Brewing lessons from social media's past, sip two: Vine, Periscope, and Ello

Welcome back to the Social Coffeehouse, where we blend past insights with future strategies, one brew at a time. Last time, we explored the stories of MySpace, Friendster, and Google+. Today, in the second sip of our series, we're pouring over the tales of Vine, Periscope, and Ello – three social media platforms that innovated, but ultimately faded from the spotlight.

As we sip our coffee, we'll explore their journeys from rise to fall, which can offer us valuable lessons on building more resilient and engaging social media strategies.

Vine: The Rise and Fall of Short-Form Video

Vine was a pioneer in short-form video sharing, captivating users with its 6-second clips. Launched in 2013, Vine quickly gained popularity, especially among younger generations. However, when Instagram introduced Stories and IGTV in 2016, Vine struggled to keep up. Despite being acquired by Twitter, Vine was eventually sunsetted in 2016.

The lesson from its story is that innovation is not enough. Even if you're the first to market with a new feature or format, you need to continuously adapt to changing user behaviors and technological advancements. Instagram's introduction of Stories and IGTV was a game-changer, and Vine's failure to adapt ultimately led to its demise.

Periscope: The Live Streaming Pioneer

Periscope was a trailblazer in live streaming, launched by Twitter in 2015. It quickly gained popularity, especially among users who wanted to share live video content. However, as Twitch, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live entered the scene, the market became oversaturated. Periscope's eventual closure in 2021 teaches us that differentiation is key. Even if you're first to market, you need to continuously innovate and differentiate yourself from the competition.

Its failure to differentiate itself from other live streaming platforms ultimately led to its decline. Despite being acquired by Twitter, the pltaform was unable to compete with the likes of Twitch and YouTube Live, which offered more features and better monetization options.

Ello: The Ad-Free Alternative

Launched in 2014, Ello positioned itself as an ad-free alternative to existing social media. However, its basic feature set and weak monetization plan made it hard to attract and retain users. Despite its initial popularity, Ello was unable to compete with other social media that offered more features and better monetization options.

Ello's story teaches us that sustainability matters, and that a solid business model is crucial to a platform's long-term success. Without a clear plan for revenue, even the best ideas can falter. Its failure to develop a sustainable business model ultimately led to its decline.

The common thread among these three platforms is the importance of adaptability, differentiation, and sustainability.

As we finish our second cup of coffee in this series, let's reflect on how these lessons can inform our own social media strategies. How have you seen these principles play out in your own experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And see you next week for our third and last sip from our faded social media series!?