Vine Is Rolling Out Custom URLs

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Vanity URLs are coming to Vine.

On Monday, Vine will begin letting users register for custom website URLs, such as Vine.co/RhettPardon, which direct toward profiles with easy-to-remember links, rather than links tough to digest. Facebook and Twitter, which owns Vine, already offer custom URLs.

Porn stars, likely the largest working group grabbing the vanity URLs, will be cashing in on the strength of social-media marketing with them.

Brian Gross of Woodland Hills, Calif.-based BSG Public Relations, which represents scores of adult entertainment clients, says Vine's announcement represents a golden opportunity for performers.  

"I know that my clientele will look forward to this opportunity to increase awareness for themselves and their brand," Gross told XBIZ. "They are savvy in the fact that they know their audience, they know what their audience wants, and opportunities like this will be beneficial to everyone."

Lauren MacEwen, an adult social-media marketer with 7Veils.com, agreed, noting that custom URLS fix a glitch for publicity measures.

"One of the challenges with Vine was that you couldn't share your profile with people," MacEwen told XBIZ. "The only way for people to follow you was directly on the Vine app, through one of your videos. A custom URL will allow people to share their actual Vine profiles, as opposed to a single Vine. It will be able to mirror your branding, thus reinforcing your social, and overall, branding strategy."

MacEwen also said that the custom URLs also will allow performers to increase their following by sharing profiles on official websites and various social properties.

"'Claiming your name' also insures that the property is yours and not being used by someone trading on your name. It gives you the opportunity to add more authenticity to your Vines." 

Starting Monday, users can head to vine.co to register for their vanity URL. Users will log in with information for their Vine account, and then they'll be sent to a page where they can register for their profile URL.

Verified users on Twitter will be allowed to register for profiles early, beginning Friday at 9 a.m. PST. Vine will automatically reserve custom URLs that mirror the handles of verified Twitter users, but those users must still register to lock down the URL.

Verified Twitter users may also grab a custom URL that is different from their Twitter handle. But once a profile URL is taken, it cannot be registered by someone else.