Vine is one of those platforms that came on to the social media scene and quickly racked up a loyal user base. Since June, the number of users has more than doubled to approximately 40 million people. And this doesn’t even tell the whole story; there are millions of people out there engaging with Vine videos that come up in their Facebook or Twitter newsfeeds.
Let me back up: what exactly is Vine and why am I dedicating a whole post to it?
Vine is a video-based tool owned by Twitter where users can create a 6-second video to share with their Twitter followers and Facebook friends. The videos are played “on loop,” meaning that as soon as the video ends, it starts back up again. This way, if you missed something the first time around, you can catch it the second or third time. You might be thinking that this sounds absolutely ridiculous. What value is there in a 6-second video?
Think about some of the most basic marketing lessons we have learned in the business world:
- Less is usually more
- Reinforcement goes a long way
- It’s all about the brand
These days, people are so bombarded with information that it can be quite overwhelming at times. And we are so busy that, frankly, we don’t have the time to sit through a long spiel about why your company is the best at what it does. We are exposed to thousands of marketing messages every day that we can’t possibly process them all.
This is where Vine can step in. Learn to think like the consumer; think of what critical information you would need to know to understand what your company does. Think about the fact that like you, consumers are extremely busy, and can’t dedicate a ton of time to one particular piece of content.
So how can you use Vine in your social media strategy?
- Brand Awareness
- Allow viewers to see what you do and how you do it
- Improve recognition when it comes to your logo, brand colors, etc.
- Introduce a New Product
- Video version of a reveal party
- Quick overview of the product and when it will hit the market
- Promotions/Giveaways
- Provide a link to information about a contest or exclusive offers
- To create more interaction with prospects or customers on Vine, have them submit their own Vine video in a contest
- Show Off Company Culture
- You love what you do, so show it off!
- Consumers want to be reminded that they are working with real people (it’s all about that human-to-human marketing we emphasize at Mainstreethost)
- Product Demonstrations
- How-To guides
- Great for showing recipes, DIY crafts, etc.
- Introduce Your Team
- Who are the faces behind your brand?
- Your most valuable asset is your team; give them a little face time!
- Polls/Trivia
- Have fun with your viewers and engage them
- Learn what people know about your company/industry for future marketing planning
- Job Postings
- Video job postings are a rapidly-growing area of HR and hiring
- Give brief insight into what it is like to work at the company and what you are looking for
Study after study has shown that people are much more likely to engage with social media that contains images or video than just text-based posts. Also, “Brand Vines” are shared up to 4 times more than any other online videos out there, so the evidence is there that Vine can be a very valuable tool in your social media strategy. Finally, like other social media Vine is absolutely free. So why not give it a try? It’s not going to be for everyone, but you never know; it could be the missing piece you were looking for.
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