Influencers build audiences with great content, interesting stories and an authentic connection to the people who follow. As marketer it is our duty to connect brands to these audiences on mobile. A great mobile platform for short form content is Vine.

We’ve run dozens of campaigns on YouTube where creators integrate the brand’s messaging into the video and based on the complexity of the campaign, the customization of the content, and the high-touch nature of influencer campaigns, we value a video view on YouTube at $.10 when the video is chosen by the audience to be watched; not a paid media placement. In cases where the campaign is very niche that value will increase to $.12 or $.15.

But if a Vine loop in comparison is just six seconds, how much is a Vine loop worth

A reach out to Twitter reveals they don’t have any hard benchmarks on the value of a Vine loop. When a statistically sound study is published, or when Twitter reveals the value of a loop we’ll take that information into account. For now we took our own path to determine the value of a Vine loop.

Determining the Value of Online Video

One creative director at Ayzenberg mentioned that it takes 4-5 loops of a Vine to understand the message and that’s an interesting point, so we compared VIne to existing video ad models below to help determine what the cost of a view might be.

  • 30 Second Spots: These are sold across programming to develop reach and frequency for advertisers. Let’s call this 100 percent of cost for a TV spot.
  • 15 Second Spots: These are sold at a premium in many cases. Half the length of the ad is sold for 50 to 70 percent of the cost of a 30 second spot. These ads tell a full story and are used by media buyers to extend reach and frequency for lower cost than their 30 second counterparts.
  • 10 Second Sponsorships: Sold as caption sponsorships these ad units will include voice-over and banner as a show goes to commercial. In most cases these ad units don’t tell a complete story. These ads are 33.3 percent of a 30 second placement, and cost between 20-45 percent of a 30 second spot. In some cases the advertiser is paying a premium to own this inventory.

A Little Bit About YouTube’s True View Ads

This ad unit requires the user to watch a pre-roll video for at least 30 seconds. If the ad unit is shorter then the viewer is required to watch the entire duration of the ad. For longer ads, if the viewer skips it, the advertiser is not charged for the partial view. Depending on targeting the cost per view (CPV) is $.05 to $.08, but the cost is entirely based on an auction model where supply and demand determine pricing. Certainly the CPV can be as high as $.15.

ION has run dozens of influencer campaigns where creators who have amassed audiences integrate the brand’s message into the video. Based on the complexity of the campaign and the high touch nature of influencer initiatives, we value these ad units at $.12 to $.15.

This cost is higher than True View Ads because the messaging is not intrusive, interruptive or in the periphery of user attention. Users choosing to watch the influencer, the video and consume the endorsement are more apt to take cues from trusted voices rather than ad messages. The ultimate length of these videos are variable to the content, the creator and the interest of the user.

What A Vine View is Worth

Vine condenses the format into just 6 seconds and in that time frame, an entire story can be told.

On par with the shorter length 6 seconds is 20 percent of the “30 second standard,” so every loop is worth 1/5 of a standard 30 second view. Based on this model 5 loops equals one equivalent view. With a 25 percent premium, similar to other video ad units, 1 loop equates to ¼ of a view; 4 loops is one equivalent view.

So, in two different paths we get to 4-5 loops equating to one equivalized view. Since a YouTube influencer view is valued at $.10 that places the cost of a Vine loop at $.02 to $.025.

In other words, 30 seconds of loops, 5 loops, equates to a single view.