The Face Behind Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems  – Flathead Beacon

Emilie Sangimino started Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems with a simple mission: to help promote the local businesses and places she loved in the Flathead Valley. 

Fast forward, and the social media accounts Sangimino started on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have a combined following of more than 113,000. Per analytics, the content she shares to highlight businesses in the area get upward of 1.5 million views per month. She’s expanded beyond her own base of Kalispell, highlighting businesses that are “hidden gems” in Billings, Missoula and Bozeman, with the help of local managers in each area. Hidden Gems has its own website as well, featuring businesses across several sectors like health & wellness; food & drink; places to stay; fun & adventure; shopping; professional services; and events.  

And for the businesses she’s worked with, those views have converted to real-life people walking through the doors.  

The formula Sangimino uses for promotion looks simple on its face. Most of her content consists of videos showing a beautiful location with white text over them.  

“Did you know you can ride a rollercoaster down a mountain and mini golf all in one place in Lakeside, Montana?” a recent post highlighting Flathead Lake Alpine Coaster reads.   

“Experience the Cabins at Blacktail for a day!” reads the caption on another.  

When you click on a post, a video clip rolls, showcasing the business, property or event the post is meant to highlight. The reels also tag the businesses to direct visitors to their accounts.   

“I wanted it to be more of storytelling about these incredible businesses, and I wanted to just really do my best to do the area justice that I felt like it deserved,” Sangimino said.  

Julie Darrow, an owner of the Cabins at Blacktail, has worked with Sangimino and Kalispell Montana Hidden Gems for about two years.  

Darrow’s business consists of six cabins on a 5-acre property in Lakeside. The property has a natural spring and creek that runs through it, and the cabins serve as hosts for short-term rentals or spaces to host weddings and retreats. Darrow said Sangimino posts reels of her business about once per month.  

At first, Sangimino highlighted the full experience at the Cabins at Blacktail, but more recently, Darrow said she’s been helping the business highlight its weekday wellness and staycation options, which allow people to rent out a cabin for the day and create an experience with the plethora of options offered at the Cabins: yoga, massages, Pilates, a sauna and cold plunge.    

Darrow said once Sangimino’s reels post, she often gets direct bookings and inquiries from customers.  

“The key piece to this is that social media is awesome and incredible, and just because an account has a lot of followers, it does not mean that that’s producing business,” Darrow explained. “It doesn’t mean it’s converting. The incredible thing about what she’s doing is that we’re getting followers from her, but it’s also converting to engagement. We’re getting business.”  

Denise Archer, who owns Scout & Gather Mercantile, a local business in Columbia Falls, has worked with Sangimino since fall of 2024, and seconded Darrow’s sentiments.  

Archer’s business aims to host “a unique space that brings together shopping and experiences for both locals and visitors.” The mercantile has clothing, gifts and home décor; but the roadside destination also hosts events, has a spot to grab pizza or coffee, and has a mini golf course.  

Archer explained when her family was first establishing the business, it was difficult to raise awareness, particularly outside of tourist seasons. She credited Sangimino and her work posting reels, stories, video content and working with the business on social media promotion with elevating the business’s visibility and helping attract people there, particularly during the off-season.  

“We’ve seen noticeable growth in our social media following and engagement since working with her,” Archer wrote in an email. “Anecdotally, we’ve had many customers mention that they discovered us through Hidden Gems of Kalispell, which has been especially valuable.”  

Sangimino said it’s common that consumers will use her account to plan their own trips to the Flathead — and elsewhere in the state.  

For her, partnering and promoting local businesses serves as a meaningful effort.  

“I can’t really emphasize how positive this business has been in my life personally,” Sangimino said. “It’s given me the opportunity, of course, to discover things that I wouldn’t have without this, but it’s also connected me with people and places in this area and just made me love it even more.” 

She continued: “There is a zest to business and to experiences here that I didn’t even realize until I stepped foot into some of these places or connected with these incredible local business owners. And you know, I really look at it as a privilege to be given the opportunity to have a very small piece in the success of all the businesses here.”  

And for the business owners, like Archer, being considered “hidden gems” has served as a boon for the businesses they run.  

“Being considered a ‘Hidden Gem’ highlights the uniqueness of what we offer and helps position us as a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists looking for something special,” Archer said.  

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