There’s been quite a bit of buzz lately about Vine and Instagram. Video sharing applications like these are revolutionizing the way we share videos socially, giving users the ability to create and share engaging, high quality videos with their mobile devices.
Harnessing the power of mobile is what makes Vine and Instagram so successful – platforms like these allow companies to create fresh content and house it where consumers already are. Nearly one-fourth of total website traffic came from mobile devices in the first quarter of 2013 (a 78% increase from the same time in 2012). In addition, consumers spend 64% of their time on apps on their mobile devices – and in the past year, video watching has doubled.
Vine rose in popularity when it launched in early 2013, which caused Instagram to follow suit and incorporate video into its service only a few weeks ago. Both platforms function similarly and have hit impressive benchmarks; however, there are minor differences in each. Key variations:
VINE:
• Looping, stop motion/GIF-like 6-second videos
• 13 million users
• Owned by Twitter
INSTAGRAM:
• Engaging video with filtering capabilities
• 130 million users
• 15 seconds, no looping
• A year’s worth of video content was shared within the first eight hours of video functionality going live.
• Owned by Facebook
IS THE RISK WORTH THE REWARD?
Vine and Instagram are giving marketers a new way to gain online exposure without large investments in time or money. Six- to 15-second videos only require a smartphone, a clever brand concept and time to create the video. Platforms such as these require brands to evolve, take risks and adapt to the short attention span of social media users.
By joining early and blazing trails, marketers can reap the rewards of an even more engaged and evangelical consumer. Take for instance, Lowe’s, which joined Vine to offer consumers clever stop motion videos featuring valuable home improvement tips, like how to remove a stripped screw or how to get rust off of knives. Originally housed on their website in text form, Lowe’s moved the tips to Vine in early 2013, and the risk has paid off immensely. Several months later, the company has over 7,000 followers on Vine and 96,000 followers on Twitter, where the videos are cross-promoted.
While all brands won’t have the same natural fit on social sharing platforms as Lowe’s, we recommend that marketers pay close attention to mobile mediums like Vine and Instagram that gain popularity so quickly. Their audiences will only continue to grow, and competitors will continue to jump on board. Consider what value you can offer your consumer on this platform and don’t get left behind.
BREAKING NEWS: Vine released several updates today.
Anne-Lauren Fratesi, Social Media Account Executive at The Ramey Agency.
Mallory Roberts, Associate Account Executive at The Ramey Agency.
