Reading Time: 2 minutesWhen Vine launched in 2013 it quickly became the hottest new social media platform. Users across the globe were fascinated with the idea of sharing four-second videos with their friends. Like any other social phenomenon, it didn’t take brands and advertisers long to notice and begin to form partnerships with the network’s top influencers to push product.
Yet as quickly as Vine ripened into an influencer marketing dream, the platform appears to be losing its’ appeal. We recently completed a data study analyzing the top Vine users and the data confirms what many have been whispering for a while – Vine is dying.
Our data shows that more than half (52%) of the platform’s top users (those with 15,000 followers or more) have left the platform as of January 1, 2016. There are 9,725 users on Vine that have more than 15,000 followers, putting them in the 99th percentile, but 5,094 of them have not posted on the platform since the beginning of this year.
| Labels | Percentage | Total |
| Posted After Jan 1, 2016 | 48% | 4,631 |
| Posted Before Jan 1, 2016 and not again | 52% | 5,094 |
| Grand Total | 9,725 |
So why the mass exodus? There are now competing platforms out there that allow influencers to better share content that gives followers a quick look into their daily lives. One of the biggest benefactors is Snapchat, due to its functionality that allows for longer videos (10 seconds) in addition to photos, custom filters, and brand channels.
Timing was always a huge concern with Vine, as it became increasingly difficult to convey a brand message in just four seconds. Now you have platforms like Snapchat and YouTube that allow influencers to create longer, higher quality videos that are more engaging to a brand’s audience.
One example is Zach King, considered to be Vine’s most famous “face.” Zach hasn’t posted on Vine since late January and has begun moving his content over to YouTube, with his last post being uploaded last week. While his YouTube follower count is less than Vine, the engagement is expected to be higher as YouTube subscribers are a more international and committed community than Vine.
While Vine had a good run, it’s not uncommon for “hot” social networks to burst on the scene and then die out. As such, advertisers can be hesitant to build a full campaign through that network because it’s unclear if the network will last long enough for a brand to receive maximum impact. Staying the course with tried and true networks like Instagram, Pinterest, Blogs, and YouTube offers brands the best opportunity to capitalize on an engaged audience and turn around ROI.
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