and Manning on October 3^rd. Registration for all events opens on May 1^st and is limited to 50 people for each location. Registration will close three weeks before each event or when all spots have been reserved. Early bird registration features a $25 discount per person and ends June 1^st. Participants can sign up to be notified when registration opens at www.evolutionoftheheartland.com.

Emerge Marketing Solutions

Emerge Marketing is a local marketing organization owned by Shelly Greving of Manning. Greving, along with her team, including Katie Lange (Sextro, originally from Manning), Claire Zaiger (Olsen, originally from Audubon), and Annie Greve (Carroll) work to revitalize rural Iowa and support communities, non-profits, and businesses that make up the fabric of Iowa’s small towns through a variety of marketing services including brand development, business consulting, digital marketing, fundraising, social media management, strategic planning, video production, website development, and more.

This marks the third year in a row that Emerge has received a Travel Iowa Award, specifically the Social Media Execution Award. In 2022 they won for their video series promoting rural Iowa communities, ‘Off the Beaten Path in Iowa’; in 2023 for their digital promotions for Wright County Fair, and now for their Evolution of the Heartland social media marketing efforts. Emerge has received additional awards on behalf of their clients in previous years, including: ‘Outstanding Niche Market Initiative’ for their Look Local First initiative with DeWitt Chamber & Development Company in 2017 and ‘Outstanding Promotional Material’ for their social media marketing for the Manning Hausbarn-Heritage Park in 2017.

“I am so grateful to our talented Emerge team who have worked tirelessly to showcase our rural communities and take our digital marketing efforts to new levels,” expressed Greving. “So, if you are a visionary leader and passionate about your rural community, reach out to us. Agritourism is one of Iowa’s priority areas that was highlighted at the conference, and there has never been a better time for our small towns to shine. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for our rural communities.”

To learn more about Evolution of the Heartland or Emerge Marketing Solutions, contact Shelly Greving at (712) 292-6875 or shelly@em3rgemarketing.com.

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Our Work From Home Favorites

Here are some tangible things we love about working from home! Maybe you’ll find something here that you love too – or something new to try!

This Standing desk | My supportive but very lazy co-worker | Unlimited access to snacks (Bubblr, almonds, Cheez-Its, or anything chocolate!) | Taking lunch break walks around the lake | A cute planner like this one | Flexibility!

A cute Planner & sketchbook | This Standing desk | A good playlist or podcast | Working from a local coffee shop or making homemade iced lattes with these Glasses and Straws

These Cozy Slippers | Freshly Ground Coffee from The Market Place | Teams calls with my Emerge team (especially when we turn on our cameras!!) | Breaks with views from the deck and walks to see the animals! | My Black Book to keep me organized

Hugs from my kids | Cozy blankets while I work | Being able to see what is going on out my window | This Heated desk pad

Interested in building a remote team? Check out this past blog filled with tips for working from home!

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“What’s up with all these files?” A Guide to Your Logo File Types

Have you recently worked with us, or someone else, on a logo project and received so many different file types that you weren’t sure where to even begin? You stare at your delivered file folders and are overwhelmed by the quantity so you put off even doing anything with your new logo. This is a guide to your logo file types, where and when the files can be used, and what their purposes are so you can use your logos effectively!

First, let’s go over color differences.

Print vs. Web, CMYK vs. RGB

If you are receiving logo files from us, you’ll notice right away there are two folders: Print and Web. The difference in these files is that typically we use “CMYK” color builds for printing (posters, business cards, brochures, etc.) and “RGB” color builds for anything digital (social media graphics, digital ads, etc.). CMYK refers to the four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) that are used in the printing process to print. RGB are the 3 colors (red, green, blue) that make up the color build on a monitor (tv or computer) so to get the best and most consistent color reproduction you will want to use the correct version. Other designers may organize these files differently so make sure you get clarification whether or not your files are for print or web!

Now for your file extensions.

.ai

Ai files are the original files used to create your logo so if anyone ever needed to make edits with the original logos they could do that with an .ai file. Whoever is making those edits will need to have access to Adobe Illustrator (hence the name .ai). We definitely wouldn’t recommend that, but you have these files, just in case.

.eps

This file type is what many printers want because it is a vector graphic that allows you to make the graphic any size without losing quality. (i.e. if you want your logo to be printed onto a billboard, the file would have to be much larger than if you were printing it on a pen). Eps files have a transparent background and this is the kind of file we would use for any print reproductions of your logo. However, most programs (word, acrobat, website, social media) won’t accept this file type and you likely won’t have the right program to open it. This is the file you would want to send to your printers for shirts/hats/apparel/merchandise. Your printer will be able to view and use these files. (Tip: Preview your logos using the .jpg or .pdf format, first.)

.pdf

This file type acts similar to an .eps in that it has the vector points included. However, it is more widely able to be opened because most people have at least Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you need to include the vector points and keep the quality of the image I would use this. However, it does not typically reproduce well if added in to a Word document.

.jpg

This is the most commonly used file format. Almost any program would be able to open a .jpg and use it. However, there are 3 downfalls.

