Vine 101: 10 Ways to Engage Your Customers in 6 Seconds or Less

Less than a year ago, three guys in New York City were working to build the next big thing in social media – a mobile video-sharing app called Vine. Their origin story echoes that of a thousand other start-ups we'll likely never hear about. But fortunately for the Vine guys, their little sprout got a big dose of Miracle-Gro when Twitter bought the start-up before it launched the app. Backed by the juggernaut of Twitter's resources, influence and platform, Vine reached the top spot in the free apps section of Apple’s App Store within just a few months of launch. Beyond this fast take-off and the Twitter fire-power that fueled it, it's also worth mentioning that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is believed to be the driving force behind the acquisition. Dorsey is also the co-founder of highly successful mobile payment service Square, so you might say he's kind of a big deal in the world of tech start-ups. So that’s the story of how in just a few short months this newcomer to the social media scene has taken root and made a name for itself as a viable contender among the more well-established platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). Daunted by the idea of incorporating yet another social media site – with its own set of rules and idiosyncrasies – into your marketing program? Don’t be. Here’s a quick run-down of the basics and some inspirational ideas to help you get started using Vine to connect with your socially-savvy customers:

Getting to know Vine

Integration with Twitter

Even if you have no need or desire to support another social media tool, it's worth embracing Vine as an extension of Twitter. The two apps' tight integration makes Vine a convenient way to tweet video and audio. Vine’s short 6-second-or-less clips complement Twitter's 140-character microblogging format, so the name of the game is just the same: whatever you share, make it quick and compelling.

Simplicity

After using Vine for a few minutes, it will become evident that its development team focused on simplifying the experience of making and sharing videos. Creating a Vine requires little more than pressing the record button in the upper corner (conveniently labeled with a camera icon), touching the screen to start recording and releasing it to stop. Tap the checkmark to keep the video, add a caption and location if desired, then post to Vine, Twitter or Facebook. That's it. Concept, creation and publication in less than 30 seconds.

Big creativity in a small package

Doing more with less can actually push your creativity to yield impressive results. Without the complicated tools of traditional video production – with its expensive cameras, lighting and post-production – Vine both forces and frees users to focus on creativity, distilling ideas down to their purest form to tell a soundbite story.

Looping

Vine videos loop automatically. In fact, this feature is so central to the user experience that it's mentioned in the app store's very short description: "See and share beautiful looping videos." With their six-second time limit, Vine videos are often jumpy and hard to process on a first viewing. Looping enables viewers to catch missed details the second or third time around. But many Viners are also using this loop feature in creative ways, making videos in which repetition is central to the concept, like the 1990s cult-hit Groundhog Day.

Vine-spiration

Now that we’ve covered the basic how-tos, here are 10 ideas for using Vine in your marketing mix. One quick note: to pause any of the Vines below, just click on them.

1. Introduce yourself.

Share a behind the scenes look into your company culture, show off your super-talented staff or give a sneak peek into a special project. A simple wave from everyone will do, or like restaurant VIA, you can make it fun by making faces, or tap into an internet meme like planking as a team.

2. Make a stop-motion movie.

No matter how advanced video technology and special effects have become, stop-motion animation, with its often jittery feel, has captivated generations of children and adults alike. With its simple touch-based recording, Vine is built for stop-motion experimentation. Many of the most popular Vines use this technique, as seen in this gem from Twitter designer Ian Padgham (@origiful).

3. Build brand buzz.

Create a Vine tease to get followers excited about an upcoming event or product launch. Unlike commercials or marketing pieces with their long, resource-intensive production requirements, Vine is an easy way to promote in real-time. Late Night With Jimmy Fallon didn't need six seconds to tease a guest appearance by pop-star Justin Bieber – just a wig and a wink.

4. Introduce something new.

Maybe you can't afford a multi-million-dollar Super Bowl commercial to introduce a new product or service to the world, but hey, you've got Vine, right? Okay, okay. We know it's not the same thing, but even Pepsi, with its enormous marketing budget, turned to Vine to show off the new shape of its bottles. And their effort definitely did not cost millions to make.

5. Poll your peeps.

Want to take the pulse of your followers? Create a Vine that visualizes what you want to measure, and then ask for input in the comments. Comcast wanted to gauge the impact of promoting its SportsNet Twitter account during a hockey game. They owned the copyright for the broadcast, so they just published the clip on Vine. From the looks of things, they probably just recorded it right off the TV screen. Low tech, yes, but it works.

6. Create a moment of zen.

In the frenetic world of social media, a little tranquility is always welcome. Simply giving people a moment of calm among the chaos of the day can earn your brand some positive vibes by association.

7. Try some trivia to drive engagement.

People of all ages and backgrounds love trivia, and many can't resist a good riddle. Verizon mashed together game play, pop music and a feel-good holiday to give followers fun Valentine's Day-themed riddles.

8. Game on!

Like trivia, games are a great way to keep people engaged with your brand. We'll admit this one is a real challenge, but Vine user Brandin6 found a fun way to recreate a popular game from the 80s that gives new meaning to the term "video game."

9. Lure creative people to your team.

Want to find people for your organization that are social media savvy and creative? Vine is a great way to share your company culture in ways that will attract like-minded individuals that will keep that culture going strong. Better yet, hold a contest and have candidates submit Vines about why they want to work for you. It's a much more entertaining way to weed out applicants than giving resumes a ten-second look.

