Vertical Marketing

12/08/2024

Our proven strategies help our clients earn Meta's coveted 'Recommendable Page' status, organically.

With 10+ years managing social media profiles, we guide businesses in building thriving online communities through content optimization and authentic engagement tactics that meet Meta's highest standards.

Message us to learn how we've helped businesses like yours become Meta-recommended, organically.

Note: Our packages are currently at full capacity. Limited spots may become available in April 2025, pending current client renewals. Join our carefully curated waitlist for potential openings.

Vertical takes social to the next level.

12/06/2024

Q4 is here - time to use that remaining marketing budget!

We've seen several local businesses restocking their printed materials, and it reminded us to spread the word.

Before the New Year hits, check your inventory of business cards, label rolls, and marketing essentials. We are proud of our quick turnaround times: 3-5 days for most items (7-9 days for labels and promo items).

12/05/2024

Last minute schedule change due to medical travel.

Here's my office hours in the coming weeks

We'll be closed and out of office:
Dec 9-10 (Mon-Tues)
Dec 12 (Thurs; Virtual morning, out afternoon)
Dec 16 (Monday)
Jan 9 (Thursday)

If you have an open project with Vertical Marketing, you should have already received an email this morning outlining timeline needs.

If you're waiting for a proposal or quote - those have been delayed slightly, but hoping to get them all out by tomorrow afternoon if you haven't already received yours this week.

Still taking new print and design projects during this timeframe. Social media management is currently at capacity and waitlist only. Sophia and I will still be taking new jobs and discovery calls for 2025 work. Print orders are moving ahead as normal and, as normal with any open orders, you can follow along your print process timeline with the live link from your invoice.

For the holiday break (Dec 24 - Jan 2), I'll have limited hours but will be checking in virtually and available by phone/email for anything urgent.

Feel free to message us here or via email with any questions!

12/04/2024

Behind every great senior photo is an amazing mom making faces behind the photographer! 😂 We just wrapped up another fun senior session with Tristan and family - our third time capturing senior memories for this awesome crew.

From trekking through his favorite hunting spots with his dog to showcasing those hard-earned sports medals, we made magic happen in the fall colors!

But the real MVP? Mom (local realtor extraordinaire and small business owner!) who's mastered the art of getting genuine smiles from behind my shoulder. If you know Shelly, you know she brings out those deep belly laughs I could never script!! This family brings the smiles along with them!

These sessions are my happy place - mixing outdoors, amazing families and real moments. Plus, nothing beats working with fellow small business owners who get it! Through COVID, floods, and everything in between, the Class of 2025 keeps inspiring us all.

12/02/2024

Your professional image matters way more than you think. Brent invested in professional headshots before his job search. Now he's landed his new role with a polished, consistent presence across every platform.

No more stressing about what photo to use for Zoom calls, LinkedIn, or those last-minute "we need your headshot" emails for him!

Think about it - your face is literally showing up in people's inboxes and meetings every single day online.

Ready to level up your professional game? Slide into our DMs to schedule a session!

11/26/2024

I want to share a senior photo session at one of my favorite places, Prairie Flower, with one of my favorite families. In hindsight, taking photos near flood waters, wasn't our safest choice - that's a lesson learned. But what emerged was a series of unexpectedly beautiful images that tell the story of resilience in the next generation.

While her grandfather Dwight was sharing his knowledge about prairie flowers and even the weeds (who knew weeds could have such fascinating stories?), a butterfly decided to join our shoot. Our senior's reaction? Pure fear! The contrast of seeing her startled by a delicate butterfly led to the most genuine laughter - something needed in the midst of the recovery of a natural disaster. We enjoyed the rest of our evening and it was capped beautifully when her mom took an unexpected seat in the flood waters - bottom first! These unplanned moments gave us the most authentic smiles I've captured all year.

Sometimes the best photographs come from these unscripted moments. Between the natural disaster that marked this senior year and our impromptu adventures, we captured something more valuable than just traditional senior portraits - we captured real life, with all its challenges and unexpected moments of joy.

These are the sessions that remind me why I love what I do, especially with families like this one who make every moment an adventure.

11/22/2024

We will be closed this afternoon for a family funeral. We will resume normal operations next week, Monday-Tuesday 9AM-3PM. Thank you for your understanding during this time.

11/20/2024

Breaking our social silence with some exciting updates! These past few months have been a whirlwind of a variety of client projects, and we're thrilled to share one of our favorites today...

We recently wrapped up this stunning glass art awards campaign for Vermeer Glass Art! Our team delivered both print marketing materials and coordinated social media graphics - perfect for clients who want professional design without a full management package.

What makes working with Vermeer special? Jim and Julie bring their creative genius from the kiln to their marketing strategy - they understand how to make these materials work harder across direct mail, digital and social channels.

It's inspiring to partner with artisans who are as savvy about business as they are about their craft!

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And, a big thank you from Sophia and I, to all of you, this month as we head into the holidays! We appreciate the trust you put into our work. Vertical Marketing has also been working behind the scenes with two great local marketers to develop some new Marketing Mastermind Workshops in a whole new format, so keep your eyes peeled for those as well!

11/11/2024

Starting November 14th, Facebook is making significant changes to how public followers work on personal profiles:

What you should know:
- Facebook is removing the option to have public followers on personal profiles
- If you currently have public followers, your profile will automatically switch to "Professional Mode"
- If you've never enabled public following or Professional Mode, your profile will stay in "Classic Mode"

What is Professional Mode?

