Vine was launched way back in January of 2013, and since then its popularity has exploded across the social world. By April it had become the most downloaded app in the iOS store. What started as a fun and exciting way to share six-second videos with friends and family became a potential sleeper hit for marketers. This was never more apparent than during the 2014 Super Bowl, when Tide chose to interact with other ads, rather than spend millions for a 60-second spot. Tide wasn’t the first company to push the boundaries of Vine, but it’s one of the most recent success stories.

Here are three exciting reasons why Vine may very well be part of the future of social marketing:

1. Real Time Marketing:  As we’ve already seen, the ability to shape a marketing campaign in real time gives the brand an edge on its competition. A good plan is laid out beforehand, uses metrics as a guide, and put to use with skill and experience. But, a great plan allows itself to be dynamic and re-molded as engagement builds. By making changes as the campaign progresses, Vine allows the creative team, be it in house or an agency, to tweak their work and open up the door to a new virtual conversation with their audience.

2. Show Your Products in Action: Vine offers the chance to show off a lot in six seconds. The amount of information is only limited by the user’s creativity. Some brands have taken the core ideals of the Vine movement and used the short form videos to create informative boiler points. For example, Lowes has made a smattering of Vines that feature their products and some of their best uses. In fact, Lowes learned that sometimes an ad doesn’t have to actually drive a purchase for your product or service, but simply offering customers something that will make their lives easier can breed good will.

3. Engage Your Audience: With the incredible uptick in Vines being created and shared, one has to wonder what the end result is. There’s still a ways to go to see the long-standing impression Vine is going to leave us with, but at this moment Vine has eclipsed its humble beginnings and is at the forefront of micro-video content. Using a creative campaign featuring their own cups, Dunkin’ Donuts has amassed a solid following on Vine and Twitter, and seen an explosion of positive feedback in response to their Vines.

Tide is not the first, nor will it be the last, major brand to harness the power of Vine. Lowes is not the only home improvement store featuring the possibilities of their products on short form videos. And, Dunkin’ Donuts won’t be the only coffee shop to find a playful use for their branded cups. Whether we’ve seen the full potential, or just a smattering of what’s to come has yet to be seen, but one thing’s for sure; Vine is part of a new breed of social apps, and it’s going to be very interesting to see what sort of magic brand storytellers will conjure up to push the boundaries.

What do you think of Vine and its overall standing in the social marketing app space?

Michael Bonomo is a social media strategist focused on entertainment and branding. His obsession with new technology fuels his desire to create groundbreaking campaigns. You can follow Michael on Twitter at @mikebonomo