When I first heard of Vidster, I thought it was a new Facebook feature that lets you record and share short videos with your friends. I wasn’t wrong, but it also goes way beyond that. In this article, I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of this app so you can start using it to its fullest potential.
Why Should You Try Vidster?
I think the reason most people haven’t heard of Vidster is because it doesn’t provide the most basic functionality when it comes to video sharing. Rather than focusing on just posting videos and having them appear on your Facebook timeline like other apps, you can actually do a lot more with it. Here’s a short list of some of the features that set Vidster apart from the rest:
- Integrated podcasting
- Viral marketing through live videos
- Customers talking about your products in real-time
- Interactive tools to engage with your audience
- And much, much more
Each of these features is going to be discussed in more detail below, but before we get into it, let’s take a quick look at how to use Vidster.
How Do You Use Vidster?
Vidster is an app, but it’s also a community within the app. When you first open the app, you’ll see a video at the top of the screen with bold text and a big orange button labeled “Start recording.” This is the part of the app where you can click the button and begin recording video.
As soon as you press the button, you’ll see an animated camera icon appear on the screen. This is so you can follow along as you record your video. When you’re done recording, you can click the button again to stop the video. A progress bar will then appear at the top of the screen while the video is uploading.
The interesting thing about Vidster is that, as soon as you create a new video, you’ll notice that it contains a lot more than just what you’d expect from a typical Facebook video. This is because each video you upload to Vidster actually becomes part of a larger story, or “vignette.” As you can imagine, given the nature of these stories, a lot of the content contains vulgar language and some pretty dark imagery. This is exactly why you shouldn’t be surprised that Vidster contains a 16+ rating.
Uploading Videos With Vidster
After you’ve started recording video using the above method, you’ll see a thumbnail of your video at the top of the screen with a big orange button at the bottom that lets you “Publish.” When you click this button you’ll be taken to a screen that contains more options. From here, you can choose whether or not to make your video publicly available, as well as select a background color and audio option for your finished product.
These are all very basic options, but they can make a big difference in how users experience your video. For example, if you choose to make your video private, you won’t see it in search results or when someone else clicks to watch a video on your behalf. You can also choose a background color so your viewers don’t have to strain their eyes while trying to look at the video content.
With all these options available, it’s a good idea to do a little research before you start recording. Throwing something live without planning out the details can be a recipe for disaster. And while we’re on the topic of disaster, let’s not forget about the polarizing effect that the lack of planning can have on your social media channels. This is why it’s a good idea to set up your recording area a couple of weeks in advance so you can get the most out of it. If you follow my advice and plan out every detail, you’re sure to have a much happier experience and your finished product will be much more effective. This is also why I believe that, when used correctly, Vidster can have a positive effect on your social media marketing campaigns.
Viral Marketing Through Live Videos
One of the things that makes Vidster so special is its emphasis on inbound marketing. Rather than trying to force customers to do anything or visit any websites, you’ll see a number of strategies and tactics that are focused on getting users to engage with your content. This content can take the form of a podcast review, a YouTube video with tips and tricks for a particular industry, or an explainer video about a new product. It can even be an animated GIF, a Snapchat story or a live video.
The beauty of choosing this content is that it gives you the opportunity to engage with your audience through an open display of interest. This is in stark contrast to the one-way communication that too often takes place on social media. It also allows you to show users that you’re not afraid to engage with them. While other platforms can be quite demanding, requiring users to tweet or like a particular piece of content in order to see more, you can actually do the opposite with a video. By including information on your site about a particular product or service, you’re giving users the power to choose whether or not to interact with you.
Customers Talking About Your Products In Real-Time
While a lot of the content on Vidster is focused on marketing and sales, the app can actually be used to create customer support videos as well. This is especially useful for growing companies who may not have the in-house resources necessary to provide customer support via live chat or email. In these cases, you can help customers by allowing them to engage with you in real-time through your videos.
For example, let’s say you’re a bakery and you’ve launched a new product. One of the first places your customers are going to be directed to once they’re interested in buying your goods is your website, social media accounts or phone app. In the case of an iPhone app, they may even download it and start using it without ever having heard of your company. In this case, having a customer service representative visit your virtual “neighborhood” and respond to customers in real-time is the best way to get the word out there that you’re available and willing to help.
Interactive Tools To Engage With Your Audience
There are also a variety of interactive tools on Vidster that can be used to engage with your audience. These tools allow you to ask questions, provide tips and tricks, or even just show something interesting or funny. Depending on your product, you may want to consider using one of these tools in your videos. For example, if you’re an ecommerce store and you’re selling sunglasses, you may want to use an interactive tool to demonstrate how the products work or provide some useful information about the brand.
The nice thing about these tools is that you don’t need to have special training to use them. Simply click on the button and a prompt will appear, asking you to provide the information needed. You can then type your response or use the microphone to speak out loud. If you choose the latter, your voice will be captured and used in a way that reflects your company.
When done, just click the dot next to the area you want to share with your audience. This will bring you back to a screen with your thumbnail and button that you can now click to post your video.
The Pros And Cons Of Using Vidster
Like most new apps and platforms, Vidster comes with its perks and cons. While the pros can be quite extensive, let’s discuss the major issues first before we move on to the benefits.
The biggest con of using Vidster is pretty self-explanatory—it doesn’t have the most basic functionality when it comes to video sharing. You can’t simply upload a video and have it appear on your Facebook wall like you can with other apps. In addition, while the content on Vidster can be quite interesting and useful, there’s also a lot of trash on there as well. For example, if you have a video explaining how to bake a chocolate cake, but you also have a clip of an NBA player cursing, your audience may not want to watch the whole thing.
On the flip side, the pros of using Vidster are quite extensive as well. First off, the content in general on the app is quite good. Even if you don’t end up using all of it, you’ll definitely find a lot that you can implement into your business. In addition to that, you don’t need to limit yourself to just marketing and sales videos either—the app actually allows you to create videos in many different ways, including ones focused on customer support, viral marketing, and more.