In a world where we expect things to be better, faster and more entertaining than ever, we want a lot of things to happen in a very short time frame. This is why Vine, a social media app owned by Twitter that allows users to create and share a 6 second video, is a big deal. Is it right for you? Maybe! Let's find out!

Wait, what? What's "VINE?"

Back in October of 2012, Twitter purchased the mobile app. It debuted soon after in January of 2013 and it's been growing ever since with roughly 40 million users. With it, you can create and share short videos at a maximum of 6 seconds each. It makes sense that Twitter was interested in it since it's kind of like a tweet in video format. Vine allows you to start and stop filming so that you can change locations or do stop motion videos easily. The videos play on an endless loop, kind of like an animated GIF.

Do you belong on Vine?

Just like with any social media site, if it doesn't fit your demographic, you'll be wasting your time with it. Vine's main demographics are 57% women ages 18-20. Twitter and Vine go together very nicely. Vine videos can be shared to Twitter easily, so the audience that is most likely to consume Vines would be those who enjoy short-form networks like Tumblr and Twitter. If that's your demographic, Vine is a great place for you!

Getting set up

Before you set up your account, make sure you're able to keep up with it. Creating Vines takes some creativity and a bit of time to make something that will catch attention. If you're willing and able to nurture it, you'll get great results. The first step is to download the app onto your mobile device. If you have a Twitter account logged into that device, you just have to give Vine permission to access your account. It's as easy as clicking a button that says "ok." A few simple steps later and you're up and running. 

Make sure you include a short description about who you are and what you do, just like you would with your Twitter account. When you're ready to make your first Vine, the app will step you through what to do. It takes some practice and experimentation, but you'll get the hang of it in no time at all. You'll even find it to be a lot of fun!

What to create

Now that you're up and running and you've experimented a bit, you're ready to think about what kind of content you'd like to put out there. Even though 6 seconds is a short amount of time to get a message across, don't forget that you have a space for a written caption to go with your video. The length isn't limited and you can use hashtags to help people find your content, so don't be intimidated by the six seconds. That said, here's a quick list of ideas that can help you convey a lot in a little bit of time:

1) Time Lapse

Time lapse videos are great to help make a very short story flow nicely. You can highlight your products and services here or post a message about a promotion or sale. 

2) Share what's new

If you've got something new and great coming up, you can announce it on Vine. Did you get a new intern? Film them at work! Are you launching a new product? Announce it on Vine! It's a perfect place for a teaser promoting a blog article or special event you're having too.

3) Make it fun

Since your audience here is on the younger side, your video can be more casual and fun. Creativity, humor and originality are key here. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there to get attention on Vine. Get silly, think outside the box and be fun! 

4) Cross promote

Don't forget that you can broaden your reach by sharing a link from Vine on Twitter, Pinterest or any of your other social media platforms. 

5) #, #, #

The best way to get your videos noticed is to do some hashtag research and find out what hashtags folks are using that are relevant to your video. Hashtags are absolutely essential to maximizing your content so don't skip them!

When you use Vine correctly, you'll see great ROI. It does take a bit of practice to get the technique down and then after that some creativity to create fun and engaging content, but the results will be well worth it and you'll have another great marketing tool to use!