Carly Stec
Jr. Account Manager, @carly_stec
Carly is an energetic, creative individual with a passion for utilizing new technology and social media to strategize marketing solutions for clients. As a Junior Account Manager, she brings with her a comprehensive media literacy education and fresh perspective. She explored her enthusiasm for marketing culture at Southern Connecticut State University, where she received her BA in Media Studies. In her free time, Carly enjoys being crafty, trying out Pinterest recipes, and shopping.
Design and Layout by Bobby Kane (@bobbyjkane)
Can anything of value really be created in just 6 seconds?
This is what marketers and business owners skeptically ask themselves while dismissing Vine as just another social platform “for the kids.”
We’ve been here before. In 2006, a new social platform was launched to much skepticism, leaving people asking, “can we really create anything in just 140 characters?”
Seven years later, and 42% of the 75 million Twitter users say they use the social network to learn about products and services. (Source: HubSpot)
Are you willing to bet against history? Progress?
The bottom line is this is how consumers are behaving. The key is identifying and adapting to the technologies that play into this behavior.
Audience’s shrinking attention spans are forcing companies to trim down their messages or be ignored altogether.
According to a study published by The Associated Press, the human attention span in 2012 was 8 seconds, 4 seconds shorter than it was in 2000.
In order to adjust to this new speed we must find an alternative way to amplify our message if we are to be heard.
Adapting new technology and leveraging subscription-based mobile apps will play a crucial role in reaching your audience moving forward.
Think about it; how far are you from your smartphone at any given moment? Chances are, not far. This applies to consumers as well.
Vine makes attracting the attention of your audience easy, and it’s faster than microwave popcorn.
What is
?
Vine is a video-sharing app that was acquired by Twitter in October 2012 and launched in January 2013. Designed for short film, this mobile service allows users to create and post six-second videos that play in a continuous loop.
If desired, you can create stop-motion clips simply by pressing and lifting your finger off the screen quickly, adding a unique element to each video.
The app is subscription based, allowing you to follow your favorites and utilize the community.
How Does it Work?
1 Vine can be downloaded to your Android or iOS device through the App Store or Google Play.
2 Vine gives you the option to sign in with Twitter or with Email. Simply tap your preference to get started.
3 Once you’ve signed in, you can use the house icon in the left corner to access the menu that allows you to return to the home page, explore vines by category (Comedy, Arts & Experimental, Cats..), monitor your activity, and view your profile.
4 From the homepage the camera icon in the top right hand corner will open your camera.
5 The buttons at the bottom of the screen from left to right are responsible for: reversing the camera to the front screen, gridding to perfect the frame, focusing, and lining up stop-motion shots. To start recording hold the screen and release to stop recording.
6 From the homepage the camera icon in the top right hand corner will open your camera.
7 Add a caption and specify your share settings before selecting “Done.”
Once you’ve clicked Done, you’re finished! You now have a live video ready to be shared for maximum reach.
How to share your video on Twitter and/or Facebook:
- Open your Vine profile settings.
- Add your Twitter and/or Facebook accounts under “Social Networks."
Now anytime you create a Vine video, you’ll have the option to share it via either network. If you’d like to share a previous video already posted to Vine, simply click the share arrow below the video.
Why Does Vine Matter?
It’s Here to Stay
Vine is not a trend.
Even after the introduction of Instagram’s new video feature in June, Vine has remained resilient.
When Vine launched in January it caught on quickly, providing a simple, instant outlet for video self-documentation, personality, and most importantly, sharing. The reason why many Vine users could not rationalize cheating on their video-sharing app with Instagram video is because Instagram set its roots in providing colorful photography, not video.
It’s Owned by Twitter
Twitter is a well-known social media platform with a loyal following which contributes to the credibility of Vine. Twitter’s ability to embed Vine videos directly into their content stream increases the potential for engagement and sharing. Sharing your Vines on Twitter not only expands your audience, but it allows your followers to market for you through re-tweets or “re-vines.”
