Have You Checked Out Vine?

App Review Series: This series is written by members of Social Fabric to educate other members about new apps, how to use them, and their opinions about the apps. These are not sponsored posts, but written by members that volunteered to do a review.

Vine is the latest app to quite literally ‘make a scene’ in the world of social media. It allows users the ability to create and share short video clips with friends and it’s free to download from the iTunes store.

Vine is described as: “The best way to see and share life in motion. Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.”

I had spotted this list from Chris Brogan on ways to use the app, and it inspired me to try it myself.

11 THINGS A BUSINESS COULD DO WITH THE VINE APPLICATION via Chris Brogan…

1. Help prospects see your offering’s dimensions before buying.
2. Demo a really simple how-to that’s eluding a customer.
3. Do quick personal introductions via virtual meetings.
4. About a million uses at a trade show. Booth stuff. Identifying prospects. Pointing out meeting locations.
5. Demonstrate room-ready housekeeping checks in hotels.
6. Super brief product show-off videos.
7. Fastest house walk through ever for real estate pros.
8. Field site visit checklist in visual form.
9. Before, during, and after shots of the great haircuts and styles you give.
10. Headshots for talent agencies or hiring agencies. (Hat tip Steve Garfield).
11. Share your new website design.

Get Started

The app is optimized for use with Twitter, so once it’s downloaded from the iTunes store, you can sign in via your Twitter account or by email. I signed in through Twitter and it imported my name, photo and bio to create my profile (with the option to edit.)

Explore

If you look through the Vine video feed, you can see some really creative and interesting clips which give you a good idea of what you can do with the app. (Go into the Explore tab and browse through the Editor’s Picks and Popular Now sections.)

You also have the ability to follow your friends and search tags within the app.

Creating Video

The first time you make a video, the app walks you through a step-by-step tutorial, and the process is extremely simple.

From the Home screen, tap the camera icon in the top right corner to open your phone’s camera.  To record, hold your finger on the screen for up to six seconds. If you’d like to change subjects during that time, simply lift your finger off of the screen, find a new subject and touch the screen to begin recording again.

Because the app allows you to film in short bursts, you can create little stop motion video vignettes. I made a stop action film with a stack of bowls.

If you get a phone call or text or need to leave the app for any reason before finishing, just leave the video open, and when you go back to Vine later, you can pick up where you left off.

Bonus: Vine includes audio which is surprisingly clear.

Sharing Video 

Users have the option to share their videos through Vine, Twitter and Facebook complete with captions and hashtags.

I sent my first video through Vine and Twitter, and within seconds, I saw my tweet come through the stream. The link to the video was embedded, but I could also click to view the video without having to leave Twitter itself.

Privacy/Safeguards

One thing I want to be sure to mention about Vine is that it currently doesn’t have privacy safeguards or filters in place. In other words, your profile is in public view and if someone wants to follow your account or comment on your video, they can. Also be aware that inappropriate videos and foul language are circulating within the app, so exercise caution if allowing children and teens to use it.

Overall Opinion

Once they address some of the privacy and content concerns, I’ll feel a lot better about using it, but it’s a quite intuitive and entertaining app.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Social Fabric App Reviewer: Liz Mays

Bio: Liz Mays is a professional lifestyle blogger in coastal North Carolina. She loves to be in the kitchen, and enjoys sharing recipes and food related reviews as well as writing about home, tech, travel, entertainment, and style.

Find Liz Here:

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