Every brand wants to make great advertising campaigns that stick out and keep people talking. With that being said, is Vine the new way to do it?
Vines are “micro-videos” that are up to six seconds long, and they are constantly created by people who have downloaded the Vine app. How prevalent is Vine among smartphone users? It is estimated that 40 million users downloaded it since it was launched in January 2013, according to Top Ten Social Media. They often feature obscure humor, often use quick scene cuts and stop-motion throughout, and they repeat over and over.
Who Vines?
Information about the demographics of Vine users is limited; however, it is known that the largest age group who uses Vine is 18 to 20 years old, according to MediaBistro. This age group is included in the Millennial generation. Baltimore Sun claims that Millennials have “shortened attention spans” and a “student debt and smartphone obsession.” Pew Research says Millennials are “confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and receptive to new ideas and ways of living” and that they “embrace multiple modes of self-expression.” Additionally, “short-format video appeals, in particular, to Millennials’ appetite for multimedia content and…their preference for ‘off-beat, sarcastic and slapstick humor,’” says Dan Treul at One Up Web. Summed up, Millennials tend to crave innovation and technology, want to get information quickly, feel the need to express themselves, and they like humor.
Using Vine for Marketing
Mobile traffic is consistently rising as more people continue to purchase smartphones. And in June 2013, 55% of online retail time was spent on a mobile device, with 44% spent on smartphones, according to Internet Retailer.
MediaBistro claims that “64% of consumers are likely to buy a product after watching a related online video.” Longer videos don’t seem to be the answer, however. Millward Brown states that “micro-video offers the promise of more engagement than traditional online video for brands, with branded Vines four times more likely to be shared than traditional online video.” There are clear advantages to using Vine that a business should consider.
If you’re wondering how to advertise with Vines, there are many ways this can be done.
Top Ten Social Media provides several ways to use Vine for your business:
- “Save money and use vine social media marketing tactics in place of a professional video to develop an obscure, creative six-second clip can present a brand’s face to the youthful Vine demographic.
- Tease the audience with a new product or service video and audio preview and compel users to take a further look at the company web site. This is one of the best ways to take advantage of the Vine marketing tool.
- Use Vine as a new venue for promoting an offer or coupon.
- A clever fact campaign similar to Nantucket Nectars or Snapple can convert users to website traffic. This is another one of the best Vine marketing ideas.
- Reveal your business at work with a behind-the-scenes glance into your manufacturing process or service delivery.
- Product placement with a brand ambassador in a humorous setting can help it “go viral,” similar to a popular ad campaign.
- Like a YouTube How-To video, use Vine to demonstrate your business product or service.
- Show users your staff, moments of success, and images that convey the business’ work culture to engage them with the brand identity. This is an overlooked use of Vine marketing services.
- Leverage Vine features: Include the logo for identification, a caption with a website link and a hashtag that enables search.
- Target the specific, youthful demographic using Vine, many of them teenagers and young adults, with clever, spontaneous, action footage that expands your business brand image to illustrate it in a new light.”
Keep in mind that the limit for this format is mere seconds, so some kind of point needs to be made in order for the Vine to have a purpose. Have a clear objective for the Vine so that the process of creating runs smoothly. The Vine should also be attractive and engaging enough to be shared. If you need some ideas of innovative Vines that have worked well for brands, take a look at these:
Examples of Successful Business Vines
- http://mashable.com/2013/09/06/vine-brands/
- http://seenive.com/v/957068311261302784
- http://www.fastcompany.com/3019652/dialed/6-of-the-most-creative-clever-uses-of-vine-in-marketing
- http://blog.kissmetrics.com/content-marketing-with-vine/
- http://xcitemediagroup.com/uses-of-vine-for-business
- http://www.simplyzesty.com/Blog/Article/May-2013/The-9-Best-Types-Of-Vine-Clips-You-Should-Be-Posting
A Vine can also be used to promote your brand or company by linking to a longer video on YouTube, or it could even be linked to Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook feeds. The Washington Post says that this strategy has worked for many music artists. Many brands also have followed suite. This is a strategy you should consider in addition to the tips above.
To Vine, or not to Vine?
It’s easy to see why brands are eager to jump on the Vine bandwagon: the possibility of extreme exposure is very possible—which means the Vine could be very successful.
Many brands do not see the value of investing in making Vines, and oftentimes they are often small businesses with limited time and/or creative talent to dedicate to making them.
Many businesses have seen them as a valuable marketing tool. However, many businesses and brands are not seeking the main demographic that is captured by Vine.
Determine what your objectives are and whether or not Vine would be a good fit for your business plan before implementing. If you are considering marketing options for your business, contact Amplified Digital Agency for help!