We have seen the evolution of social media platforms throughout the years. There was a point in time where each year was defined by a social media platform.
A few years ago it was Foursquare, and last year it was Pinterest. It appears this year in 2013 Instagram and Vine are both in the forefront of the conversation, especially now that Instagram has adapted their own video features. Let the comparison battle begin!
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/68765934[/vimeo]
There are several things I like about both platforms, and here are some of my reasons:
- Both provide imagery: Visuals help illustrate and tell a story not just for brands, but for individuals as well. We want to provide an eye witness perspective to what we are experiencing and share this with others, which brings up my next point.
- Both provide community: Whether it is at conferences or sporting events, we see people come together on Instagram and Vine for an experience and networking and converse with others.
- Both provide engagement: Most videos spark a conversation among users like – wow! That is pretty cool! Or, hey, can you tell me what filter you used for this video?
There are various perspectives on which one is better – Instagram and Vine and really what is different between the two. Many have weighed in their own opinions, including athletes, who are very engaged and active on both platforms.
However, several news outlets have reported how the new video feature on Instagram is really impacting Vine in a negative way. You can even see this from a visual standpoint here in this article by Fast Company.
Which one do I prefer as a professor? I actually prefer Instagram myself. I feel I have used it more this year than previously, especially when I am off at my conferences and used it extensively when guest speakers were coming into my social media class this year. In addition, when I was not able to get access to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook in China, I was using Instagram to share pictures and my experiences at my conference in Dalian. I was not able to get access to Vine.
With Instagram, I feel you have a lot more options to showcase visuals compared to Vine. For professors, you can add visual text images to make announcements to class, showcase guest speakers, share updates and acknowledge the good work the students are doing in class, final presentations, and even incorporate mini class activities (ex. introductions, pitches, behind the scene exclusives for clients, activities and internships, etc). The possibilities are endless, so it will be something fun to incorporate in my fall classes as well.
Instagram is also very familiar and easy to use for PR professionals. We are able to integrate Instagram to a lot more social media platforms beyond just Twitter and Facebook, which is where Vine stands at this point. We also have a lot more personalization and creativity when it comes to Instagram video – whether it is filters or even length (15 sec versus 6 sec videos).
In summary, both of these platforms are good to incorporate micromessage strategies through video. There are going to be brands that will continue to use Instagram but there will be others that will use Vine. It all depends on the individual and brand and their respective audiences. It’s good to know what tools are out there – because in social media – it is most likely going to change tomorrow.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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