10. Celebrate the holidays (even the silly ones).

Even the most obscure holidays are good opportunities to produce entertaining content, like this geeky Pi Day celebration by our friends at VaynerMedia. The common theme underlying all of these ideas and examples is this: look for any excuse to make a Vine and then be as creative as possible. The Vine community rewards creativity. In fact, it's the driving force that fuels engagement with this new tool on the social media block...Hey, there's another idea: a New Kids on the Block parody. Vine win!

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Naughty or Nice?

If you’re guilty of committing these marketing no-nos, you may well be receiving a lump of coal from your customers this year.

Making constant demands of your customers

All too often, marketers act like petulant children, making incessant demands of their customers without providing any real service or value in return. “Buy now!” “Call today!” “Read this email!” “Share this on Facebook!” All your customers hear is, “Me! Me! Me! Give me what I want right now!” And what’s their reaction to such self-interested yapping? At best, it's a collective yawn; at worst, a complete tune-out. So what should you do instead? Fame Foundry friend Gary Vaynerchuk suggests hitting your customers in the face. Wait…let us explain. You see, about once a week, Vaynerchuk poses this question on Twitter to his one million followers: “Is there anything I can do for you?” And he does mean it literally. For example, when one of his followers in Canada wrote “Just ran out of Tabasco,” Vaynerchuk overnighted eight bottles. Image via Warren Weeks When another in Minnesota responded with a request for a cheeseburger, he opened the door the next day to find a delicious cheeseburger hand-delivered from one of his favorite restaurants. So what’s in all of this concierge-like servitude for Gary? It’s part of an approach that the always-colorful Vaynerchuk calls “jab, jab, jab, right hook” (which is also the name of his latest book) According to Vaynerchuk, a jab is anything of value — a joke, an idea, an introduction, and yes, even a meal. After he delivers a few jabs, he can then justifiably hit you with a right hook: a request to buy something. In other words, “jab, jab, jab, right hook” means “give, give, give, ask.” Note the emphasis on giving. You must give first and give generously before you ever ask for anything in return from your customers and prospects. As he explains in the book, “Your story needs to move people’s spirits and build their goodwill, so that when you finally do ask them to buy from you, they feel like you’ve given them so much it would be almost rude to refuse.” It’s a philosophy as simple as it is effective: put your customers first, and they’ll return the favor. As Vaynerchuk says, “If you’re in business, first and foremost, you have to be nice. Show your customers that you care.”

Insulting our intelligence

It’s 2013. We’ve all seen more than our fair share of advertising. We all have the Internet. So stop insulting our intelligence with your “candid interviews” and “medical experts.” After all, how many mornings have you found yourself leisurely chatting about the joys of breakfast cereal with an unseen interviewer? And, Post Foods, you really cannot be serious with this! Nobody’s buying it, and nobody wants to buy products from companies that don’t respect our ability to discern fact from fiction. If you want to engage with us, authenticity is the only way to get (and hold) our attention.

Playing to dirty motivations

Image via Amusing Planet This one is something of a corollary to insulting our intelligence. We all know that sex sells. We all want to be thinner, richer and more attractive. But we’re also savvy enough to recognize when we’re being manipulated by marketers. Take this ad for the Dodge Big Finish Event, which ends with a keeping-up-with-the-Jonses challenge: “Let’s see the neighbors compete with that!” Is that really the best selling point you have, Dodge? Similarly, this spot implies that the secret to unlocking popularity, confidence, masculinity and sex appeal is the keys to an Audi. If you really want me to drop upwards of $80k on a car, you’re going to need to do better than that. Educate your customers. Show them how your products and services will make their lives better, easier, more efficient or even more fun in a real way. Not in an aspirational, wink-wink, don’t-we-all-want-to-be-Kardashians way.

Committing a blatant money-grabbing maneuver

Contrary to the unforgettable line uttered by the infamous Gordon Gekko in the 1987 film Wall Street, greed is not good. While customers don’t begrudge any company the need to turn a profit, when they smell a blatant money-grabbing maneuver, they’ll quickly blow the whistle. For several years now, major retailers have been attempting to get a jump on Black Friday spending by opening on Thanksgiving day – a move that has been viewed by many as a morally questionable practice of allowing consumerism to encroach on one of our nation’s most revered holidays. This year, however, Kmart took a giant leap over the line of good judgment when they announced that they would open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving day and remain open for 41 consecutive hours. The public backlash was swift and sharp. Within hours of the announcement, hundreds of Kmart customers took to social media and threatened to boycott the store if it didn't reverse its decision so that its employees could spend Thanksgiving with their families. People called the decision "heartless," "greedy," "shameful" and "disgusting." Image via The Huffington Post "Shame on you, Kmart. I will never set foot in any of your stores again," wrote one now former customer on the company’s Facebook page. "I have family members that work in retail, and because of greedy retailers like you will not be able to spend the day with us." Another added: “Maybe Kmart should have shown they are thankful for their loyal employees and let them be with their families on Thanksgiving. I realize you are a corporation, and your goal is to make money...but sometimes you need to show and prove that people are important, too." So what lessons can you take away from Kmart’s Thanksgiving PR travesty? In your quest to own your market, always proceed with caution. Today’s consumers are not only smart but selective; they shop with their heads and their hearts. They want to deal with companies that demonstrate their dedication to serving the best interests of both their customers and their employees. They won’t trust their business to those whose only master is the all-mighty dollar, so make sure you always err on the side of ethics and in everything that you do, prove that it’s you who exists to serve the needs of your customers, not the other way around.

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