VTC x Localhood: Creative Guidelines

Make the most of your stories with these helpful tips!

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General Best Practices 

• 4-10 slides 
• Try to use 1 video per story 
• Have a clear narrative: make your story listicle, educational, or experiential. 
• Prioritize evergreen content and start with owned assets/content you have rights to

Images, Text & Videos Best Practices 

• Keep images light and bright.
  • Try to get people in action 
• Keep videos under 15 seconds
• Have a mixture of images & videos. 
• Always add overlap text/captions to every slide. 
• Ensure overlay text is readable and contrasts well with background image.

Image & Video Usage Rights

• You must have unlimited usage rights in perpetuity to all images in your Stories. This means you should have the legal ability to publish the images across any medium (social media, website, blog, etc.) for an unlimited amount of time.
• Ensure that any person with an identifiable face has signed a model release. If you’d like an example of what our model release looks like, you can see it here. Ideally, this is signed on the day of the photo shoot, but it can be retroactively signed.
• For more image/video guidelines, visit VTC’s Creative Services page.

Creative Style Recommendations

1. Mix it up.
   • When possible, use a mix of photos and videos to keep your stories varied, fun and engaging.
2. Virginia is for Everyone.
   • Use images that represent Virginia as a welcoming destination to ALL travelers, images that feature people of different races, backgrounds and communities.
3. Keep it real.
   • Use assets that are visually captivating but still true to life. Prioritize high-res, up-to-date images with real people having real moments of connection and joy. 
     • Avoid: Assets that feel dated, forced or too posed.
     • Avoid: Obvious branding and/or logos directly on the story. Instead, utilize swipe integrations to direct to relevant channels and brand information.
4. Everyone has a sunset.
   • Scenic imagery should showcase unique Virginia landscapes, views and experiences. We want to showcase the best of what Virginia has to offer to travelers in unique ways they can’t find elsewhere. Find and share the hidden gems in your locality!
     • Avoid: Assets that lack a sense of place or could be easily mistaken for another state.
5. Tell a story.
   • If your story is about a singular experience (ex: Dining at a specific local restaurant or attending a certain music festival), then use a variety of shots to create a visual narrative. Use wide shots to show a sense of place, medium shots to show people and groups having fun or experiencing an activity, and finally, close-up shots to highlight interesting details about the experience. This shot variety tells a stronger, more compelling story than using only a single type of shot.
6. Simplify captions.
   • For single line copy, use “title” weight. For multiple line copy, use “body” weight.
   • Use emojis tastefully.
   • Always use a caption background. Solid backgrounds should be prioritized over translucent.
     • Recommended:  White text on color/black or | Color/black text on white |
   • Avoid: Covering important parts of the image with captions.

Creative Examples: Dos and Don’ts

Do:

Don’t: