How to Brand Your Business on Vine or Instagram

Have you ever heard about Vine or Instagram? If you are a social media user, then you have probably heard about them by now. They are basically visual social media platforms that offer a unique experience for the user. Instagram appeared as a stand-alone network, but Facebook soon purchased it, and Vine is the property of Twitter. It’s actually kind of funny to see two of the largest S.M. companies battling it out with these adorable little networks.

Instagram offers both still photography and video capabilities, while Vine is only focused on videos. The first of them has been around for quite some time now, and its working mechanism is straightforward: you snap a photo with your phone, add some vintage effects to it, and share it online. You can also sync your Facebook profile and double the feed. On the other hand, vine makes it possible to shoot and edit six-second videos (or longer) quickly. Considering that they are the baby platforms of Twitter and Facebook, it is safe to say that they have received large amounts of traffic from them (because they can be used in conjunction with those accounts). For the user, all of these things sound pretty fun. Also, blogs like http://guestpostshop.com/blog have mentioned the importance of building an online community many times before.

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How can Instagram and Vine Help Your Business?

For most people, it’s not just fun and games. Some are actually trying to make a living online, so they are constantly exploring new and exciting channels to profit from. Vine and Instagram hold great potential because they exploit the most popular type of content at the moment: video. According to recent studies, internet users are more likely to click a video or an image than a written article.

There is also much talk about the rivalry between Vine and Instagram (as it turns out, Instagram actually implemented the video features after Vine started to gain more popularity). But the problem isn’t which platform is better; the problem is what you can do to promote your business or website with them. At the moment, nobody has reported any success story regarding Vine or Instagram marketing, but we don’t believe that this is the fault of the networks. In most cases, this is due to poor utilization of the features available. Here’s how you should use each of these platforms.

1. How and When You Should Use Vine

The first time I logged on Vine, I was literally intrigued. What struck me most was the simplicity of the concept: you get six seconds to send a message. So it has to be a powerful one. As a user, you are basically creating GIFS. Have you ever worked with Gifs before? They are commonly used to create excitement or to explain certain terms. They are also great for uniquely showcasing products.

Since you only benefit from six seconds of video time, you will want to flash the most important features of your products (if this is what you are trying to promote). Make sure you show enough so that people want to find out more (translation: don’t show everything). If you are trying to use Vine for business, the main goal is to create curiosity. For example, you can give a short preview of an upcoming event, just enough to make them want more. Alternatively, you can make videos of work bloopers or video teasers of your next products.

Last but not least, you can make a series of how-to videos if you want to help your customers understand the inner workings of your products. Make sure you capture all the information needed in the six given seconds.

2. How to Use Instagram for Business

I’m not an expert in business management, but I can tell you for sure that Instagram is a tool for branding, not necessarily selling. Before its video features, you could share only images. Nevertheless, the vintage effects included in the photo editor made everything look good. The whole idea is to showcase interesting and funny things that your customers might like. This can include behind-the-scenes peeks, mistakes you made, images of your upcoming products, etc. By sharing these photos, you will be able to get closer to your target audience. But enough about images, we are more interested in the video features.

At the moment, Instagram has become the latest sensation because it offers 15 seconds of sharable video. This is more than double the time on Vine, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. There is a saying, which says that strong essences are kept in small bottles. As you might have probably guessed, you can add the Instagram effects to the videos to make them look better.

Fifteen seconds means a lot more than Vine, which means that your videos can be more informative. If you are showcasing a product, you have more time to discuss it or highlight its features. For example, if you are the owner of a technology company, you might find Instagram more useful than Vine because it gives you the chance to talk a little bit more about difficult to describe objects. Alternatively, if you are selling clothes or jewelry, you might want shorter videos. As we mentioned before, it’s all up to you.

Another great solution would be to create a serious video with a theme that tries to describe your brand’s personality. Be spontaneous, and don’t be afraid to show your “human side.” Business branding is all about getting closer, so don’t feel embarrassed to show your bloopers or funny moments.