Using Vine in Business- Keeping it Short and Sweet

by Startacus Admin

In recent weeks, Startacus has gone a little bit bonkers over the wealth of new apps which are popping up all over the place to help feed the public's ever growing hunger for the merging of visual and social media. If like us you find yourself completely hooked on discovering new and innovative ways to interact and engage visually with people online then check out our recent articles on Pinterest web analytics, SnapMyAd, Taggled and Snapfashion.

But now back to the task in hand...

What is Vine?

Vine is a mobile app owned by Twitter which gives users the opportunity to create short video clips (maximum length 6 seconds) which can then be shared across social media platforms.

Whilst this might not sound particularly exciting the software offers the ability to record previously tricky footage (particularly stop-motion) with great ease. This has given way to an explosion in Vine’s popularity over the last year as people have seized upon the opportunity to make short and very creative video projects. You won't be surprised to know that brands and businesses have also decided to jump on the vine-wagon and utilise the software as a way to create snappy little promotional videos which fit in with Vine’s ethos of creativity and succinct no nonsense information delivery.

So enthusiastic is the public’s reception to Vine and the type of videos it can be used to produce that a number of companies including Dunkin’ Donuts have already created TV adverts using the app!

So, how can Vine videos be helpful to your brand/business? In the spirit of short and snappy information here's a list!

• With such a deluge of information it can be very difficult for a brand/company/message to make their voice heard over the din. Vine's videos (or simply Vines) operate under a similar premise to Twitter’s tweets- they keep it short and sweet! This means a business has the opportunity to get its message heard without having to persuade customers to commit too much of their time.

• Having such a limited time to communicate your message means that you are forced to be creative and original, otherwise your message will simply get lost. The more creative it is, the more it will get shared and the across social media its potential reach could be staggering.

• The videos play on a continuous loop unless you exit them meaning that potential customers will see it at least 2-3 times, reinforcing potential for brand recognition.

• It creates another channel through which traffic can be driven to your web page/social media accounts.

• It allows you to demonstrate your products/services in a way that is much more memorable than with a written description

• It can give your business a personal feel, particularly if you make the Vine yourself and it features members of your team or voice overs.

• Correct usage of Vine will give your customers the perception that you are a 'with it' and progressive business

• Vines offer a unique opportunity for people to take a look behind the scenes of your business, which (if done right) will give them a sense of the people at the heart of the business

• It opens up lines of communication between you and your customers. For example, you may run a competition where you challenge customers to create a Vine using one of your products

• It gives you the ability to gauge and refine what style of marketing your target audience is most receptive to, by reviewing which videos have been most well received.

So you get the idea, Vine opens up lots of ways for your to be creative with your marketing. We will be watching closely to see how it develops and how businesses find new ways to use it as its popularity grows.

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Published on: 6th October 2013