NEW ADS ARE LURING VISITORS TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

This week in Keys Weekly, Mandy Miles featured Tinsley Advertising and our latest work for The Florida Keys & Key West. The article included new photography and print ad examples currently being utilized to promote the destination.

See the full story and new images here: KeysWeekly.com

Thank you Mandy and The Florida Keys for the collaborative partnership we’ve shared for more than thirty years allowing all of us to do great work… that works!

Today marks the end of a legend, but not the end of a dream.

Our heads hang low and our hearts are overflowing with sadness as we announce the passing of our founder and CEO, Sandy Tinsley who died on October 1^st of a heart attack.  But, in typical Sandy style, she was surrounded by family and close friends in her final hours.  

Sandy Tinsley was a pioneer in the advertising industry, starting an ad agency in 1974 when there were but just a few women in the business.  After working in radio and as the marketing director for Holsum Bakers, she decided she could do it on her own, opened her own agency, and took Holsum on as her first client.  The agency quickly acquired many national and international accounts transforming brands like The Florida Keys & Key West and SuperClubs Resorts.  She saw great successes with her Tinsley Yellow Pages division as well as the launchings of SilverSea Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. On nothing more than a hand shake with the “coach” himself, Sandy created the Don Shula Show, the first and longest-running coach’s television show in NFL history.

Sandy enjoyed great success and was able to entertain family and close friends at her vacation homes in both The Florida Keys and North Carolina. Better than that, she was able to share her talents and rewards with others including her charitable work with the Boys & Girls Club, Easter Seals, The Leukemia Society, the Deering Estate and Kids in Crisis.  

But, her greatest gift was how she made us all feel  – valued and special.  Often calling those she cared about, “kid”, she was always interested in our families and our children’s latest accomplishments.  It was not uncommon for her to recognize accomplishments with a hearty “outstanding!” or a “fannnntastic!”

Although it will never be the same without her smiling face, contagious laugh and positive outlook on life, her dream and passion will live on through all of us who cared so much for her.

We will miss you “kid” ––  a lot.

Services will be held at Van Orsdel Funeral Homes at 4600  SW 8^th Street, Coral Gables, FL on this Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you make donations to the following charities that were near and dear to Sandy’s heart:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade in Memory of Sandy Tinsley
• Easter Seals South Florida

Thank you,
John Underwood

How long-form videos fit into a short attention span world.

By Dorn Martell

There is no doubt that the average person’s attention span has decreased (are you still with me?). Four-hour political speeches and three-hour operas were once considered the norm a hundred years ago. Now people exist in a constant state of restlessness swiping and clicking their way to the Promised Land of interesting content. But, does this mean that all video must be cut down to nanoseconds, and that anything over 30 seconds will never be seen?

Simply put, no.

Our experience and research has shown that long-form videos enjoy great viewership and engagement, but the challenge is putting the most engaging content on the right platform. And there is a difference between the platforms and the state-of-mind of the viewer.

YouTube and your Website
The difference between these platforms and other Social Media Platforms is the search/opt-in dimension. For example, our 2-minute video for the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole generated more views and had greater engagement than any video the company had ever produced. And over 85% of viewers watched the whole film. It wasn’t just because it was a really high quality film; viewers who were interested in visiting Wyoming sought it out. The sweet spot for length appears to be between 2 and 3 minutes, but videos between 6 and 15 minutes can garner a 50% engagement rate! This demonstrates that relevant content can hold the viewers attention for much longer than predicted.

Facebook
Videos on Facebook are viewed differently than videos on YouTube or your website. The videos may appear in your newsfeed, as posted organically by friends, or you may see videos posted in groups that you belong to. Then, there are sponsored posts with videos. These videos are supposed to be targeted to your interests but experience shows they are quite random. The optimal length of a video on Facebook is 60 seconds. If a viewer has a connection to the content they will invest a minute of their lives to watch it. This 60-second video was part of a very successful fundraising campaign for the Coral Restoration Foundation: If a tree falls.

Instagram
The popularity of Instagram is quite amazing, from its beginning as a photo filter app to its current dominant position in Social Media. Millennials and Gen Z flock to Instagram mainly because their Mom is on Facebook and you can “follow” celebrities instead of having to “friend” people. The videos that got the most comments on Instagram averaged 26 seconds. So, the prediction of the “death of the 30-second spot” has proven to be over-hyped as the 30-second video is alive and well on Instagram. Here is an example of The Florida Keys & Key West’s sponsored post.

Video Pre-roll
A lot of advertisers will see stats that indicate that viewers will drop off within 3 seconds and therefore try to pump as much info in the beginning of the film as possible. This is a mistake. If your audience taps out before 3 seconds your content is either not relevant, not engaging or they clicked on it by mistake. Our research indicates that the “skip ad” button stimulates viewers to click off regardless of content. So it is important to buy pre-roll that cannot be skipped. 15 and 30 second formats work well for video pre-roll. An engaged viewer will consume up to 30 seconds while waiting for their video to play or continue. Here is an example of 15-second pre-roll for The Florida Keys and Key West.

The bottom line is this: if you create relevant and engaging content your audience will watch it, whether it’s 15 seconds or 15 minutes. Don’t dumb down your videos or assume you have to trick people into interacting with your brand. Be honest. Be creative. And don’t be afraid to go long.

2 Minute Rustic Inn Film For YouTube & Website 60 Second Coral Restoration Film For Facebook 30 Second Florida Keys & Key West Film For Instagram 15 Second Florida Keys & Key West Film For Pre-Roll