How Explore Minnesota works with influencers to promote the state

MINNEAPOLIS — With the Timberwolves' deep playoff run, an undefeated Vikings team and Gov. Tim Walz stepping onto a national stage, Minnesota is on a roll.

It's the job of Explore Minnesota, the state's tourism department, to capitalize on that momentum.

WCCO obtained Explore Minnesota contracts over the last two years that show who the state's working with on marketing and promotion.

Lizanne Dooner, a full-time content creator, was paid $5,000 to create 12 videos for social media.

Dooner, who's from Minnesota, is better known to her 70,000 Instagram followers as @LizanneLately.

"It's the fun of it — exploring new places and products and people," she said. "The people I've met have just been amazing, and it's fun to integrate their stories and my stories."

Dooner says the main goal in making her content is to be both entertaining and educational.

Her agreement with the state said, "Content of the videos must showcase Minnesota in a positive light and showcase a diverse set of activities, businesses, destinations, and events."

"It's really relatively cost-effective, really high return on investment to do something like that, because what it allows us to do is really make sure we're showcasing as much of the state as possible," said Kat Sutton, Explore Minnesota's deputy director of marketing.

Charlotte Simpson is another travel influencer who was paid $5,000 for two Instagram reels, one Instagram post, at least six Instagram stories, plus Facebook and TikTok posts, spotlighting her visit to Minnesota earlier this year.

Simpson has almost 30,000 Instagram followers on her @TravelingBlackWidow account.

Explore Minnesota says their focus more than ever is putting the state in front of a national audience, and it seems to be working.

"Dallas, Texas, New York City, Seattle — we're seeing more [online engagement] pops from some metros outside of the Midwest region," Sutton said.

One of the larger contracts with an outside party is with the Mall of America.

Explore Minnesota pays the mall $90,000 to put up display areas with travel brochures from around the state.