From what I’ve seen, Vine will not replace more expansive forms of social networking, like Facebook or even Twitter. (Never thought I’d see the day when Twitter would be considered long winded). But what Vine lacks in extensiveness it makes up for in quirkiness which translates into interest. It’s weird and different and we like it that way. We are the same culture that watched every move Dennis Rodman made from marrying himself to leading the league in rebounds. We like unique. And in the social media world of copycat sites and pedestrian mediums, it’s cool to see a platform that is about brevity and not excess. Lord knows I’ve tired of people writing page long Facebook tirades (my own tirades excluded of course).
As for its usefulness for businesses, I’m not sure most markets will benefit greatly from it in it’s current state but nonetheless, a free 6 second commercial is still better than no commercial at all. Vine does allow you to make some great business contacts so that your commercial can potentially be seen by folks that can help grow your brand. That potential is always worth the effort, especially when it’s only 6 seconds worth of effort.