Facebook has officially announced the integration of video for Instagram. While most are comparing this new addition with Twitter’s Vine, it’s important to also take a look at how Instagram video offers a new level of convergence for consumers. Reuters reported that 130 million users currently populate Instagram feeds, compared to just 13 million users of Twitter’s Vine, whose popularity has been growing substantially in the past few months. Instead of video and images being split between 2 apps, Instagram has made itself an all-in-one experience.
Instagram’s video is similar to it’s regular images, offering 13 different filters. Two unique characteristics of this addition are image stabilization and video editing, which Vine does not currently have. You can only delete the last clip taken on Instagram, but it is a step up from not being able to at all. The image stabilization attribute rids videos of the shaky hands we all have and allows for a smoother overall product. The smoother image also makes for a more appealing video. While aesthetically Instagram has much to offer, the app really trumps Vine when it comes to social media integration. TechCrunch compared the two and found that Instagram is integrated with 3x as many platforms as Vine. Vine can only be shared on Twitter and Facebook. Instagram videos are now able to be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, e-mail and foursquare, offering a key competitive advantage.
Brands such as Urban Outfitters and General Electric have jumped onto Vine to create their own unique marketing videos and have seen some success. However, many other brands were quick to adopt Instagram video instead according to MediaPost. Facebook announced that Nike, Michael Kors, Burberry and even Vine-user General Electric have begun to use the video feature. In a point made by Social Media Today, brands have had to build their fan-base from the ground up on Vine. Many already have a strong following on Instagram, making it more convenient for brands to start a video marketing campaign than on Vine. Forrester analyst Nate Elliot states, “Adding Vine-like functionality to Instagram would be just the latest example of Facebook grabbing a feature from a small social competitor and offering it to hundreds of millions of its own users.”
Vine’s videos play on a loop, presenting the 6-second clip over and over again. Instagram’s videos may not have that feature, but they really hit a home run with the time limit. Instagram allows for 15 second videos, which The Independent reported is roughly as long as a television commercial. Brands may not need to edit down their content to post on Instagram and, if they do, it’s a relatively easy process. Instagram can potentially take the television commercial you pay a pricey sum for and put it int he palm of your consumer’s hand for free simply because they follow you. Facebook is taken this even a step further. They are set to launch video ads this fall that will be…15 seconds long. The social networking site has a created a convergence between social media, video and television.
Marketers have been given a new tool to reach their already active audience on Instagram. Only time will tell just how valuable the video integration will be, and whether or not Vine is able to survive. Either way, video marketing just got a lot more interesting.
