Which Social Video Network is Best for Your Brand? – Part One: Keek

Welcome to the first edition of a five part weekly blog series where we’ll be taking a look at world’s the most popular social video networks and discussing how brands can use them to build awareness and interactions with their followers with the ultimate goal of increased ROI.

Social video networks are popping up all over the place and we have to admit, we are not the least bit surprised. Video is a powerful medium for catching memorable moments in our lives, moments that are to be treasured, repeatedly laughed at, or sometimes both. Videos are just as easy to take as photographs and as smartphones have become more affordable they have also become more accessible; their features more profound and intelligent. Put simply, recording a video and sharing it has never been simpler.

When we talk about capturing moments, we’re not just talking about the individual, brands should be using video for these purposes too. Video is more than just an ad format, it’s a way to communicate with your audience, to humanize your brand and to capture off the cuff moments which happen behind the scenes that your followers want to see. A brand shouldn’t just have a face, it should have a voice. A sound. A personality.

Here at AdSpruce we sometimes think people’s thought process goes a bit like this when it comes to social video:

“I’ve got an idea for a video, it’s going to be epic! It’s going to be the best thing anyone has ever seen, it’s going to go viral in less than an hour, my boss is going to love it – heck I’m even going to get a pay rise!”

Okay, okay we might have got a bit carried away there (just a tad). But we like to think as social video as a recipe; there are several factors which go into making it a success – not just having a slick video. You need to think about who you want to watch your video, what would they like to see, where do they want to watch it (on the mobile web?, through an app?, on their computer?), how long should it be, what time or day will they most likely want to watch it, on which social video network will you find the most people interested in your video? There is certainly a lot to think about.

There are many questions to answer, Alas, we can help you with part of the effort. In this five part guide we’ll be looking at the five most popular social video networks and the pros and cons of each, which will help you to make the right decisions on what will work best for your brand.

In this week’s edition we’ll be looking at Keek.

Worldwide, Keek is probably the least known out of the five social video networks we’ll be looking at. But that doesn’t mean that you should discount it. Despite having less notoriety than some other networks Keek is one of the most interactive and most developed social video networks on the market, giving you all the tools needed to successfully manage your brand’s video presence. Techcrunch once said that Keek is the video equal to Twitter, with a focus on short and simple updates.

As we all know celebrity endorsements can make a major difference to any product. Keek’s most famous users are the Kardashian and Jenner clans. In fact, Kendall Jenner is the most popular user boasting over 1.8 million followers and over 67 million views of her videos.

Keek is the video equal to Twitter, with a focus on short and simple updates.

How does it work?

The video updates you post to Keek are known as “Keeks”. Keeks are a maximum of 36 seconds long. When you post a Keek you have the option to add a caption and also a hash tag. Keek uses the term Klusters to describe items which are trending. The most outstanding feature of Keek though has to be “Keekback”. A Keekback is basically a response to a Keek that’s been posted. However, instead of typing a comment users can use a video to Keekback which allows for a far more personable and effective response, opening up the possibility of instant face to face communication between brands and clients.

Pros

• Keek has apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows. It also has a website which means it’s super accessible for you to check in and see what’s new; so it’s great exposure for your videos. It also means when you’re out and about you can take videos on your mobile device and easily share them wherever you are.
• The steadily growing user base means that if get on board early there is a greater chance that you can rule the network with your awesome videos before your competitors jump on the band wagon.
• Video Keekbacks allow for more interactive and engaging conversations with your followers.
• Improve and keep measure of your Kred by using the ratings system to rate followers and have them rate you back.
• Use the stats dashboard to keep track of your video views including how many you’ve had, where they came from and also your traffic referrals.
• Keek really encourages interaction and discovery, making it easy for users to find new people to follow – which means more opportunity for them to find your brand.
• At present, there is no advertising on Keek – it’s all about the content. Keek offers a great user experience which will keep users coming back.
• You can share your Keeks on social networks like Facebook and Twitter too. Which means you can experiment with Keek without detrimenting your current social networks.

Cons

• Whilst this can be a positive factor, Keek’s user base is currently small and narrow, spread meaning you could get more exposure by using one of the other social video networks.
• Keek is not as aesthetically pleasing as some video networks and doesn’t allow for as much customisation. You can’t do things like change the cover image of your video, it automatically uses the first frame of your video as a thumbnail image.
• The only way you can optimise your video for search or discovery is by using Kluster hash tags. Meaning you either have to join the current conversation or attempt to create one of your own.

Which types of brands could Keek work best for?

Keek is very much all about interaction and quick responses in real time, so it would work best for a brand that is centred on a person, or a brand which has a social representative that is not camera shy. Celebrities, sports stars and bands could all benefit from the power of Keek’s real time updates and personalised responses.

This concludes our overview of Keek. We hope you enjoyed reading and that you picked up a great tip or two. Don’t forget to leave us a comment to tell us if you have or will be trying Keek (or what you use in its place!).