Music Marketing With Instagram Video vs. Vine

Instagram Video is here and those who care are wondering if it will defeat Vine or if they can happily coexist. 5 million clips were loaded the first day of Instagram Video's release and the noise level is rising ever higher. Can you cut through the noise with a feature that offers almost nothing truly new when you weren't even in the first 5 million? Maybe, maybe not.

I admit that 5 million uploads the first day is actually irrelevant to whether or not Instagram Video will be of use to you in your music marketing. In terms of competition, it's just more stuff in an overloaded landscape. Sure, a few people will get some extra attention for putting out interesting Instagram Videos but, for the most part, you've got your fans and this is another way to feed them while doing what you do to get whatever you make in front of other potential fans.

What Can You Do With Instagram Video?

As I pointed out regarding Vine, in terms of categories of activities related to music marketing, the stuff you can do with Instagram Video is pretty much the same stuff you can do with other video apps. It just comes out a bit different.

You can tease new [fill in the blank] with a snippet of [fill in the other blank].

You can create content to show your fans you're a human too or, at least, give them that impression. Or show them that you are indeed the god you say you are.

You can make something artistic that draws on the unique capabilities of Instagram Video.

Or you can be an early adopter and reach out to the music press with a music-related Instagram Video.

Since you all knew I would write a post like this, if you've been paying attention, and none of you bothered to hit me up over the weekend, which should be an obvious move by now, I will now share with you an Instagram Video by Justin Bieber (via @UniteOfBieber – see above tweet):

Wait a minute. Where's the video?

You win! There's no official way to embed Instagram Videos on this website unless you want to follow directions like these which probably violate Mr. Bieber's copyright.

Instagram Video vs. Vine

Owen Thomas thinks that Instagram Video's a winner cause it should play well on Facebook.

John Koetsier points out that you can share Vine pretty much anywhere you can embed HTML.

Point to Vine.

Like Bora Celik points out in the above tweet, that whole "shaky" thing was getting kind of old.

Point to Instagram and its Cinema tech.

Christopher Heine believes there are at least 5 reasons Instagram Video will win:

1) Longer videos

2) Cool filters

3) Brand Engagement

4) Built in scale and community

5) Oh yeah, and Facebook is also big

Looks like a first-round win for Instagram Video except that Adam Goldberg thinks they are more like apples and oranges and Gary Vaynerchuck says "I think both win."

Want A Quick Look at How Instagram Video Works?

Here are two video intros, each longer than 15 seconds:

How To Use The New Instagram Video Feature

Hands-On With Instagram’s New Video Feature

Have you done something special and music-related with Instagram Video?

Then link out in the comments!

More:

• Top 3 Tips For Music Marketing With Vine
• Watch This Ridiculously Simple Way That Vandaveer Uses Twitter's Vine To Promote Live Shows
• Top 10 Ways Musicians Are Using Vine

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.