I Heard it on the Digital Vine: Business Marketing with Short Videos
**Update: Twitter announced that they were shutting down Vine in the fall of 2016. The following post was first published in 2014.**
Soundbytes have dominated our culture for a while, but embracing a brief, powerful message is being taken to a new level with Vine, a social networking app that was ranked as the fastest growing app in the world in 2013. Vine is to YouTube what Twitter is to Facebook. But we’re not talking text; we’re talking video—6 second videos to be exact. Its power is in this brevity.
Long videos take up a lot of space and can be hard to share over social media. Vines are easy to watch, easy to share across any platform, and simple to find, follow, and interact with via likes and comments.
Vine was launched by Twitter in January of 2013 and is already listed within the top 10 social networking websites. Video marketing is one of the most powerful ways to connect with online audiences. Vine takes this potential to a new level, capturing short attention spans with the power of video.
What’s a business to do with a 6 second video?
6 Vine Marketing Tactics
Introduce your brand. In person, it’s known as the elevator pitch, that brief sentence or two that captures the essence of your brand. Being able to capture your business’s identity in seconds can be powerful. Consider this your challenge. (Dove did it with inspiration.)
Display your work. You know what’s better than hearing about great things a company has done? Seeing the end results—not in text but in visuals. Here’s an opportunity to show off what your company can do. (Samsung did it with a new smartphone.)
Introduce a product or service. Your website surely has this in text, but video adds appeal like none other. Try creating a brief teaser for highlighted products or succinct introductions of new services. (Oreo did it with this their Mega Stuf Oreo.)
Showcase fan or customer videos. What’s better than a favorable customer review? A video customer review. What’s better than a commercial? The public creating commercials for you. No actors required. (Wheat Thins did it with #MustHaveWheatThins.)
Educate: From social media strategy to blogs and beyond, using your online platform for education can establish your company as a trusted leader in your field. Educating in 6 seconds is a challenge, but achievable. (Bacardi did it by teaching drink recipes.)
Celebrate: If there’s an important date on the calendar, why not share a special message with your followers? If your company’s won an award or has breaking news, capture the announcement with style. (General Electric did it to honor Thomas Edison’s birthday.)
Have some fun. Be entertaining. Just make sure you’re staying on brand. And, of course, share your vines across every social media outlet you’ve invested in.
The possibilities with these brief videos is nearly endless, and their payoff can be measurable. 80% of internet users remember videos that that watch online, and 26% look for more information after watching a brand video.
How is a business to get started with Vine? That’s the easiest part. All you need is a Twitter account and a smart phone. Vine has changed the way marketing departments look at video. Why shouldn’t your company be on the cutting edge of internet marketing?
