Vine is a social media platform that gives business owners the opportunity to share a six-second video that repeats on a loop. At first glance, the marketing potential of Vine isn’t necessarily obvious to everyone. After all, six seconds isn’t very long. What meaningful message could you possibly convey in that amount of time?

Lowe’s, the home improvement superstore, has been doing a great job with Vine. As you can see in this Ad Age article, the combination of a simple idea and a quirky, humorous presentation can make an effective marketing tool. Lowe’s branded their Vine campaign “Fix in Six”, and uses the platform to illustrate quick home improvement tips like removing floor scratches with walnuts or turning a tank top into a throw pillow.

Every business owner needs to be thinking about how they’re going to incorporate video into their marketing mix. You can choose a really short format like Vine, or longer pieces that appear on YouTube or Vimeo. Bear in mind that the average consumer is exposed to almost 250 marketing messages daily; they pay the most attention to video messages, particularly those that can be viewed on their smartphones.

The most effective Vine videos are both educational and entertaining. Lowe’s hit the nail on the head by providing useful tips in a humorous fashion. Think through how you could apply this model to your business. Identify ways you could show customers how to use your merchandise or offerings to improve their lives – and then see if there’s a funny way to present that instruction. A Vine video may take only 6 seconds to watch, but plan on spending quite a bit more time planning and creating your Vine.

After your Vine has been creating, maximize the return you’ll get from it by sharing it on other social media platforms, as well as your website. Six seconds isn’t very long – but it can be long enough to introduce new customers to your business, generate interest, and drive sales!