I really like Vine, the 6 second video application for your phone that launched earlier this year. I don’t use it enough but I love it’s potential.
When I first started talking about Vine at training sessions I pointed at some businesses that became early adopters, The Cavendish hotel in London being one, they claim to have run the first ever Vine competition.
Competitions are great but I do think they have limited appeal and seeing as The Cavendish has already taken the first spot it could be time to think more creatively. It’s also interesting to note that many big companies have struggled to get entries for their Vine contests.
To succeed with any sort of online marketing I think it’s important to be creative so I thought I’d share two examples of large businesses using Vine marketing effectively. Don’t let it put you off that these are big companies, any business even a micro one could use similar tactics to stand out and reward their customers. In fact a campaign like this could be what makes you stand head and shoulders over your competitors.
1. Honda – engaging with customers
In July Honda launched a campaign asking people to tweet them with the tag #wantanewcar, they launched the campaign with a Vine and used the platform to respond to customer tweets.
For those who received a personalised 6 second video there was delight, it increased Honda’s social media reach and meant that they were talked about constantly. For a big brand this is an excellent exercise in brand awareness, it makes them look like a caring company who like to have a bit of fun with their customers but also value them enough to spend some time creating content for them.
Here’s some examples of the videos they made:
Lets hope they keep innovating and keep up the good work that this campaign started. For more info on the results of this campaign take a look at this report from Social Bakers.
2. Lowe’s – Content Marketing & Tips
If you search for great Vine marketing campaigns you are bound to find a mention of Lowe’s.
Lowe’s are a chain of home improvement stores based in the states. They use Vine to share clever tips to use around the house. Many of these are animated and quirky. It shares it’s Vine videos to Tumblr so that they are easy to access on the web.
This is a great exercise in content marketing. If I want to know how to stop my wood floors squeaking, how to get a label off of the bottom of a cup, or any number of simple household queries Lowe’s have the answer. I also like to revisit the site as these simple tips make me excited, I enjoy consuming their knowledge so that I can pass it on to friends.
So not only are people able to find Lowe’s through the tips but when they do find them there is compelling content to share with their friends. This is brilliant word of mouth marketing and again it makes a big brand seem more accessible. I only hope that this extends to their stores. If you are reading this and living near a Lowe’s store let me know.
What can small business learn from Honda & Lowe’s?
Honda shows us how we should think about delighting and nurturing customers and potential customers. By putting a bit of effort in we can get them talking about us and sharing what we do in a good light.
Lowe’s show us how we can build trust and use short pieces of clever content to get people sharing info about our business.
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