Instagram recently followed in Vines footsteps and integrated a short and snappy video function to its mobile app. Vine alone has doubled in popularity on Twitter in just two months; it engages millions around the world with videos easily able to go viral through social shares within hours. This gives businesses the perfect opportunity to interact with their target audience using a new, low-cost technique.
The trick is to make the videos something that the audience are drawn to and will want to share. To do this, you must think like a consumer and understand their online habits.
Those familiar with the mobile apps will know they consist of a looping clip lasting just six seconds on Vine and 15 on Instagram. However, this creates a whole new challenge for companies with such little time to create a lasting impression.
Here are some tips of how Vine and Instagram can become your company’s new communication tool:
1. Integrate it into your social media strategy
The videos should go hand in hand with your social media strategy – simply adding videos because everyone else is doing it will not add any real benefit to company. Therefore, integrate it with the conversations you are already having online and use it as a handy tool to drive traffic to your social media sites. Using the hashtag function and tagging the company will achieve this by giving direct access as well as allowing you to see the viewers response.
2. Show off your competitive advantage
This is an opportunity for the audience to see something beyond the product. In such competitive markets, it can be difficult for small companies to shine. Therefore, these videos are an opportunity to see the people behind the brand. Studies show that consumers prefer brands that have a human aspect about them, so showing them a friendly face will give them something extra that they can relate to.
Furthermore, it is important to avoid making the videos into adverts. Simply flashing images of products and attempting to promote will not encourage the audience to follow your Vine account. Vine is an environment where the audience seeks entertainment. So instead, use the videos to let the audience see something more from the company, this means it is a great opportunity to become creative and entertain.
3. Keep it interesting
The videos do not have to be about the product or service. If it is something that will entertain, inform or educate the audience then it will most likely be a hit. However, it is important to remember that these videos are a reflection of the brand and its associations, so the viewers brand perception can easily be changed in as little as six seconds.
4. Don’t let the message get lost
One trap that is easy to fall into with Vine is the message being lost as the videos are abbreviations which can carry a lot of information. Cramming too much in will cause confusion, meaning the message is lost and the audience are less likely to remember the video. Therefore, keeping the message simple will ensure the audience understand it and be more inclined to share with their followers. Some examples of how companies can incorporate these videos are as follows:
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- Give sneak peeks of new products – this will treat the audience to a preview and help create a buzz around a new launch that can be shared to a wide audience.
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- Provide run-through guides – giving quick how-to demos or showing off your portfolio will help the audience understand more about the business.
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- Promote competitions or incentives – using Vine to show off competition prizes will encourage user interaction which is great for building customer relationships.
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- Host question and answer sessions – small Q&A clips invite the audience to interact with the brand and have their questions answered directly. These close contact conversations will, again, build a closer relationship.
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- Show PR events – giving the audience behind the scene clips of events is great for showing off the business relationships and the partnerships they have. It gives the organisation a human aspect and introduces the audience to the companys activities. (The below Vine was taken at our London SEO conference last week at the Royal Institution)
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- Introduce the employees – this works with both B2B and B2C organisations. By giving a tour of the shop floor or offices and those who work there the audience is given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the organisations corporate culture.
In conclusion, Vine and Instagram videos are a trend that is here to stay, the most important thing is to align it with your social media strategy, be creative and have fun with the videos. The audience will be drawn to this and you can watch your social shares escalate.
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