Video content marketing is on the rise and marketers are increasingly seeking out platform influencers to reach their video-oriented consumers. Vine, a six-second video sharing service with a primarily teen demographic, is just one of the major sources of video influencers and content creators. According to a recent study, branded content on Vine accounts for 4% of the top 100 tracked Vines.
At the December iMedia Agency Summit, Reed Berglund, CEO of Fullbottle, moderated a perspective-changing discussion about influencer marketing with three top Vine talents, Andres (@EhBeeFamily), Tony Serafini (@Bottlerocket), and Ginger Wesson Lavender (@GingerWesson).
All 3 panelists explained that they sort of stumbled into their Vine fame. Andres had been working as a market researcher, Tony was and is a teacher and Ginger was a bored housewife. Today, they’re doing content creation and distribution deals with A-list brands including Pepsi, Disney, P&G and Toyota.
What are some general content tips from these Vine experts? Keep it simple. Always think about a beginning, middle and end – with some some kind of interesting or unexpected twist in the middle. According to them, the best times to post for maximum impact are around 4pm on weekdays (avoid Mondays and Tuesdays; Aim for Wednesdays) and around noontime on weekends.
Once you find consistent success creating videos on Vine, the panelists recommended extending your brand onto other platforms. Keep in mind you will need to make slight content modifications or variations based on the platform-specific audience and consumption behaviors. Suggestions include sharing behind the scenes filming pictures on Instagram or vlogging on Snapchat. And most importantly, always respond to your fans in a timely fashion across all platforms.
Another important topic one of the panelists mentioned was brand integrity. If you get to the point where you’re creating branded content for an advertiser, remember “money talks but it only talks so much.” Make sure your branded Vines stay true to your own personal brand so as not to turn off your followers. Continue to produce original, entertaining work and share new branded content from your own profile first to keep fans feeling like they are your top priority.
What does 2015 hold for these Vine talents? The sky is the limit. For now, enjoy a roundup of some of our favorite panelist branded videos from 2014: