Battle of Vine vs. Instagram Video
It’s a battle of Facebook vs. Twitter as Facebook’s Instagram launched its video tool last week to compete with Twitter’s video app, Vine. Video is a major growth area for social and it’s not surprising that Facebook/Instagram did not want to be usurped by Vine which has taken off like a rocket since early this year.
Vine was launched in January and its 6 second looping format is very cool. Originally available only on iOS, it’s also now available on Android as well. It was an immediate success. Instagram Video literally launched last week offers a longer format (up to 15 seconds) but no looping.
So the battle now begins. There are some differences between the contenders:
1. Length
Obviously its 6 seconds for Vine vs. 15 seconds for Instagram. But is more time really better? Maybe, but maybe not. The brevity of Vine combined with its looping feature makes the video possibly more interesting.
2. Filter
Instagram offers its signature filters that can make the video more interesting. Users will like that. And filters can cover up lighting issues.
3. Looping
Vine’s looping is very cool. And the short 6 second form makes you want to view it again and again. Not so with 15 second formats, where once is often enough.
4. Convenience
Instagram’s video comes within the existing app, while Vine stands alone. It’s a big advantage Instagram, given that they already have a video app with 130 million monthly users. Instagram is already making an impact as the number of Vine shares decreased more than 50% on June 21 the day of the Instragram announcement.
So who will be the victor? Instagram has the built-in advantage and will probably be the “winner” but in reality both are winners. Video is where social is moving and having two interesting formats provides more opportunities for users to jump in.
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Many thanks for this good explanation, Lonny.