By now, you’ve heard the buzz about Vine and Keek. Both apps me of Instagram on video steroids (in a good way). I’m here to share my thoughts on both services. If you aren’t a user of either app but are a big fan of Instagram, it may be time to get on board! Instagram users can relate to the frustration of trying to fill a wide box with a tall photo (portrait vs landscape doesn’t quite explain it when talking mobile). With Vine or Keek, you can share more of your world, but can’t add color filters at this time, so there is a bit of give and take. Before I go into details on both apps, I’ll tell you that Vine is my favorite for two main reasons, which I’ll be discussing below.
My Vine Experience
Vine recently topped the U.S. list of free iPhone apps (via Mashable here). It allows you to create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see.
Easy to configure / customize account?
It should go without saying that both apps are a breeze to install, but I found Vine to be much easier to configure when it came to connecting to a specific Twitter account. Makes since, since Twitter released Vine.
Easy to connect with friends?
Finding friends was simple on Vine since it seamlessly integrated with my Twitter account and displayed those I’m following on Twitter for me. It’s worth noting that 300 or so of those I follow on Twitter (of around 4,000 people) were using the service. That may sound low, but it felt like a good enough number of friends to have interaction on the app. I couldn’t find a way to connect with my Facebook friends, which would be a wonderful addition to the service.
Video length?
6 seconds, then looped. You’d be surprised what you can get into 6 seconds. This woman made headlines for sharing a video resume on Vine! That said, if you’re using Vine to share mini-YouTube style vlogs, you may prefer the Keek format of 36 seconds.
Here is a recent Vine video of mine, to give you an idea of the length and format. Choppy and quick, but very convenient to record and share.
Multiple videos in one upload?
Yes. Vine allows you to combine clips into one seamless video/upload. You control your recording with the touch of a finger, lifting on and off your screen to record within the 6-second timeframe. This feature is one of my favorite things about Vine, because it allows me to share more of my world in one video. For example, I can share multiple shots from King Street, more than one view from my nature walk and close ups of a sewing project. My Vine upload examples are below.
Hashtag-ability?
Vine is hashtag friendly! For Instagram addicts, this is good news, since you’ll find yourself hashtagging away and connecting with new Vine friends as you explore shared interests.
Overall?
Love the app, wish the format was longer than 6 seconds looped. Also would love to see instagram-style filters. May also be worth noting that there isn’t an option to create a private account on Vine (at the time of this post). For some, that could be a concern. I avoid sharing photos or videos of my family online, but if I were to do that, I’d like the option to make my account private as well. 6 seconds is pretty short, so longer formats would be a welcome surprise in the future!
My Keek Experience
I learned about Keek through YouTubers, and it makes sense to me that they would prefer Keek over Vine. The main reason for this is most likely video length…Keek gives you a full 36 seconds of video compared to the 6 seconds over on Vine. Keep reading for more about Keek.
Easy to configure / customize account?
Word to the wise: be sure you’re acting as your preferred Twitter account before downloading the Keep app. Keek seemed to grab the Twitter account I was logged into on my iPhone at the moment I created my Keek account, without giving me the option to specify which Twitter account I wanted to use (I manage more than one account). Even after disconnecting the Twitter account, switching to my personal Twitter and then attempting to reconnect on Keek, I got stuck. Then I went online to Keek on my desktop and still no luck. Major bummer. I eventually closed that Keek account, uninstalled the app and began again. Learn from my mistake.
Easy to connect with friends?
After my slight hiccup, I was able to connect with my Twitter friends on Keek. Far more are using Vine at the time of this post, but people can be pretty picky so that can could change at any moment.
Video length?
36 seconds…significantly longer than Vine video format.
Multiple videos in one upload?
Not at this time
Hashtag-ability?
Hashtag friendly!
Overall?
My overall experience wasn’t as positive as Vine, but I can see the 36 second format as being a win for those serious about micro-vlogging. A lot of the fun is dependent upon how many of your friends are vine-ing vs. keek-ing.
I hope this review was helpful. Be sure to look me up if you are in either place…I’d love to connect! (Vine @lauracatherineo, Keek @lauracatherineo)
