Can Vine Benefit My Business?

Twitter's Vine app adds a visual element to social sharing. It consists of a stop and go video capture that grabs six seconds of video at a time, so you can quickly and easily create compilation or looping videos.

With that said, is Vine an option to help promote your company’s brand?

This app has become a major trend in social media circles, and many companies have already used it to boost their social media marketing campaigns.

Here are a few ways you can follow their lead, and use Vine to your company’s advantage:

Vine for Marketing

The short answer is: Yes. Vine can become a handy tool in your business's marketing arsenal. The short format lends itself to creating mini ads, with essentially no cost to you.

The key is making your Vine video entertaining and memorable. Give your prospective customers bite-sized chunks of your brand in a creative, engaging way, and you stand a better chance of being remembered.

Vine for Transparency

Short employee interviews, quick facts about your company, and glimpses at your production process all help humanize your company and make you memorable to customers.

Injecting some humor into the video will make it even more memorable; you could show a funny office event or funny behind-the-scenes moment.

The transparency fostered by these videos will help you build trust in your prospective customers, which can have a significant effect on your bottom line.

Customer Spotlight

Vine also has a powerful potential to get your customers involved and engaged. Encourage them to submit their own videos of your products in use, or run a contest with a fun or valuable prize.

Urban Outfitters used this tactic to great advantage, holding a Vine contest in which users submitted a six-second documentary of a day in the life of their Converse shoes. Winners received prizes from both Urban Outfitters and Converse.

Share Educational Content

If you have a fascinating bit of trivia or other information related to your business, Vine is the perfect way to share it with your followers.

You can also ask your followers a question on Twitter or Facebook, and follow it up later in the day with a Vine video that provides the answer.

Tips for Success

As with any other form of marketing, there are a few strategies that will make you more successful:

• First, create a plan for your Vine videos. Will they all have one cohesive theme? What impression do you want them to leave on viewers?
• Create illustrations and drawings to make your video stand out. Your drawings can also be used to add humor to your video.
• Add a fun twist to an otherwise dull topic, such as a humorous video about assembling or using your product.

Vine, in conjunction with your other social networking efforts, can be a great way to connect with your customers and make your brand memorable for them.

Use your Vine videos to show off your company's humor and creativity, and you'll have a better chance of seeing great results.

So, have you used Vine yet for your business promotions? If so, what have been the results?

About the Author

Freelance writer Angie Mansfield covers a range of topics for both small business owners and consumers, including doctor reputation management.