Vine Series: YouTube Star Zach King Finds True Fame On Vine
It’s hard to locate any well-constructed list of top Vines these days without coming across video content created by Zach King.
The content wizard is certainly enjoying a lot more than just six seconds of fame. Zach, who incorporates magic into a lot of his Vine content, has amassed more than 1.3 million followers on Vine and has even made an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. So when we had the chance to sit down with him this week to discuss what tips he has for fellow Viners hoping to follow in his footsteps, we grasped at the opportunity.
Whether you’ve never made Vine content before but are thinking about it, a Viner hoping to take your content to the next level or a marketer thinking about distributing short-form content in your next global brand campaign, there’s something here for everyone.
Here’s what he had to say:
1. How do you get inspiration for your Vines?
2. Is it different /difficult to work on Vines for a brand? Do they give you a brief or free reign?
Branded Vines are so much fun! I want all my content to feel genuine and part of my style, which is why I’m very picky about the brands and agencies that I collaborate with.
I always ask brands for briefs and have several creative discussions and use that as my starting point for my own creative exploration. I care about understanding the overall vision and goals of the brand’s campaign before I get started. That way I can create something that is a win for the brand, and myself.
3. Have you met other Viners? Is it a collaborative community?
Curtis Lepore was the first Viner that reached out to me when I first started, and he introduced me to other great Viners, like Bach, Brittany Furlan and the gang! I don’t view YouTube or Vine as a competition between creators (except maybe when you’re trying to get a top spot on the popular page), but creativity should be a collaboration. That way you are challenged to make the best content you can. My goal is to entertain and make people smile.
4. What would you be doing if you weren’t a Vine guy?
Vine is a platform that helps me reach my audience. But if Vine ever goes away, I’ll still be a creator. I’ll just find a new place to publish my content. I’m a filmmaker by trade, so whatever platforms allow me to tell my stories, long or short, that’s where you’ll find me.
5. Why do you think Vine has worked so well – what is it about the platform appeals to you?
It’s neat because it’s so different from TV, YouTube or movies. Six seconds is great because people don’t have to commit to long-form content for enjoyment or to get a laugh.
6. Who is your favorite Viner? Who would you recommend as up and coming talent?
Oh man, I love a lot of channels. I’m a big fan of this stop-motion channel called JesDav. It’s incredible work. I also love the work of Meagan Cignoli.
7. You have magic nailed, are you keeping to one style or looking for new techniques
I think it’s smart for a creator to have their own “niche. voice, style” in their content, so their audience knows what the expect. So I will always have magical Vines because it’s what I love to create. But, at the same time, audiences grow and develop, and you have to keep aiming to be original to keep encouraging engagement.
8. Will music be at the forefront of your content?
Music probably won’t be a big part of my content for Vine, but I’ll definitely be playing around with all the new features that Vine integrates.
9. If you could give brand marketers one tip, what would it be?
I think sponsored Vines works best as brand awareness campaigns, which is why I stay away from doing any campaigns which ask me to drive traffic for app downloads or click through to a link, because it’s incredibly hard to convert and that kind of content can be damaging for a channel. But if a brand can make a person laugh, share or re-watch a video 10 times because it’s amazing, then that’s a successful video for me.
10. Do you think top Viners are the YouTube celebrities of the mobile generation?
Yeah, it’s strange how many more people today will recognize me on the street or store because of Vine compared to YouTube. I think Viners are so popular because there are fewer of them (than YouTube creators) and the platform is so accessible from the phone.
