Waggener Edstrom Worldwide

While super short social videos are surely nothing new (12seconds, anyone?), yesterday’s first Twitter video post via Vine, and the launch today, brought the idea of the tweetable videos back into the forefront some two years after 12seconds folded.

There’s clearly an opening for clever, highly-visual communications to break through in this tl;dr world in which we all now live.

Brands will have a huge opportunity to show, not tell and by doing so, will have the opportunity to show off a bit of personality along the way.

While there’s been a lot of speculation around what this means for the future of short form communications, here are four quick thoughts on tweetable videos and brands.

• The rise of the social teaser. While companies like 12seconds played around with the “idea of tweetable video commercials,” the launch of Vine will mean brands will have the opportunity to give the world glimpses of what they’re selling to entice further action.
• Story arcs are critical. While these aren’t going to be works of a Scorsese caliber, successful short form videos will plan the bite-sized takeaway(s) they want the viewer to get. Thoughtful quick shots and edits will tell mini-stories to elicit desired outcomes.
• Series will become low-drag keys to reoccuring connections. Thinking in serial ways will help these short videos catch on with audiences who will come to appreciate truly valuable (whether humorous, informative, entertaining or other) content on a regular basis. Expect to see series pop up in the vein of “quick thought of the day,” “recipe of the week” and “Monday productivity lifehack.”
• Companies selling physical products will be the first to embrace. Similar to the early retail push and current prominence on visual heavy sites like Pinterest, brands with tangible products will be among the first to jump on this opportunity.

Had a chance to play around with Vine or have thoughts to one the future of social videos? Sound off in the comments.