Alex Jimanez: Digital Dopamine

Alex Jimenez – @TheYachtGuy – was yachting’s first Instagram influencer. Ten years after he burst onto the scene, he talks about superyacht sunsets, future boats and his #1 rule of the game.

WHO IS ALEX JIMENEZ?

I’m just a regular guy blessed to have had the opportunities that I’ve had. I started yacht dreaming back in 1998 but @TheYachtGuy started in 2010 at the Newport International Boat Show when I ran out of storage on my phone. I started an Instagram account as a way to save my personal photos, an idea courtesy of my brother who was with me. I was sleeping in my truck at the time, so I needed to see where I wanted to be in the future, and it took on a life of its own. In 2014, after four years of learning Insta, I made it a full-time job. 

YOU WERE AT THE START OF YACHTING’S SOCIAL MEDIA BOOM – HOW HAS IT CHANGED SINCE THEN?

Back when I started, there was no social media. Most of the industry didn’t like the idea of guys like me posting about something that I had nothing to do with. There was one guy sharing yacht news and another was a yachtie. Bob Denison, Peter Lürssen and a few others knew something big was coming, though. More so, even, than I did. Since then it’s changed a lot. Now, there are a million yacht pages, a few looking to be #1 with the most followers, whatever that means. There is a science to growing a page. Using the same content over and over because it’s very popular will gain more likes and follows. Paying people to grow accounts will too. But for me, gaining a million followers isn’t my goal. I just want to keep working with great people sharing great experiences and working toward my goals of living a great life with family and friends. So, while those other pages are busy chasing numbers, I’ll be busy chasing superyacht sunsets, boat side in a regatta, and surrounding myself with good people in great places.

DO YOU STILL PHOTOGRAPH YACHTS AT ANY GIVEN OPPORTUNITY?

Absolutely! I love getting out there and taking shots, especially if I’m with legends like Tom van Oossanen and Charl van Rooy, getting tips from professionals on how to take a better shot. 

WHO ARE YOUR MAIN FOLLOWERS? 

I have 800k+ followers, and my guess is most are dreamers like me. But I do know firsthand that many are yacht owners, designers, builders, yachties, celebrities and a few billionaires. 

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR CONTENT FRESH AND ORIGINAL AMID THE GROWING NUMBER OF YACHT INFLUENCERS?

The term “Influencer” is used a lot these days, everyone with a page is considered an influencer. Many of them are brokers leveraging their access to yachts and trying to sell boats (nothing wrong with that), while other accounts are made up of reposts and content that will get them followers – ships in storms, boats sinking, people getting hurt, etc. They write “DM for credit” to avoid mentioning anyone, but never actually get out there and show the experience. So, only reposting pictures and videos you didn’t take or posting a yacht as part of your job doesn’t qualify you as an influencer, in my opinion. Weed out all of those and then see how many yacht influencers are actually out there. 

HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR ORIGINAL CONTENT WITH PAID CLIENT REQUESTS?

It’s not that hard, really. Paid content must be good content. I get requests to post blurry pics all the time or videos that just look commercial and I go back to the client and work with them to get something better. Sometimes, I’ll get a stubborn client, and I post the bad content just to make the point that it was going to bomb. 

WHAT RULES DO YOU PLAY BY?

My #1 rule is if I use someone’s content, I credit them right under the caption and not bury their name at the bottom under a bunch of spaces or hashtags. Everything else is just common sense, no real magic tricks. 

IS THERE ANY YACHT CONTENT THAT YOU WON’T POST?

I try to stay away from tragic posts, especially when people get hurt. A regatta video surfaced recently in which a guy got plowed off the back of a yacht by another boat, and it turned out he broke a few ribs. Another one showed a couple on a jet ski that blew up with them on it as they crashed. I knew these would get tons of views, but I didn’t post them. There has to be a line, and for me, people’s lives are that line. 

WHICH YACHTS REMAIN ON YOUR MUST-STEP-ABOARD BUCKET LIST?

DUBAI, ECLIPSE, RISING SUN, FLYING FOX, OCTOPUS, both As – too many to list them all here! Stepping aboard isn’t as good as experiencing the yacht, which I’d prefer.

NAME A MEMORY ON BOARD A YACHT THAT IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU SMILE?

 I was on my way to Monaco and was supposed to be staying in a room that a friend had offered to me, but when my plane landed, the owner of a 284-foot yacht called me and insisted I stay with him on his yacht. We were all mutual friends, so I said okay, let’s do it. Arriving on that yacht was pretty epic. The crew were super kind, I sat on the top deck at 2am sipping Champagne looking out over the Monaco night lights. It was surreal, and my first time as a guest on board a yacht.

DO YOU MAINLY OPERATE ON INSTAGRAM, OR DO YOU USE OTHER PLATFORMS FOR ENGAGEMENT?

Instagram is the main platform, but I use Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.

 IF YOU OWNED A YACHT, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT, AND WHY?

Owning a yacht has always been the goal. In the beginning, it was a small one, then I started dreaming bigger and wanted an ECLIPSE of my own and all the luxury that came with it. But I’ve met so many people on smaller 80 footers or less, cruising with family and enjoying life without all the fuss that comes with a big yacht, and I’ve really fallen for that style of yachting. Low key, close family and friends to run the boat and good memories. I always said I’d name it after my daughter, M/Y POEME

---

QUICKFIRE ROUND

Favorite yacht? ECLIPSE

Favorite destination? Caribbean

Sun or snow? Sun

Chopper or submarine? Chopper

Below Deck – hot or rot? ROT!

Best ever yacht party? Onboard SERENITY with SSH Maritime for amfAR

Cryptocurrency or dollars? CRYPTO!

Favorite yacht pic? Too many to pick just one

Giant boat or pocket-sized tender? Pocket explorer

---

Request A Copy [FRANK Issue 3]

From intelligent debate to cutting-edge science, and risky sports to surreal charter experiences, FRANK does not shy away from the awkward, controversial, or questionable details. Brazen at times, amusing in spirit, and always transparent in the discussion, the focus is on discovering new angles and enjoying every minute. And, of course, always being ‘frank’ about the conclusions.

---

For advertising inquiries in FRANK magazine, please contact Jen@DenisonYachting.com