vines

Six-second video app Vine passed the one billion "loops" mark earlier this year and has become a friendlier platform for publishers, who can now upload videos that have not been filmed through the app.

With the import feature comes a chance for news outlets to publish more stories on the platform, but what kind of content should the media be looking to make on Vine?

"Part of the beauty of Vine is that it's so quick and easy to create fun, exciting, interesting content in all sorts of different places," said trainer and consultant Richard Barley, formerly a creative technologist at Twitter.

Barley, who runs Vine workshops for brands, told Journalism.co.uk media organisations should look at the platform as a "TV in your pocket".

He said Vine users expect a blend of "stupid stuff" from their friends, entertainment, and informative content, and they "flick through the feed" the same way they would flick through TV channels.

"News is certainly something that's struggled a bit to really find the right approach to Vine," he said, adding that news organisations should be "a little bit more relaxed" on the platform.

Even media outlets that usually have a formal image and reporting tone would benefit from a more "playful" approach to video on Vine, as this is what "people tend to do so that's what people expect".


NowThis News presenting a story in a light-hearted way

Useful tools for publishers

The import feature came bundled with "a whole new camera" to allow Vine users to film and edit easier, said Barley.

There is an "instant undo" option to delete or edit previous shots, use flash inside the app to get better lighting, or produce more than one Vine at the same time.

"You can be working on up to 10 vines at a time in the app, so if you're out reporting you can capture lots of vines and then choose which one you want to post," he said.

Vine also has a "richer web experience" after developing its initial mobile-only format, which makes it easier to search for content or people on the platform.

Barley told Journalism.co.uk this was a good way to get some inspiration: "The audience that is out there, what are they actually responding to at the moment?"

The "loop count" is another helpful addition – it tells publishers how many times their Vine has been played, and updates in real time.

"That will give you an instant view as to how well your Vine is performing so allows you to compare your Vine against a previous Vine or against somebody else's Vine."

The loop is what makes the video platform different from others, and provides an opportunity to put together more artistic visuals.

"If you can create something that actually embraces that loop those can often be the vines that really stand out," said Barley.

While Vines can also be structured like a narrative story, with a clearly defined beginning and end, those constructed specifically with the loop in mind could be "far more entrancing".



BBC World adapting news reporting to the platform

Insight into print

Media outlets can now use footage filmed for a different platform, and edit it down in a different way for Vine.

But print media can also use the app to add another dimension to their content, and offer an insight into the newsroom or the organisation's different departments.

Some print publishers tend to base their Vines on their print products, flicking through the pages of a magazine for example. "That's a physical thing that you can very easily capture", said Barley, but it is not necessarily the most engaging way to use the platform.

"Where the value really lies in vine is offering something that's a bit extra", he said. Print magazines could film Vines during photo shoots for example, capturing behind-the-scenes footage or exclusive quotes.


Vogue take the audience behind the scenes at a photo shoot

Barley said Vogue used Vine to take the audience inside photo shoots and to share "beyond what you'd get in their magazine".

For those who have yet to set up an official account and are not quite sure where to start, the key is to "have a bit of fun" on a personal account "before you go charging in with 'this is our first official Vine'".

"Get some plasticine or get some bits of paper, and just actually experiment. You can't break anything by having a play and you will learn a lot," he said.

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