A lot can happen in six seconds—but is that enough time to make a lasting impression?

With nearly 40 million users on the ad-free social network, marketers are getting creative with how they can utilize Vine to get their brand’s message across. I love that companies are leveraging Vine as a free marketing platform and creating their own videos. Lets be real here, how many companies really have a multi-million dollar marketing budget allocated for TV spots? Not many.

I have a very short attention span. I find myself checking my Instagram feed, text messages and emails even while writing this. I can watch a six second video without getting distracted, however (I know, it’s an amazing feat). That’s the beauty of Vine—if marketers are to use this platform, they are forced to communicate their story within a mere six seconds—and not one second more.

Take a look at the #OreoSnackHack campaign which does a great job at showcasing an innovative way to use its product:

However, unlike Facebook and Twitter, marketers don’t have the choice to select the “sponsored” or “promoted” option on Vine, but that isn’t stopping them from getting into the mind of consumers. Brands are finding a way around this by making use of a form of stealth advertising. Companies are scouring out the platform’s most popular users with social reach in the millions to “organically” push their products by incorporating them into their vines. The rate for these six-second clips can be anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000, taking into account the user’s social influence and target audience. This guerrilla marketing tactic is taking the marketing world by storm, as even big-name brands such as Coca-Cola and Virgin Mobile are experimenting with the short videos.

Below, big-time Vine influencer Jake Paul makes a comedic video on his attempt to steal a bottle of Coke from a friend. I know personally I perceive a message to be much different when coming from a “regular user,” as opposed to the company itself. In the video’s description, however, it notes that the vine is brought to you by Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke marketing campaign):

Gary Vaynerchuk, Co-Founder of GrapeStory, states, “[Vine] is kind of like a hit show. I don’t care if The Voice is going to be a successful TV show in three years. It’s successful right now. Thus, I should advertise on it.” I couldn’t agree more!