It’s Visual!
40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text.
Incorporating Vine videos into your marketing strategy gives you an opportunity to present information about your product or service in a more appealing format. It is important to consider how people consume information in an online setting and visual content provides your consumers with engaging content that is easy to retain.
How to Implement Vine in Your Inbound Marketing Strategy
1. Utilize “Culture-Jacking”
Culture-jacking is a new trend that emerged this past year that has proven its ability to elicit brand buzz.
It’s a term used to describe a brand inserting their product or service into a current cultural event in order to catch the attention of their followers. It is important to be picky when selecting a topic to “jack.” It has to be relevant to your brand but be sure to act quickly to avoid dishing out information that is “so five minutes ago.”
Keep in mind that culture-jacking it meant to be fun and light, so steer clear of controversial issues like national tragedies.
Click below to play!
During the Monday Night Football pregame show on ESPN, Dunkin’ Donuts managed to execute culture-jacking successfully with their #DunkinReplay Vine. The integration was seamless as not only does American run on Dunkin’, but they happen to love football too. They debuted the first six-second Vine television ad showcasing the coin flip to kick of the came, followed by a #DunkinRelay Vine using coffee cups to reenact the first score of the game on a mock-up football field.
The hot coffee vs. iced coffee recreation of the impressive play was creative, memorable, and an excellent example of integrating culture and branding to maximize a marketing message.
2. Preview a New Product or Offer
One of the best functions of social video is its ability to generate buzz and anticipation.
Incorporating your new product into a video will attract consumers to your product and encourage them to start talking about it. Having the ability to generate buzz before the big release will give you a head start on marketing the product.
When Gap collaborated with renowned fashion designer Diane von Fustenberg, they utilized their six seconds to provide users with a sneak peak at the collection.
Their Vine chronicles the #DVLlovesGap event and showcases clips of the DVF prints, decorations, attendees, and von Fustenberg herself. By previewing the collection through a quick video, Gap let their audience know about the partnership and get people excited about it hitting stores.
3. Encourage Transparency
In such a social landscape, consumers now gravitate toward brands they feel they can get to know.
Vine provides you with the opportunity to create self-documented content that is not only personal, but also interesting to watch.
Inviting your audience to take a look at how things operate on your end will make your brand both relatable and human.
Over at HubSpot they have mastered this “come and knock on our door” quality of Vine perfectly. CMO Mike Volpe posted a video to Vine unveiling the office’s new “community / food / play area.”
Not only does the clip give us a peek at the new space, but it shows some of their employees inhabiting the area and a quick flash of their logo to reinforce the brand.
4. Encourage Your Audience to Engage
Hashtags are more useful than you think.
Developing a brand-related hashtag for your audience to use is the perfect way to facilitate and monitor their response to your products and brand. When you reach out to your audience and ask them to provide you with content, they feel valued.
Through their responses you can watch your brand’s story develop and get ideas for future outreach.
During their Summer Clearance Event, Honda asked customers to tweet @Honda with the hashtag #wantanewcar to receive a personalized Vine.
The campaign’s goal was to encourage customers to get rid of their old car by taking advantage of the clearance event.
This type of one-on-one engagement was well-received by their followers and the user-generated response gave Honda an opportunity to express their creativity via Vine (with a little help from Rebecca Black).
Looking to Maximize Your Social Media?
Schedule your free marketing evaluation and learn how.
We'll also help you identify strategies for transforming your marketing strategy.
Included:
- A 30 minute conversation with an inbound marketing consultant.
- An evaluation your current website and marketing strategy.
- Suggestions for improvement.
- Ideas on how to measure the return on your marketing investment.
- Real solutions to achieve your business and marketing goals.
This is not a sales call and you'll have no-obligation to buy anything. If after the assessment you feel IMPACT can help you achieve your marketing goals, we'll schedule a second call to start developing your inbound marketing strategy.
