Why Visit California is the Sunshine Social State

For anyone planning a trip in or around California, the state’s tourism website Visit Californiais the absolute best place to start. The site is packed with all kinds of maps, brochures, and other valuable information. Plus it’s the portal to five social media channels maintained by the Visit California team.

Let’s break down the social sites Visit California uses and how they make California the Sunshine Social State.

YouTube: More than 9 million viewers have checked out videos from all over the state at this popular channel. Visit California uses YouTube as a home base for its participation in the Dream365 Project, a “collection of cool, inspiring, funny, offbeat, thought-provoking, and enticing videos, short films, memes, tweets, time-lapses, photos, and more.” Catch a three-minute film about the celebrated Redwoods, watch someone jetpack across the desert, or check out a local riding a 15-foot bicycle.

Instagram: It’s easy to see why Visit California has more than 53,000 followers on this channel. Who wouldn’t want to gaze at 1,000 images of one of the most picturesque states on the map? In an especially smart move, the tourism team encourages visitors to tag their own snapshots with the #VisitCA hashtag for a chance to have their own picture featured on the page. It’s a great way to engage followers and help spread the word about all the Visit California website has to offer.

Facebook: With more than 800,000 thousand fans, Visit California’s Facebook page helps you drill down into hotspots and lesser-known events happening statewide. The tourism teams posts a lot of great info but also links to tourism-related pages from all over the Facebook platform. Whether you’re visiting one of the big cities or taking a driving tour of a small section of wine county, you’re likely to stumble across links to that perfect little cafe or marina you wouldn't have noticed just wandering around the area.

Twitter: When you want up-to-the-minute information about what’s going on anywhere in California, head over to @VisitCA on Twitter and join in the conversation with 47,500 followers. You’ll stay updated on what’s being posted on Visit California’s other social channels and get links to articles on all kinds of great topics about the hottest dining and vacation trends in the state.

Pinterest: Visit California knocks it out of the park with all the work they do on this channel. With more than 50 Pinboards, there’s something to appeal to every kind of visitor. Dine in CA is a foodie’s delight, featuring mouthwatering offerings from hot restaurants all across the state. History buffs can check out pins of historical sites while outdoorsy types can plan treks through deserts, national parks, or miles of gorgeous coastline. No wonder the channel has over 4,600 followers.

It’s not unusual for state tourism departments to set up shop on several social media outlets but Visit California really raises the bar with great and engaging content that won’t see everywhere else. When it comes to the value behind this tourism team’s work, the fan and follower numbers speak for themselves.