Vine : Short videos and what marketers need to know

1. Vine: Short Videos and What
Marketers Need to Know
By Michael Stelzner
Published August 29, 2014
Do you want to know more about Vine video?
Are you wondering how brands and businesses can successfully market with Vine video?
To explore how to use Vine short video on Twitter, I interview Zach King for this episode of
the Social Media Marketing podcast.
More About This Show
The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner.
It’s designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media
marketing.

2. The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).
In this episode, I interview Twitter Vine personality and host ofKingFilmSchool.com Zach King.
Known as FinalCutKing on YouTubeand Twitter, Zach has more than 1.6 million followers on Vine
and creates short special effects videos that have been watched millions of times.
Zach shares how he got started with film and online video.
You’ll discover tips for shooting your own Vine video.
Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!
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Here are some of the things you’ll discover in this show:
Success on Vine
How Zach got started with Vine
Zach’s curiosity was piqued in September 2013 when friends started showing him Vines. He shares
that he decided to try the platform for 30 days. During that time, he made a Vine a day based around
silly ideas he and his roommate came up with. Each 7-second Vine featured a special effect and in
30 days, Zach says he accumulated 200,000 followers. He was hooked by the growth rate.
Zach talks about why the challenge of using Vine to tell stories excites him.
Listen to the show to find out how Vine works.
What Zach’s most popular Vines have in common
Zach believes his Vines are successful because they include circumstances everyone can relate to.
For example, almost everyone has locked the keys in the car or wanted a special souvenir from a
vacation.
Listen to the show to hear about more of Zach’s successful videos.
How making Vine videos has changed things for Zach
Zach shares that as he was working his way through film school by teaching FinalCut, he was
introduced to posting on YouTube. As he added Vine and Instagram to the mix, his exposure grew.
Zach says that Vine exposure has brought him bigger clients, like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, with
bigger budgets.
Listen to the show to discover why Zach believes platforms like Vine are changing the commercial
branding world.
Vine’s culture

3. Zach states that Vine is very secretive about their analytics. The only metrics available are likes,
ReVines and the released loops. He shares that he estimates the average Vine user to be between
13 and 25 years of age—otherwise known as Millennials.
He explains that Vine has a diverse collection of categories including a DIY category where you
learn how to do a project in 7 seconds and a Comedy category, which Zach believes is the number-
one reason people are on Vine.
DIY is one of 12 categories or channels to choose from.
Zach says you don’t need any film experience to be successful on Vine. He points out that a lot of
Viners who have 7 or 8 million followers simply grabbed a camera and started recording.
Listen to the show to hear how personality and style lead to follower growth.
How Vines can be viewed or shared
Zach shares you need the Vine app to view videos on Vine, but that they can also be embedded on
websites. He says embedding is what led to Vine’s increased popularity and that Vines perform best
outside of the app.
Listen to the show to find out how a third-party YouTube compilation of Zach’s Vines contributed to
his success.
How bigger businesses are using Vine
While it attracts bigger brands like Coca-Cola and Virgin Mobile, Zach explains thatmarketing on
Vine is different than on platforms like Facebook because Vine hasn’t monetized. He says that
because brands can’t pay to have their Vines put in front of someone, they’re served to Viners who
fit into the business’s niche.

4. Zach talks about how brands work with individual influencers on Vine.
Zach suggests that before your business joins Vine, you should know if it’s a good fit. He says if you
aren’t trying to reach the 13- to 25-year-old demographic, Vine may not be for you.
He explains how Lowe’s uses DIY Vines and why he thinks there’s a big opportunity for other brands
to use Vine to show a process.
Listen to the show to hear Zach break down his story process.
How Zach uses Instagram and YouTube in relation to Vine
Zach says that while he’s been on YouTube for a while, he’s only recently joined Instagram after
finding that people were duplicating his type of content for Instagram. He explains that if he’s got a
Vine that does really well, he posts an extended 15-second version of the video on Instagram.
Zach also posts video to Instagram.
Zach uses YouTube in a similar fashion by posting much longer, behind-the-scenes footage of
shooting the original Vine.
Listen to the show to find out why Zach believes video builds stronger relationships with his viewers
and how he sees people who emulate his style.
Suggested tips and equipment
Zach explains that he uses both the Vine app and a camera to create his Vines. He believes audio is
very important when it comes to video, so he uses a Rode VideoMic to make sure he has good
sound.
A background in film helps him with lighting. He says if you’re filming outside, it’s important to turn
into the sun so it can light your face. For inside shots, Zach suggests getting close to a light source
and shining a lamp on your face.
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