Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA recognizes the power and influence of a story well-told.

An outsourced blogger program eight years ago has led to an in-house editorial staff; a statewide network of award-winning journalists producing stories, photography and video virtually every day; and now a program of social media influencers to double, triple, perhaps quadruple our reach and spread.

An emphasis on VISITFLORIDA.com publishing quickly yielded to a philosophy of placing our content anywhere our audience is gathered: with mainstream media publishers such as Cox, Huffington Post and National Geographic; social giants Facebook, YouTube and BuzzFeed; and travel sites such as Trip Advisor.

Finally, our storytelling has become a key component of integrated marketing campaigns that promote our partners.

So, here are a few stories:

10.3 Million Minutes of Video

We love our YouTube platform.  In 2015, Social Media Rep Stephen Kubiak reports, consumers watched 10.3 million minutes of Florida travel videos on our VISIT FLORIDA YouTube channel.  For the numbers geeks, that’s one person watching our videos for 19-plus years.

The Influencers

This fiscal year – November to be exact – we switched from an Insiders program where the content lived entirely on the VISIT FLORIDA website to an Influencers program where the blog posts, photography and videos live on VF.com and, more importantly, on the Influencers’ popular social platforms.

Our reach and spread – a calculus that measures potential audience – has at least doubled.

Plus, the program led by Deputy Editor Phil Ward is nimble.  We can alter our Influencer lineup at any time to meet strategic needs.

Click the image to view a recent video produced by our agency Spark with J.D. Andrews, @earthxplorer.

360-degree video

This video format and virtual reality (or VR) were the rage of the recent Consumer Electronics Show.  YouTube has a dedicated 360 platform now.  Publishers such as the New York Times are producing regular work.  Look for a mainstream splash soon at a big event like the Olympics.

This month, VISIT FLORIDA and Spark are shooting Conquering Florida adventure episodes with motorcross legend Ricky Carmichael.  Get ready for 360 pieces of Ricky riding roller coasters, ziplining over a phosphate canyon, and hiking in Big Cypress Swamp.

And at the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 19, we’ll position 360-degree cameras at vantage points around the track, atop a pit crew member’s helmet, and inside and outside the VISIT FLORIDA race car.

To satisfy your curiosity in the short term, click this image to take a leisurely 360-degree bike ride on the Hollywood Broadwalk.