2020-2021 VisitNC.com Programs

Interest Overview Page Feature

Interest Overview Page Features are available in six-month increments for $1,500 per feature.
Inventory: Two (2) partner features per year, per page (each partner will receive a six-month flight – either July - December or January - June)

New this year, partners will have the opportunity to be highlighted for six (6) months on one of VisitNC.com’s most highly trafficked interest overview pages. Partners can choose from the Kids & Family, Eat & Drink or Romantic Getaways pages. This feature will include a headline, short description that ties into the selected interest, hero photo and call-to-action to visit the partner’s website for more information. These pages are discoverable all year long and hold content that is specific to the highlighted interest, including a photo gallery, overview paragraph and a grid of relevant listings, events and stories. These interest overview pages receive approximately 29,000 average page views per calendar year.

Partners can purchase one (1) Interest Overview Page Feature per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a high-quality hero image, headline, placement copy and a click-through URL. Creative can be switched out once during the six-month flight.

Seasonal Overview Page Feature

Seasonal Overview Page Features are available in 12-month increments for $2,000 per feature.
Inventory: Five (5) partner features per year (one partner per season)

Once again, DMO and CVB partners will have the opportunity to be highlighted for the year on one of VisitNC.com’s seasonal overview pages. The feature will include a hero photo, headline, description and call-to-action to visit the partner’s website for more information. The seasonal overview page is linked directly off the VisitNC.com homepage for several months at a time and is discoverable all year long. It holds all season-specific content, including a photo gallery, overview paragraph with links to seasonal stories, trip tips and a grid of relevant listings, events and stories. The average seasonal overview page receives approximately 31,000 page views per calendar year.

Partners can purchase one (1) Seasonal Overview Page Feature per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a high-quality hero image, headline, placement copy and a click-through URL.

Native Advertising

Native Advertising opportunities are available in three-month increments for $500 per placement (see chart below for available pages).
Inventory: Five (5) partners per content page

Native advertising on VisitNC.com allows partners the opportunity to buy into pages of VisitNC.com where their short-form native ad can appear within the site’s existing content grid. Native ads are designed to fit in with the overall look and feel of the site and will only appear within content relevant to the ad, making for a seamless user experience. Each content page will be open to a maximum of five partners on a first-come, first-served basis, in which all participating partners will receive equal share of voice. Upon investing in a single content placement, a partner will run for three months based on a start date of choice. Partners can invest in multiple flights and multiple placements, as inventory allows.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a 400 x 400 image, a 50-character headline and a click-through URL.

Brochure Listings

Brochure Listings are available in 12-month increments for $200 each.

Partners can add up to four brochures to VisitNC.com, where they will live on the Brochures page as well as on the partner’s individual listing. Brochures can be switched out quarterly or as needed by the partner.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a PDF of their brochure (under 4MB) or a link to an online brochure / travel guide and a hi-res destination image.

Video Listings

Video Listings are available in 12-month increments for $200 each.

Partners can enhance their standard listing on VisitNC.com by adding up to four videos, which provide potential visitors with more engaging content. Videos can be switched out quarterly or as needed by the partner.

Visit NC may also use partner videos within editorial content on VisitNC.com. To be considered for this added value opportunity, partner video must be high-resolution and shot in the past five years, two minutes or shorter, and relevant, helpful and / or entertaining to visitors. Videos that primarily focus on one person talking, are TV commercials, or have an overtly sales-focused messaging will not be considered.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a YouTube or Vimeo link to the final video.

Featured Events

Featured Events are available in 30-day increments for $150 each.

Participating partners have the opportunity to call more attention to their events and festivals via VisitNC.com’s Featured Event listings. This continues to be a cost-effective opportunity for partners to provide timely event information to potential visitors and attendees. Featured Events also receive valuable placement in Visit North Carolina’s bi-weekly Events E-Newsletter distributed to more than 36,000 subscribers. Partners also have the opportunity to include event-related video to further captivate visitors at no additional charge.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all event details along with a hi-res event image (must be horizontal, at least 1000 x 1000 pixels; stock photos, event fliers, logos or images with text on them will not be accepted).

Featured Event E-newsletter

Featured Event E-Newsletter Spotlights are available for $400 each (this includes a 30-day Featured Event listing on VisitNC.com, valued at $150).
Inventory: Two (2) partner spots per e-newsletter (four (4) partners per month)

Partners can sign up for one of two spots in each of the Events E-Newsletters where their event will be spotlighted for maximum exposure.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all event details along with a hi-res event image (must be horizontal, at least 1000 x 1000 pixels; stock photos, event fliers, logos or images with text on them will not be accepted).

