If you have spent any good amount of time in Vermont, you know that we of the 802 make many jokes about our antisocial tendencies. We talk often about hibernation, about woodchucks in the backwoods, and when a restaurant is crowded on a weeknight, or a party is well-attended, we look around and say they came out of the hills for this one! We honor the kind of rough hewn and lonely vibe our state can produce in folks because it’s part of our heartiness. However, more often than not, Vermonters are a prosocial breed. We cling close to our small communities for support, fun, information, and business.

In the case of Vermont Social, my first “customers” were people I rode bikes with, the cafe I depended on for black coffee, and a pottery shop my parents adored. In essence, my business grew directly out of my daily life in the community of Woodstock. As we grow, Vermont Social is building on that community power, striving to be a Vermont business on all fronts. To me, that means three things.

Homegrown

My social media journey began when I had to learn to represent myself and build a following of my own as a junior and eventually professional cyclist. I’ve been through every up and down of digital life, and I’ve weathered many a internet fad (recall the ice bucket challenge?). Because I had to broadcast myself and my sports career for so many years, I know how delicate social media representation can be. Vermont Social takes a nuanced and humanist approach to every business we represent.

Handcrafted

So many Vermont makers are driven to their work by a love of the craft. Vermont Social is the same, only our products are digital. The content created by Vermont Social is carefully designed and executed. We tailor photoshoots and video shoots to the unique voices and histories of our clients, and all of our camera people have an artist’s eye.

People-powered

Social media can get big and vague if you think too hard about it. But at its most essential, social media is just people: individuals and networks of friends with their thumbs on their screens. Our engagement strategies focus on this. What moves real people, and how can brands speak clearly to audiences without pandering or yelling? Like a small Vermont town, your following is its own community, complete with all the different characters, wants, and needs you’d see on Main Street.

That’s my recipe for a Vermont-bred business. I’m sure the ingredients might shift a bit as time goes on, but the gist will be the same. Before I sign off, I have to confess a secret: it’s easy to make y’all look good. The barns, fields, rivers, forests, and roads do half of my work for me. Vermont is darn gorgeous nearly everywhere you look, and the things being created in this state aren’t bad either. It’s truly an honor to get to capture and promote this kind of tenacity and beauty.

- Ansel