Does my company need to Vine?

 

When in Rome, do what the kids are doing.

Vine, the app with looping six-second videos, has been the punchline of ADHD jokes since it was released in 2013. However, in the past two years, it’s gained a foothold with millennials. Sitting next to apps like YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, and Tumblr on smartphones, it’s part of their balanced social media diet. The service now boasts 1.5 billion daily loops and has launched a few members to online (and offline) stardom. The most recent example is 16-year-old Shawn Mendes, an early adopter whose terribly short and tender songs now have him opening more than 20 shows for Taylor Swift. Still, you might be asking yourself, “Should my company add Vine to its marketing mix?”

Vine is about entertainment and expression.

Forget for a moment that Vine’s demographics skew young – the lifeblood of the app is entertainment. This explains the abundance of Vines that focus on visual trickery, humor, and pet video. Keep the context in mind because this is where Vine differs from YouTube. If you decide to join, you’ll want to create videos that look like they belong. Lowe’s is doing an excellent job demonstrating how this can be done with their quick-tip vines.

 

Who needs followers anyway?

Vine is an app-based social network, meaning users need the smartphone app to get the most from the experience. So if your audience isn’t on Vine, there’s no reason to use it, right? Wrong.

If you’re not chasing followers, just think of Vine as a place on the web to host short videos. Videos that you can leverage on your website and social channels. Take these ideas, for example:

• Use Vines of your employees instead of traditional headshots
• Supplement product photo galleries with a Vine
• Include Vines instead of photos in blog posts
• Use Vines in response to tweets

Sign me up.

At this point, Vine isn’t a necessity, it’s an interesting opportunity. Especially if you want to connect with a younger market. If you can show your brand, product, or industry expertise in a unique perspective you’ll fit right in. Otherwise, think about opportunities to add Vines in your current digital playbook. In either case, at least create an account to secure your username. And while you’re there, say hi to Marnie the Dog.