Facebook Event Promotion

Facebook Event Promotions are available for $875 each (this includes a 30-day Featured Event listing on VisitNC.com, valued at $150).
Inventory: Two (2) partner spots per month

Introducing a new spin on a seasoned program, the Facebook Event Promotion program allows partners to promote their Featured Events beyond VisitNC.com. Leveraging the partner’s Featured Event listing on VisitNC.com, Visit NC’s Social Media Manager will create an organic Facebook Event on Visit NC’s Facebook page. The event will then be promoted to a target audience through a Facebook Event Response Campaign with a $500 ad spend for increased consideration, providing a seamless pathway for people to review event details and RSVP on Facebook. Partners will be required to co-host the Facebook Event along with Visit NC to assist with any community management needs (answering of questions, event updates, etc.). In co-hosting the event, partners will have the ability to cross-promote event content in their own campaigns for added exposure and will also be able to keep track of how many people responded to the invite.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all Featured Event materials as outlined above in addition to a separate event image sized for social media (1200 x 628 pixels) and social targeting information.

Travel Deals

Travel Deals are available in 60-day increments for $250 each.

Participating partners are able to promote special North Carolina travel offers and packages to interested visitors on VisitNC.com. Travel Deals are featured on a dedicated page on VisitNC.com and within relevant content throughout the site. Partners will also be included in a monthly Travel Deals E-Newsletter distributed to more than 35,000 subscribers.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all deal details along with a hi-res image (must be horizontal, at least 1000 x 1000 pixels; stock photos, fliers, logos or images with text on them will not be accepted).

Travel Deals E-newsletter Spotlight

Travel Deals are available in 60-day increments for $500 each.

Participating partners are able to promote special North Carolina travel offers and packages to interested visitors on VisitNC.com. Travel Deals are featured on a dedicated page on VisitNC.com and within relevant content throughout the site. Partners will also be included in a monthly Travel Deals E-Newsletter distributed to more than 35,000 subscribers.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all deal details along with a hi-res image (must be horizontal, at least 1000 x 1000 pixels; stock photos, fliers, logos or images with text on them will not be accepted).

Travel Deal Social Promotion

Travel Deal Social Promotions are available for $1,375 each (this includes a 60-day Travel Deal listing on VisitNC.com, valued at $250).
Inventory: One (1) partner spot per month

This opportunity allows partners to gain increased traffic and engagement to their Travel Deals. Visit NC’s Social Media Manager will create an organic Facebook post about the deal that links back to the Travel Deal listing on VisitNC.com. This post will then be activated as a Facebook and Instagram paid campaign with a spend of $1,000 for increased awareness and exposure.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit all Travel Deal materials as outlined above in addition to a separate deal image sized for social media (1200 x 628 pixels) and social targeting information.

Dog-Friendly E-newsletter Sponsorship

Dog-Friendly E-Newsletter Sponsorships are available for $250 each.
Inventory: Four (4) partner spots (one (1) per quarter)

New this year on the heels of Visit North Carolina’s Dog Travel Agent campaign is the Dog-Friendly E-Newsletter Sponsorship. Partners will have the ability to be included in this quarterly e-newsletter that will feature dog-friendly attractions and destinations. This native-style ad will allow partners to generate destination awareness to a highly targeted, dog-interested audience. The partner ad will include a click-through URL where partners can link to dog-specific content on their site, so users have the opportunity to learn more about the dog-friendly destination. Reporting will be provided at the end of each quarter.

Partners can purchase one (1) Dog-Friendly E-Newsletter Sponsorship per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a 20-character headline, 100-character ad copy, a hi-res destination image at least 800 pixels wide and a URL to their website with dog-specific content.

Thank You Email Sponsorship

Thank You Email Sponsorships are available for $350 each.
Inventory: Four (4) partner spots (one (1) per quarter)

This opportunity allows partners to be included in a Visit NC auto-triggered thank you email that is received by people who have just ordered a North Carolina Travel Guide or signed up for a Visit NC e-newsletter on VisitNC.com. This native-style ad will allow partners to generate brand awareness alongside Visit NC content and messaging to an already engaged audience. The partner ad will include a click-through URL, so users will have the opportunity to learn more about the partner destination. Reporting will be provided at the end of each quarter.

Partners can purchase one (1) Thank You Email Sponsorship per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit a 20-character headline, 100-character ad copy, a hi-res destination image at least 800 pixels wide and a URL to their website.

Custom Content Program

The Custom Content Program is available for $3,000 per partner.
Inventory: Twelve (12) partner spots (one (1) per month)

Visit North Carolina is offering partners the opportunity to work with our content team to develop custom content to be published on VisitNC.com, which can also live on the partner’s website. Custom content will be written by the Visit NC team based on input and collaboration with the partner on desired content and key messages to cover. Partners will maintain joint ownership of the content with Visit NC. The new content will be promoted on Visit NC’s social channels with at least three (3) posts and within the monthly Travel Insider E-Newsletter.

