Instagram announces video sharing; what does it mean for you?

Instagram’s video sharing is almost certainly a response to Twitter’s Vine app, which just surpassed 13 million users. Facebook, which acquired Instagram in April 2012, is almost certainly viewing this move as creating its own version of Vine, considering that Instagram’s photos no longer appear in Twitter messages anymore, but can be made into Facebook tabs. (Vine does have Facebook sharing, however.)

There are some major differences between Instagram’s new offering and Vine. Instagram’s videos will be 15 seconds rather than six and will include filters. Vine recently unveiled new features of its own, including video drafts and a redesigned stream.

So what does this mean for PR pros, communicators, and brands?

Besides meaning another social media tool that managers will have to keep up with, observers such as Jonathan Rick, senior director of social media at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are optimistic.