Emerge 2023 Year in Review

03 Jan 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

1. This year Emerge was named as an Iowa Targeted Small Business
2. 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

1. Ignite: Be the Light (sharing our faith)
2. 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

1. Evolution of the Heartland & Ignite Be the Light

Other celebrations

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

Goals for 2024

1. Expand Evolution of the Heartland across Iowa
2. Launch new Emerge website
3. Launch Emerge e-newsletter
4. Create a Small Business Summit
5. Add at least one more full-time team member
6. 66% revenue growth