Step Aside, YouTube.

Step aside YouTube…Vine and Instagram videos are taking over! The obsessive and addictive 6-15 second short videos are the latest craze to both the young and old. It’s madness. I mean you can’t go on the Internet without seeing what Vine or Instagram video trend is most popular for the day, week or even month! For example you’ve got, “the smack-cam” movement all over Vine, which involves another person being “smacked” by a pie, shaving cream, etc. unexpectedly by a friend. Then you’ve got big time clothing designers like Burberry and many others showing off their latest collections on Instagram.

As a social media addict, I’ve come to the realization that yes, pictures uploaded onto any sort of social media medium grab attention, but videos are clearly more visual, entertaining and relatable to many. So the question is, how can these concise videos help you build and market your brand? Below are some of the ways that you can improve your marketing and visual tactics for your company.

1. In each of your videos, you need to have the mindset of keeping the storyline simple. Since you only have a matter of seconds, your video should portray a message that is straight to the point and easy to understand.

2. Creativity is key when trying to stand out from other brands. Step outside of the box and find interesting ways to convey your message. Plan out your scenes in advance, perhaps even try the stop-motion trend.

3. Don’t be afraid to show your brand’s “personality.” You want your brand to get the serious credit it deserves, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be humorous – and well, human!

4. Share your Vine or Instagram video on other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook so that all of your followers can see and share your post—and your brand will gain more attention and potentially gain leads.

5. Use appropriate #hashtags (without going overboard) and tag users to drive more traffic and boost visibility from people all around the world. This can help target new prospective customers, connect with consumers interested in your product and promote conversation among others.

Well, that’s a wrap! Hopefully you’ve learned a little bit more about the beauty of short videos. I issue this challenge to you: Gather your co-workers, props and ideas during your lunch break today and create a fun, short video! Tell the world something new today!

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Addendum: YouTube has good ears. Literally the minute we posted this blog, Mashable reported that YouTube has just released their own video app, MixBit, allowing users to create 16 second clips and share them. While you cannot add filters like Instagram’s video application, you can cut and edit clips and combine them into longer videos. Touché, YouTube, touché.