Vine adds 15 content channels in an attempt to hit back at Instagram

Changes are in response to Instagram adding video functionality

Vine added new tools in a response to video for Instagram

Vine have aimed to boost its popularity with the addition of 15 new content channels and the ability to share other people’s post through ‘Revining’.

The changes are in reaction to the launch of video functionality for Instagram, a move that was calculated to cut into Vine’s user base. On the day after video was added to Instagram the number of links to Vine content fell by nearly half a million, whilst Instagram links shared rose by more than 300,000.

The battle between Vine and Instagram for video-sharing popularity is a proxy war of sorts, being conducted by the apps’ parent companies – Twitter and Facebook respectively.

Vine’s new features have been designed to make content discovery easier. The 15 new channels are spread between the likes of ‘Comedy’, ‘Arts & Entertainment’ and –what we can only assume will be the most clicked on – ‘Cats’ and ‘Dogs’ (separately).

New camera tools have also been added to make shooting videos easier, and users now have the options of making their posts protecting – giving individuals more control over who sees their content. ‘Revining’ allows users to share content with a single tap.

The ‘battle’ between the two services has been seen as overplayed in many sector, with many industry commentators citing the video length (Vine goes for 6 seconds, Instagram goes up to 15), as attracting different styles of content and users.

Despite this though, a majority control over social-media video-sharing is a lucrative property. Advertisers always pay over the odds for video slots as opposed to static images, and both Vine and Instagram have to play to brands in order to monetize their services.

The creation of channels for Vine seem geared towards this sort of ‘native advertising’ – allowing companies to insert sponsored content alongside user-generated videos for a more ‘frictionless’ experience.