When to use Vine and When to use Instagram

This is a guest post by Anish Patel, CEO of Revolution Productions.

As video becomes the most popular way to share information, companies are vying to be the top platform. The latest craze has been Instagram launching video capabilities, putting it in competition with Vine.

While many comment on the rivalry of Instagram vs. Vine, the problem isn’t which is a better platform. The problem is that companies have posted content on both sites and gotten no results. Is it a fault of the platforms? Think again. Instead of commenting about how Instagram can outperform Vine, we need to focus on how each platform should be used.

When to Use Vine

Vine is one of the most intriguing platforms available today, mostly because the video content is limited to six seconds. The GIF-style has easy integration with Twitter, making the videos shareable in real-time.

Vine is a great tool for:

New Product Features: Since you only have six seconds, flashing a feature or new product gives just enough time for users to want to find out more. Watch how Revlon featured their new lipstick.

Live interaction with customers: Sometimes a quick answer is all that’s needed. Watch how Honda responded to their fans in real-time using quirky Vine responses, here.

http://twitter.com/Honda/statuses/356796960126152704

How-To Videos: Show how to use your tool, by showing viewers in video. Watch how Cadbury took advantage of Vine here:

Invitations to events: Creatively showcase details and address information of an event with a Vine promo video.

Video teasers: Show a snippet of an upcoming event or newly introduced product. The six seconds will give viewers just enough to want more.

When to use Instagram Video

Instagram has become the latest sensation for video marketers with their whopping 15 seconds of sharable video. The already popular photo site took advantage of their fanbase of over 130 million users and updated their platform while video is still a hot marketing tool (Genius). The filters and video editing ability gives the platform a competitive edge. Since Instagram already has a large user base, we recommend using InstagramVideos for:

Promotional Campaigns: Having nine more seconds to feature a video can showcase a bit more about your product. A great example is with Lulumon’s latest Instagram video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by lululemon (@lululemon)

Video Series: What better way to continually engage users than with a cohesive video campaign. Create a theme and carry it out with a few videos to show off some personality with your brand.
Tutorials to feature your products: Watch how Starbucks does it in this video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Starbucks (@starbucks)

Commercial Style Videos: Humor is difficult to achieve in video, but, with the additional time, your videos are able to simulate TV commercials better. Humor is difficult to achieve in video, but, with the additional time, your videos are able to simulate TV commercials better. Here is a great demonstration for Taco Bell:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taco Bell (@tacobell)

As you can see, both platforms offer incredible features for businesses. The trick is understanding how to use the platforms to your advantage. Once you do, you will on the road to viral video success.