In just a couple of years, Dom Hofmann, Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll—the original creators of Vine—have proven that being long-winded isn’t necessary to get a message across. Seriously, it only takes six seconds or less. Still not convinced? As of April of this year, Vine—a short-form, video-sharing smartphone app— had managed to attract over 40 million registered users.
With upwards of 12 million Vine videos being uploaded to Twitter and other social platforms each and every day, it’s hard to argue against the strange, yet successful amateur video production outlet. Sure, it’s fun to watch miniature videos of house cats making fools of themselves or young, unsuspecting fathers taking a wiffle ball or two to the groin, but is there any real video production or social media marketing value with Vine?
Seeing as how more than half a trillion Vine loops run annually, the answer to the aforementioned question is a positive one. With that in mind, however, there are certainly better, more approachable methods for making Vine an effective tool for brand building. The following are a few of the more prominent strategies:
Product Demos
Nowadays, it seems that most people prefer online shopping over having to actually get up and go to a nearby store. While true, it’s much harder to purchase an item without the luxury of having it right in front of you. Simply put, digital buyers want as much information as possible made available to them so that they can shop smart.
Vine videos, coupled with a bit of video production magic, do an excellent job of highlighting a product’s most defining characteristics. When viewed in action, people—without physically being present—are much more willing to invest their hard-earned cash in whatever you’re selling.
Keep Things Light and Entertaining
Nearly 23 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds are active on Vine from a mobile device. Truthfully, few social outlets rival Vine for targeting Millennials through video production. There’s a reason for that: entertainment. Honestly, there aren’t many young people who consciously care about product reviews or brand history.
Instead, they prefer to enjoy social media while laughing and that’s exactly what Vine does for them. Regardless of the industry that you represent or how funny you may or may not be, make certain to provide your followers with Vines that’ll keep them coming back for more. That being said, there’s a fine line between what’s pleasantly hysterical and the compromising of brand values.
Company Culture on Full-Display
In past decades, it’s been near impossible for companies to develop meaningful relationships with their customers. Through social media—in this case, Vine—that’s no longer the situation. If you’ve seen MTV’s hit show “Catfish,” then you’re more than aware of such a reality. Being in the same room is no longer necessary for genuine dialogue to develop. For example, consider creating a handful of videos that focus on the subtle ins and outs of your business’ culture.
Though it’s unlikely that potential clients be drawn to you because of your insane ping pong skills or ability to beatbox by the water cooler, when it’s time for a buying decision to be made, they’re more likely to remember your social and video production presence than the minute specifics of your competitors’ product or service rates.
Social Engagement
Engagement is the real beauty behind social media. Think about the last time that you were at a retail store and the sales clerk hit you up for your email address to add you to the store’s “system.” Unbeknownst to most, this is a pathetic attempt at B2C interaction. Sure, if you toss your personal email address their way, you’ll probably receive a couple of promotional coupons.
But before you’ve even made the decision to open a promotional email, you’ll have already registered their account as spam. Ya see, when social media—more specifically, social media with a video production twist—is made a mainstay of a marketing, consumers aren’t interrupted with information; they voluntarily pursue it and are met with more than they’d originally expected.
Maybe you’re experienced with social media; maybe you’re not. Perhaps you’ve dabbled in a few beginner video production projects; on the other hand, you might not even known how to work a basic camera phone. In spite of your experience—or lack thereof, for that matter—to survive as a digital marketer in today’s fast-paced environment, adaptation is key. Vine, along with a host of other social channels, isn’t so much of an option as it is a necessity.
