Blog Post By: Emily Martin, Marketing Intern
In January 2013, the world watched as Twitter launched a new video app called Vine. Since then, Vine has grown to have more than 13 million users. This app has gained remarkable popularity with about 12 million new videos getting posted to Twitter every day (NY Times). This means about every five tweets contain a Vine link (All Twitter). Vine’s rapid growth in popularity has caused it to crush its competitor, Instagram, which is another app that allows users to create videos. Marketers from all over are taking advantage of this new Social Media trend to appeal to a specific target market and develop their brand awareness. So what is Vine, and how can marketers and advertisers use it effectively?
Vine is an app that allows users to make six second videos and post the link to their Twitter account. These videos are usually very creative, unique, and have a purpose or a message. People not familiar with Vine videos may think that six seconds is not a long enough time for a video but because of the short length, the videos hold viewers’ attention longer. Vine also allows users to use a fair amount of creativity by cutting the video as a result of starting and stopping the camera. Videos play on a loop allowing viewers to watch it over and over again. Usually when I watch Vines I don’t always catch all what’s happening the first time through, so having it on a loop and automatically replaying is very helpful. The Vines can be made with or without audio and can be produced by simply using a Smartphone. Once your vine is posted, followers and friends of your account can “share” or “like” your video.
Since Vine is a new Social Media trend, it is only appropriate that marketers cash in on this opportunity. If used correctly, Vine can promote and humanize a brand to a specific target market. A branded Vine is 4x more likely to be seen than a branded video (All Twitter). Since the videos can only be a max of six seconds long, it has a very high engagement rate . The way Vine helps humanize a brand is that it allows them to show their employees having fun or working in a laid-back, “cool” environment the type of environment that today’s youth would like to work in). Brands have even been known to give viewers an office tour. People Magazine uses Vine to give viewers a sneak peak of their next edition, and Lowe’s uses vines to give viewers quick home improvement tips. This is a link to a vine Lowe’s posted that shows viewers an easy way to clean their showerhead: https://vine.co/v/h1LY2FZ2pPq.
This fall, during a Monday Night Football’s pregame show, Dunkin Donuts made history and created the first TV commercial made completely from Vine videos. The ad was shown as a billboard on ESPN. The company believed that using a Vine billboard would be more effective than a standard still picture because it was able to capture the audiences’ attention. In addition to the billboard, Dunkin Donuts said they would re-create a play from the first half of the game using Vine videos. The players were iced coffee vs. regular coffee and they used the hashtag #dunkinreplay. An example of a #dunkinreplay can be seen here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMo0QScrbw. Some other brand leaders on Vine include McDonalds, Xbox, Gap, Taco Bell, and Virgin Mobile.
Vine can even be effectively used for small business owners because it gives them the opportunity to connect with their consumers. It also is very effective for simply explaining something. For example, if your business is a locally owned bank, you could make a cool, funny Vine about how to open a checking account with you. These video links can be put on your companies website and it would encourage more consumers to follow your business on Twitter. These short videos are a guaranteed way to make your businesses unique and stand out. The following are some Tips and Tricks for making Vines for your business:
- Focus on images.
- Include quick and interesting headlines.
- Provide a clear brand message.
- Use Hashtags.
- Give viewers a sneak peak of a product.
- Demonstrate how to use a new product.
- Have fun with it!
Keeping up with Social Media is very important for marketers and advertisers. New generations have created a demand for short, quick entertainment, and Vine gives them just that. Vine allows brands to advertise to their target market without making it seem like a traditional advertisement. The future of Vine is bright, and I believe that consumers are going to see more of TV commercials being made from Vines in the future.
Sources
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/vine-twitters-new-video-tool-hits-13-million-users/?_r=0
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/vine-facts-tips_b48833