MARKETING

COVID-19 Response:

In response to COVID-19, South Walton has taken steps to adjust its marketing strategy. Currently, we’re focused on keeping potential visitors up to date on business changes and any applicable regulations related to COVID-19, including steps to ensure visitor and resident safety.

For those in market already, our focus is providing information on how to keep our community safe, as well as updates on local businesses that are offering adjusted services and are open for business. See an example HERE: 

Our goal is not only to inform, but to also keep South Walton top of mind with our guests by providing up-to-date information, virtual experiences and pertinent news related to our community.

 

COVID-19 Travel Updates Page Stats:

The main VSW COVID-19 Travel Updates page launched on March 18 and has seen 269,130 page views (March 18-Oct. 9), 218,725 of which were unique page views, meaning the page was viewed 50,405 times by users returning to the page for another reference. Forty-six percent of this traffic originated from organic search. Users spent an average time of 1:32 on the page. Specific sub pages include:

 

Co-Op Marketing Opportunities:

We are pleased to offer a second round of co-op marketing opportunities this year as a way to assist our tourism partners who had to halt, delay or otherwise adjust their marketing practices in response to COVID-19. The Seasonal Online Display Program is an opportunity for tourism-facing businesses in Walton County to partner with South Walton and purchase cost-effective advertising during the shoulder season as-needed. Partner businesses may opt-in any time between Oct. 1 and March 1 for a one-month promotion.

In addition to our Seasonal Online Display Program co-op advertising, Bed-tax collector partners also have the opportunity to place an ad in Visit South Walton’s annual STAY guide. This guide provides visitors with a comprehensive list of accommodations in the destination. The sales period closes Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. CDT.

To learn more about the opportunities available, CLICK HERE or contact Courtney Wimmert, creative marketing manager, at Courtney@VisitSouthWalton.com or (850) 267-1216. 

 

August Website Stats:

• Users & Page Views: 
  • Users who visited the site in August were mostly females (62.4%) between the ages of 45-64 (41.3%) and were new visitors (78.5%). New visitors saw a decrease of 19.4% while returning users increased by 41%.
  • Traffic to the site in August decreased, although not significantly.
  • Traffic to the site was stable for the month with about 2,200-plus sessions per day, but there was a significant strike on Aug. 25 with 4,555 sessions. A peak of 7,749 sessions was also noted on Aug. 28. 
• Devices:
  • Consistent with previous months, mobile devices were responsible for the most sessions, while desktop devices continued to show higher engagement metrics — highest number of pages per session and lowest bounce rate. 
• Geography:
  • Texas accounted for the most sessions to the site with 17,188, followed by Georgia with 15,154 and Florida with 14,759.
  • Top Areas viewing our site: Atlanta, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Mobile-Pensacola, Houston and Panama City. 
  • The most viewed pages:
    • The most viewed pages on the site in August were the Home Page followed by the COVID-19 Travel Updates Page and the Beach Safety Page.
    • Of the top 10 most viewed pages, those with the largest increase in page views were the Beach Safety Page (476.7%), the Before You Visit Page (37.2%) and the Santa Rosa Beach Neighborhood Page (21.4%). 
    • 40-50% of these visitors are likely to consume additional content from other pages after viewing these pages.
  • Online Visitor Guide Data:
    • Page views on the online Visitor Guide Page saw a small decrease of 27.5%. Average time on page decreased by 6.4% and bounce rate decreased by 15.2%. 
    • Travel guide page views decreased by 11% this month. From the travel guide page, the most visited pages were the Visitor Guide Page, the Home Page and the Things to Do Page. 

 

Print Publications:
Visit South Walton is proud to offer a family of publications including: VISIT, STAY, PERFECT, FOREVER, EXPLORE and SAVOR. CLICK HERE to see online versions of each guide. 

• VISIT is a revamped version of our Visitor Guide, complete with features on the South Walton culinary scene, lifestyle, events and outdoor exploration.
• STAY showcases our diverse collection of accommodations, in addition to annual events and the different ways you can "stay" in South Walton.
• PERFECT celebrates the businesses and events that were honored as our 2020 Perfect in South Walton Award winners. 
• FOREVER is your guide to weddings in South Walton. Learn about the variety of venues available and all of the ways you can create lasting memories on your big day. 
• EXPLORE is exactly what you need to get out and discover South Walton's abundance of natural beauty, outdoor activities, live music and dynamic arts and culture scenes. 
• SAVOR is our spotlight on all things culinary in South Walton, from waterfront and fine dining to coastal casual eats and full restaurant listings. 

  

We'd love for you to share these free guides with your guests. Please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 333-2728 to place an order and make arrangements for either pickup at the Visitor Center or delivery to your office or vacation rental. 

 

Beach Flag Magnets:

VSW beach flag magnets are still available in limited quantities in the Visitor Center for pickup. The Visitor Center is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please contact Lisa Foster, industry relations specialist, at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com for more information. 

CONTACT US

Visit South Walton 25777 US Hwy 331 S | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 VisitSouthWalton.com | (850) 267-1216