Launched in January of 2013, Vine quickly became the preferred social media app for Millennials and Gen Z. Young users created 4-6 second long videos and published them to their friends and followers. The short videos could then be shared on other social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube.
It provided a fun and entertaining way for users to share bite-sized videos without being put into Twitter’s original 140-character box. To say it exploded would be an understatement. By December 2015 Vine had 200 million active users.
Enter the Influencer
Vine is widely credited as the birthplace of social influencing. It gave brands a way to reach a highly coveted audience by rewarding folks for posting sponsored content that would be seen by their many followers. Many who built large followings on Vine moved on to become famous YouTubers or Instagram stars. And the influencer movement took off.
So it’s not surprising that many users (and brands) mourned when Vine died at the end of 2017. But now there’s hope for a resurrection of sorts. One of Vine’s co-founders, Dom Hofmann is preparing to launch Byte early this year.
The early buzz
Hofmann’s goal is to bring back what Vine once was: a carefree mobile app for sharing video content. And he’s off to a good start. Byte is already generating a lot of buzz among Vine fans. When Byte launched its Twitter page, they received 500 Beta sign ups in the first minute.
Many of those are from Generation Alpha, the group behind Gen Z. And they represent the next generation of influencers. In some cases, they’ve already established themselves on YouTube and TikTok, another short-form mobile video app focused around music and weird challenges.
Mr. Hofmann is engaging these future content creators to learn what they would like to see in this app. And the reviews from social influencers have been extremely positive to date.
How will it compete?
Vine’s fall was largely due to the rise of competing platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram Stories. If Byte wants to stand out and make a name for itself, it will have to include similar features like stories, editing and filters. The engagement and sharing mechanisms also have to be measured in a way that helps bring out influencers. Whether based on views, loops, sharing, or some combination of the three, Byte will likely have a harder time establishing itself in the increasingly competitive world of social platforms.
What’s a brand to do?
Like the structure of the platform itself, the role that brands will play into the platform is still tentative. For Byte to be successful, creators must establish themselves and generate “influencer” ratings, then brands and sponsorships will follow. If brands jump the gun too quickly with sponsored content, the feed will be overrun with ads and Byte users will bail on the app before it even gets rolling. But if influencers are able to establish themselves first, brands can begin to introduce sponsored content that’s both entertaining and less in your face. That’s when social media users are most receptive.
Gen Z and Generation Alpha have never known a world without short-form social media. There are many choices out there, so Byte has a lot to prove before it can succeed. Millennials will be most likely to take the first Byte, since Vine was their first love. But will it grow like the Vine they once knew? Only time will tell.
Stay up to speed on marketing trends and best practices by signing up for our newsletter.