Vincenzo Girasoli — also known as Idressitalian — is a tour guide turned travel vlogger who journeys across Italy to “spread its beauty all over the world.”
Find out how Facebook Live and Stars helped him build a community and earn money during the pandemic.
Facebook Stars (a virtual good that fans can buy and send to support select creators on Live) helped turn a dream into a reality. Vincenzo Girasoli has always dreamt of organizing his own Italian tour — one that offers true authenticity. 7 years ago, he created Idressitalian: A “digital magazine” featuring his blogs and videos about the beauties of Italy. When COVID-19 hit, Vincenzo knew it was time to refresh his content strategy.
Inspiration struck during the pandemic. While people around the world were unable to travel, Vincenzo wanted to bring Italy into people’s homes instead. In May of 2020, he decided to devote the next year to sharing travel lust while keeping safety top in mind. Using Stars on Live was the perfect way to realize his dreams while offsetting costs on the road.
Results
From May–September 2020:
Over 11x growth in revenue, compared to previous 5 months*
Average of 634 monthly Stars senders*
Earned over 1M Stars in one day**
24M+ Live video views***
200 Live videos produced, an average of 40 every month***
*Facebook internal data, December 2019 to September 2020.
**Data provided by the creator, July 5, 2020.
***Public CrowdTangle data.
Live
Vincenzo uses Live to virtually roam through Italy with his audiences in real time and earn Stars along the way. “Amici di Idressitalian!”: Starting every Live with a warm welcome to the “friends of Idressitalian,” Vincenzo broadcasts for upwards of an hour almost every day — and occasionally, multiple times a day. His content strategy is simple: “Every day, a different Italian location. A mix of art, food, fashion, nature and human touch.”
In the 5 months since he began using Stars, Idressitalian produced 200 Live videos (an average of 40 per month) and attracted over 24M views to his Live adventures.***
When it comes to Vincenzo’s strategy for how long and how often he broadcasts, there’s no secret: He goes on — and stays on — Live until he’s finished sharing what he wanted to show. This Live strategy makes his adventures feel more authentic and engaging: A shared experience with his audience, as if they’re exploring these new destinations alongside him.
Follow the content, not the Stars. They feel my love for them and for what I do, and they reward me for it.
Stars
Vincenzo has fostered a “spontaneous and genuine relationship with his audience.” They understand he needs to earn enough money to commit to Idressitalian full-time, and their encouragement and support are seen in the number of Stars he has received over time.
Idressitalian’s first 5 months on Stars has seen a monthly average of 634 Star senders and over 11x growth in revenue compared to the previous 5 months.*
Vincenzo reached this level of success by setting Stars goals during his Live broadcasts and motivating his audience to help him achieve it. While visiting the isle of Capri in July, he set the ambitious goal of reaching 1M Stars in one day. By the end of the night, he exceeded his goal by over 75K.** He finds that this approach to Stars is a great way to reliably meet his earnings targets while keeping his audience engaged and invested in his journey.
From his observations, Vincenzo finds that the more beautiful and intriguing his destinations, the more Stars he receives. In return, he rewards his Stars senders by answering their questions and shouting them out. He also shows his appreciation with special gifts, exclusive event invitations and special mentions in the upcoming book he plans to write about this year-long journey.
Vincenzo has advice for creators looking to monetize their Live videos with Stars: “Follow the content, not the Stars.” He became a top creator using Stars by taking the time to understand his audience through observation. In assessing interactions on Live, he finds clarity in what his audience wants and then delivers on what delights them. This focus on producing valuable content motivates his audience to show their appreciation by sending Stars.
”I’m obsessed with surprising my audience in different ways: the location, the dress code, the path. I guess they feel my love for them and for what I do, and they reward me for it,” Vincenzo explained.
The revenue Idressitalian has earned from Stars has unlocked windows of opportunity, such as expanding the team from 3 to 5 members and investing in new lines of business. As a natural next step to what he offers virtually, Vincenzo plans to dive into e-commerce, selling exclusive Italian experiences and the best Made in Italy products.
Stars are currently in Beta and only available to a limited number of creators at this time.
