Featuring just six seconds of video on a constant loop, Vine has made a dramatic entrance to the social media stage. Even making its way into a Dunkin Donuts television ad, this medium has become the newest hot trend.
Vine can also put a face on your company, creating an effective marketing message.
Here are a few tips to make your Vine campaign a success:
Start With a Strategy
As with any other type of marketing, you need to set goals for your Vine videos and create a strategy to meet them.
Whether that means developing a series of Vines to build your message over time, or integrating your videos into your other marketing efforts, having a solid plan will help you come up with engaging content.
Harness the #Hashtag
Because Vine is owned by Twitter, the two go hand in hand — and that includes hashtags. These tags help viewers find your content, and can help you join existing conversations on Twitter and Vine.
Just don’t go too crazy with hashtags. Using more than one or two on your posts starts to look cluttered — and brands you as someone who doesn’t understand the format.
Develop Creative How-To Videos
Got a product that’s quick and easy to demo? Use Vine to create a how-to video out of photos of each stage.
The format also lends itself well to stop-motion animation, letting you add an artistic touch to your educational videos — and entertain customers at the same time.
Host a Contest
This summer, Virgin Mobile created a unique contest. It asked followers to submit their own videos under the hashtag #happyaccidents.
In the videos, users followed Virgin Mobile’s then-current advertising theme of deliberately ruining their phones in order to switch to Virgin Mobile’s service.
The company enlisted several high-profile Vine users to help get the word out about the contest, and winners would see their videos appear in Virgin Mobile’s next ad.
You can follow the company’s lead by hosting a contest of your own.
Create a hashtag unique to your company or promotion, and ask users to submit their own creative Vines. This is an excellent way to generate buzz and add a little fun to your brand image.
Add a Little Humor
Many of the most popular videos on Vine are in the humor category.
Humor is an excellent way to make your content memorable, and adds an extra element of fun to your brand. Injecting a little personality into your videos helps you humanize your company and attract more followers.
Vine only gives you six seconds to shine, but those six seconds can create a memorable message for your customers and fans.
By knowing what you want to accomplish before you make your first video, and using plenty of creativity, you can turn Vine into a powerful tool for your next marketing campaign.