1. It will likely always have a white background

2. You won’t be able to see/open a white version of the logo

3. As you increase the size of the logo, it will lose quality because it is made up of pixels that distort when it gets larger (like the example of the pen vs. billboard from before, the billboard reproduction would be extremely blurry if you used a jpg)

.png

This is also a pixel-based image like a jpg is. However, it often has a transparent background and can be used more broadly across many platforms/programs. When needing a file for digital uses, this is often the best file to use. (Reminder to use an RGB png if using your logo digitally). Or if you need to use it in a Word document and need the background removed, this is also the best option. (Tip: When placing your logo on a colored background for a poster, flyer, social graphic, etc., use a transparent png, not a jpg. The png’s transparent background will look much better than if you placed a jpg with a white box around the logo. If the background of your project is too dark for your logo, use the white version of your logo).

For more tips on how to use your logo, visit this post on our Facebook page!

We hope this guide to your logo file types was helpful. Contact us or leave a comment if you have any further questions regarding file types! We’re happy to help.

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Emerge 2023 Year in Review

As we set out with great visions for 2023, our mission was to keep the light in our eyes and our hearts, and minds ABLAZE.

Now in our 7th year of business, we are humbled to celebrate growth and steady achievements. It’s not always easy, and there are times we may struggle to see light at the end of the tunnel. However, as we reflect on these accomplishments our Emerge team is reminded daily that we are blessed to be living out our God-given purpose and bringing His light to others through our work. I’m proud of our team and thankful for the past year. It was a year of growth, transitions, and perseverance. We surpassed the majority of our goals and have so much to be thankful for. As we close out the year, we thank you for supporting us along this journey and continuing to share the impact of our work with friends and family

Ablaze

We set out in 2023 with our hearts ablaze, ready to shine, and bring that light to others. With a solid foundation rooted in faith and a team that supports one another, we’ve created a bond that can’t easily be shaken. And for that I am forever grateful. ~ Shelly

7 Years in business

This year Emerge was named as an Iowa Targeted Small Business
We also received the Travel Iowa Rural Social Media Execution Award in collaboration with Wright County Fair!

50 Clients served

11 new clients
36 returning clients
26 proposals sent
20 clients served in December alone
162 Total Clients

6,831 Hours tracked

2,681 Social media deliverables with…

1.985 million Impressions
268,385 Views
237,600 Engagements

8 Brand identities created or refreshed

AMVC Embryo Services, Bellwether Agriculture, Hamlin Feedmill, Hostetler Precison Ag Solutions, Manning Rent-all, RK’s, Simpson & Deardorff, Wright County Fair

4 Custom websites launched

(Evolution of the Heartland, Simpson & Deardorff, Summit Genetics, RK’s) 4 more in the making!

8 Industries served

Agriculture, Communities, Education, Faith, Healthcare, Non-Profit, Small Business, Tourism

$233,691 Funds raised for organizations

Manning Regional Healthcare Center, Manning Community Chest, West Central Iowa Healthcare Foundation, Evolution of the Heartland, St. Rose of Lima Gala, City of Manning, IKM-Manning Fine Arts Boosters

$12,043 in Donations & discounted services

We believe in giving back to support non-profits and worthy causes. Every year we choose organizations to make contributions to and offer discounted rates for services.

30 Services provided

Administration, Advertising (newspaper, radio & digital), Brand Development, Concept Development, Consulting, Copywriting, Crisis Communication, Digital Marketing, Event Planning, Fundraising Planning, Grant Research, Grant Writing, Graphic Design, Logo Design, Market Research, Marketing Planning, Media Management, Photography, Print Coordination, Project Management, Proofreading, Public Relations, Social Media Management, Social Media Planning, Technical Support, Marketing/Business Training, Video Production, Video Shoot, Website Development, and Website Training.

12 Speaking engagements

Audubon County Economic Development, Audubon High School, Chariton Kiwanis Club, IKM-Manning High School, Iowa Association of County Fairs, Iowa Rural Development Summit, Leadership Iowa, Manning Rotary, Western Iowa Advantage, Women in Ag event

17 Programs consistently used

Adobe Creative Suite, Asana, Canva, ChatGPT, Dropbox, Gmail, GoDaddy, Google Drive, Influencekit, Jot Form, Localhood, Microsoft Office 365, Podbean, Poll Everywhere, QB Time, Quickbooks, Shutterstock,

100 Digital platforms managed

Facebook (25), Instagram (7), Google (35), Trip Advisor (2), Travel Iowa (2), LinkedIn (2), Pinterest (2), Localhood (2), Spotify (1), Podbean (1), YouTube (5), websites (16)

2 Passion projects

Ignite: Be the Light (sharing our faith)
Evolution of the Heartland (impacting Iowa’s rural communities)

9 Team growth achievements

1 business owner
2 full-time employees
2 part-time employees
2 new babies
2 on the way!

47 New products launched

Evolution of the Heartland & Ignite Be the Light

Other celebrations

A successful maternity leave that our team handled like champs!
Shelly traveled to Europe and the rest of the team enjoyed personal vacations!
Significant time spent on the new Emerge website.
Small & large investments – change is hard, but I upgraded 2 computers, 1 cell phone, and invested in 3 new software programs.
Manning wedding project.