We love options. Paper or plastic? Chicken or beef? Chocolate or Vanilla? Coffee or Tea? In a world filled with so many possibilities and alternatives, it’s hard to not find a suitable option. (Unless you’re super picky.)
And guess what? Our social media choices just got a little more expansive. Have you heard the news, Instagram (owned by Facebook) just added a video feature capable of recording up to 15 seconds. Instagram is now a direct competitor of Vine (owned by Twitter)—the first video sharing site (which only allows for 6 seconds of recording time).
What does this mean? Should you care? You should pick the one that best suits your company’s marketing needs and jump in. But first, you should know your options.
Check them both out, investigate and make a choice. Don't distract yourself worrying about which one is more popular on a day-to-day basis, you'll just waste time (and miss the whole point). The point is to get involved.
Our advice? Use the platform that best allows you to tell your story the way you want to tell it. If you don’t have much to say, use Vine (six seconds). If you’re having trouble cutting down your message and need a little extra space, use Instagram. And, if you want to start with a platform that already has an existing user base, Instagram has a user group of 130 million.
If you’re feeling ambitious, try them both. See what works, what yields better, more interesting marketing materials and go from there. And if you’re having trouble brainstorming potential marketing uses for these brief videos, we’ve compiled a list to get the ball rolling:
Show off your company culture
Any company outings coming up? Shoot a video of your employees having fun.
Headshots of new employees
Have them make funny faces, do a little dance or walk like super models—however you’d like to introduce your new team members, get creative.
Show your process
How are your products made? Give a potential customers a brief rundown of your operation. It will make them feel more knowledgeable of the service they’re paying good money for.
Demo an easy how-to
Have a simple problem that multiple customers are having? Show them how to solve it. Speak in simple terms and avoid buzzwords and jargon.
Be crazy
Vine and Instagram Video are just one more outlet for your company to show off its culture. Get a group of your most creative team members and see what they come up with.
The sky is the limit. (Well, actually 15 seconds is the limit). But you’d be surprised at how creative some people have gotten with these new channels. Google “Vine Marketing videos” (or “Instagram”) and get inspired by other’s creativity.
No matter which platform you decide, pick one, stick to it, find their value and go forth.