Partners can purchase one (1) Custom Content Program per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to provide an outline / bullets of content topics to include in the article as well as hi-res images to accompany the story.

Custom Content Refresh Program

The Custom Content Refresh Program is available for $1,250 per partner.
Inventory: Twelve (12) partner spots (one (1) per month)

Visit NC is excited to introduce a new opportunity for partners with existing custom content on VisitNC.com. As new attractions, restaurants and accommodations are opening and changing all the time, Visit NC is now offering partners the opportunity to refresh existing content to reflect these updates without changing the overall structure or theme of the story. Partners will work with the Visit NC editorial team to provide requested content updates as well as any new links or images. Partners will maintain joint ownership of the content with Visit NC and the revamped content will be promoted in the monthly Travel Insider E-Newsletter.

All requested changes are subject to Visit NC editorial team approval. Partners can purchase one (1) Custom Content Refresh Program per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to provide a list of requested content updates including links as well as any new images.

Featured Content Sponsorship

Featured Content Sponsorships are available in 12-month increments for $775 each.

Visit NC is offering partners the opportunity to sponsor a portion of content specific to their destination within a seasonal or thematic story on VisitNC.com. Sponsoring partners will be able to provide suggested content for their portion of the article, and the Visit NC content team will develop the final paragraph about the sponsoring partner destination into the larger story. The sponsored section will have a “Sponsored By” tag and will include click-through URLs to applicable partner sites as well as a relevant image, which can be provided by the partner.

The following content is available for sponsorship (one (1) partner opportunity is available in each):

Partners can purchase one (1) Featured Content Sponsorship per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit an outline / bullets of content topics to include in the article as well as hi-res image options to accompany the feature.

Native Instagram Story Placement

Native Instagram Story Placements are available for $250 each.

Partners will again have the chance to take advantage of the organic reach and engagement of Visit NC’s successful Instagram Story content programming in an introductory setting. Visit North Carolina stories received an average of 48,000 impressions with a 9.78% engagement rate in 2019. Participating partners will be featured as one slide in a larger themed editorial Instagram Story for a native feel with the added benefit of a swipe-up opportunity to a partner’s listing or custom content piece on VisitNC.com.

One (1) partner opportunity will be available in each the following stories:

Partners can purchase one (1) Native Instagram Story Placement per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit one high-quality vertical image or video (sized to 1080 x 1920) and suggested copy points related to the story theme.

Instagram Story Feature

Instagram Story Features are available for $700 each.
Inventory: Twenty-four (24) partner spots (two (2) per month)

Partners will again have the ability to provide content for our social media team to develop an Instagram Story that will be featured from Visit NC’s account. Instagram Stories are Facebook’s answer to the rise of short, quick content. Though content disappears after 24 hours, views are intentional and more valuable than large, but empty impressions. Each viewer of an Instagram Story tapped through to be there and often taps back for a second look. In 2019, Visit North Carolina engaged users more than 2.02 million times via Instagram Stories, with an average engagement rate of 9.78% across organic and partner program content. Partners will be responsible for providing Visit NC with high-quality social content (images and videos). Once the content is received, our team will develop the assets into a story, adding text, captions and other fun features to make it social media-friendly. Stories will go live on an agreed-upon date between Visit NC and the partner and will last for 24 hours. Reporting will be provided to the partners following the feature.

Partners can purchase one (1) Instagram Story Feature per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit high-quality social content (images and videos; sized to 1080 x 1920), information about the destinations featured and any applicable Instagram handles or hashtags.

Social Media Spotlight

Social Media Spotlights are available for $2,500 each. Partners are also responsible for lodging, dining and activity expenses and will be invoiced following the Spotlight for these expenses, if incurred.
Inventory: Twelve (12) partner spots (one (1) spotlight per month)

This opportunity offers partners robust presence on Visit North Carolina’s social media channels (421,000+ followers) to leverage our passionate and engaged follower base to specifically feature their destinations.

We’ll work with partners to determine content to feature that will inspire potential visitors to plan their own trip. Then, our team will travel to partner locations to gather spotlight content for social media use and plan posts for a two-to-three-week period that will feature the destination across our social channels.

Partners participating in a spotlight will receive the following:

• Social trip idea content
• Social quality pictures
• 11 social posts
• 1 Organic Facebook post
• 2 Instagram posts on our grid
• 5 Instagram stories minimum (individual slides)
• 3 Tweets
• Detailed recap report

Minimum 60-day lead time required for travel planning purposes.

Partners can purchase one (1) Social Media Spotlight per year max.

Material Requirements: partners will be required to submit ideas for the spotlight itinerary.