Combines your friends and followers into a single audience
Provides access to:

- Post and audience insights
- Post boosting capabilities
- Content monetization opportunities (if eligible)
- Additional creator tools

Your Options Moving Forward:

- Keep Professional Mode (automatically enabled if you have public followers)
- Switch to friends-only mode (no public followers)

**Business Considerations**

Professional Mode is ideal for:

- Independent professionals
- Solo entrepreneurs
- Content creators

For small business owners: It's still recommended to maintain a separate business Page, especially if you need access to the full Meta Ads Manager

For brands: Continue using a dedicated business Page

Background: Professional Mode was first tested in December 2021 and launched globally in October 2022. This update aims to simplify profile settings and provide creators with Page-like features without requiring a separate business presence.

Need help deciding what's best for your profile? Let us know in the comments below, and we'll assist you in making the right choice.

10/22/2024

Thanks for your patience the last two weeks.

I am back in office, though you may not be able to pin me down due to senior photos sessions this week.

I'm playing email and voicemail catch-up as well, so if you don't hear back from me by Friday, please reach out. Doing the best I can to wade through junk mail to find the legit items.

Thank you all for your messages of support.

10/14/2024

Important Notice: We will be closed for the remainder of this week.

Please note:
Work for existing contracted clients will continue as scheduled
We are not accepting new projects at this time
Normal operations are expected to resume next week
There may be delays in email and PM responses

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period.

We look forward to resuming full services soon.

Enjoy this artwork by Laura Lacambra Shubert in the meantime!!

10/07/2024

Closed this week due to medical travel. Next week tentatively working on contracted clients only.

If you have any requests or needs this week, please shoot me an email or call/text for emergencies.

I will checking emails daily. Thank you.

09/26/2024

Big thank you to Spencer High School, Mr. Wendt and his Digital Marketing class for the invite this morning!

I enjoyed learning about your coursework and conducting mock interviews. From sports marketing to gymnastics to Google Ads - these students have BIG ideas!

The future of digital marketing is looking CREATIVE and BRIGHT with Spencer Schools taking it to the NEXT LEVEL with their digital marketing courses for students by setting them up for business success no matter what industry they end up in!

09/10/2024

AND.. the announcement is out!

We are so very proud to partner with Arts On Grand and RAYGUNshirts for this awesome fundraiser for our beloved hometown art gallery!

Pick up your shirt this week at the Arts on Grand booth at the Clay County Fair & Events Center

Thank you Megan for your revitalization of AOG!

Thanks to Vertical Marketing and RAYGUNshirts Arts on Grand has merch! Stop and see us at the fair booth to pick your flavor!!!

08/23/2024

I wanted to share an update on the recent window cling initiative and how it has evolved into a broader effort to support our community.

While we didn't receive enough orders for a full production run of window clings, we've redirected our efforts in a way that makes a meaningful impact locally:

We've made donations to support:

Kiwanis Daybreakers, Okoboji Realty & NW Iowa Counseling for adopting a family
The Spencer Chamber Foundation for business and residents support
Clay County Heritage exhibit items with donated materials and services
5:13's teacher bingo for supplies to giveaway

We've also contributed various materials and design time to support local initiatives and directly to those in need. This includes donating graphic design services, printing materials, clothing, cash, and other resources directly to community organizations and individuals.

These contributions were made possible by the initial support from Derek Larsen and his friend Colleen Huskey, along with additional funds from Vertical Marketing.

I want to emphasize that no money was collected from those who expressed interest in the window clings. Your interest, however, helped spark this chain of positive actions in our community.

If you'd like specific information about the donation amounts or have any questions about these contributions, please feel free to reach out to me directly. I'm happy to provide more details.

Thank you all for your continued support and interest in making our community a better place!

Vanessa Moore
Founder, Vertical Marketing + Design

08/07/2024

No more Facebook jail - well for first time offenders anyhow.

How do you feel about this new change?

We’re introducing a new training for creators to make it easier to learn from Facebook Community Standards violations and maintain access to Facebook features.

08/06/2024

A Day in the Life of Suite 401🎨📱

Ever wonder what goes on behind our doors? Here's a peek into a typical day:

6:15 AM: Mind-body balance with yoga or a walk 🧘‍♀️🚶‍♀️
7:00 AM: Soulful start with 'The Book of Awakening' 📖
8:00 AM: Tackling emails with a cup of Megan & Co. tea ☕
9:00 AM: August content scheduling extravaganza for our amazing clients! 📅
11:00 AM: Chasing warm leads 🎨🚗
2:00 PM: Senior photo editing magic ✨📸
4:00 PM: Day wrap-up! Review progress, plan tomorrow, and celebrate wins 🎉

From social media wizardry to graphic design charm, we're juggling it all in 401!

Small business owners and non-profits, how can we add some sparkle to your digital presence? Drop a 💡 below and let's chat or swing by today and just say hello!

08/05/2024

Consistency pays off! Thanks to our creative marketing strategies and regular posting, we've seen impressive growth for a local non-profit:

🚀 Total Reach: 54,120
👥 Follower Reach: Up by 1,863
🌟 Non-Follower Reach: Skyrocketed to 52,235

That's right – we've expanded their audience by over 80% to new potential customers!

💡 Industry Tip: Consistent, engaging content is key to social media growth. By reaching non-followers, you're tapping into a vast pool of potential new customers and expanding your brand's visibility.

Want to see similar results for your business? Let's chat about how we can boost your social media presence and get on our waitlist! (Potential spots may open next April 2025 during contract renewal period.)