Vine Search Offers New Opportunity for Brands

Vine has pushed a major update that not only affects mobile users, but desktop users as well.

The long-awaited Web version of Vine is now available at Vine.co for those looking to explore videos on their desktop or laptop.

Additionally, you no longer need an account to browse and search for videos. For marketers, the biggest opportunity with the new update is the added search functionality.

According to Vine's blog, they have "added a powerful, new search bar that will help you find what you're looking for. Try searching by person, tag, or even location to find your favorite content."

While these new updates create some additional ease of use for your average browser, there are also some additional opportunities for marketers looking to target Vine's more than 40 million users.

Missing the Mark

While some of our favorite brands have Vine channels, they aren't utilizing them to their fullest potential. One of the largest opportunities for brands is to incorporate trending hashtags (much like Twitter) into their posts.

For example, a couple of the search terms I explored were #SpringFashion and #SpringBreak. From the screenshots below you can see that our beloved brands (with the exception of Ben & Jerry's) aren't visible in the top search results.

While #SpringFashion will be applicable to many clothing brands, there is a relatively easy opportunity to take over the results. You'll notice that there are currently only 43 videos with the hashtag #SpringFashion as part of their post.

#SpringBreak could apply to many brands.

For example, a travel company or resort could use the opportunity to show pictures of spring breakers having a great time at their resort to encourage youth to choose their destination next year.

The hashtag would also work for many consumer food, liquor, and clothing brands. There is a way to market; you just have to be flexible in your approach.

Knowing Your Audience

One of my favorite brands that is maximizing their Vine value is Urban Outfitters. On their channel you'll find a great mix of new products, how to use some of their products, and topics they know their audience is into.

Within the first few videos alone you'll find:

T-shirts and vinyl records.A video tutorial of their fish-eye phone lens.Earth Day photos.Videos from Cochella (which utilizes the #Cochella hashtag).

Share Your Response (or Better Yet, Vine It)

What do you think is the biggest missed opportunity for brands on Vine? What brand Vines have you seen and loved, or hated? For a bonus, share your response on Vine and link to your post in the comment section below.