The 360-Degree Video Revolution

Is your company a candidate to join the 360-degree video revolution?

It’s hard not to notice all the chatter being tossed around these days about the uses for Virtual Reality and it’s “sibling”, 360° video. Although both VR and 360-degree video are technologies that relate to each other, the differences lie in the way the experience is captured -- 360-degree video with a camera, while VR is usually a 3D animated experience.

Looking a bit closer, 360° video allows a user to watch a recorded video, and at the same time gives that user the freedom to control the viewing angle in a full 360-degree field of vision. This interactivity simulates the experience of “being there”. The viewer can freely look around, and experience every detail of the environment.

Unlike VR, which also allows for “independent” movement and interaction with objects in the environment, 360-degree video is nonetheless an incredibly immersive way to create video content that your audience will appreciate and enjoy.

Since the beginning of the “social media era”, videos have always made quite an impact on the medium. In all its forms, from Facebook to Instagram, video content is the preferred technology that creative and innovative marketing departments in every industry are now focusing on.

The reasons are clear. According to Hootsuite, 360 videos used in online marketing have a much higher click-through rate, as well as significantly increased numbers of views and shares when compared with standard format videos. In fact, a recent Google study reveals that 360 videos are 42% more likely to be shared than ordinary video. This results in greater engagement as well as an increase in cost efficiency. 360 Video and VR applications are here to stay, and empowers companies of all kinds to provide viewers with a 360-degree view of all that they have to offer!

So …. It’s easy to see that 360-degree video can offer an opportunity for brands to create more immersive and user-friendly experiences for their targeted customers across all social media channels. As we’ve seen, in addition to having the potential to create positive benefits on marketing and SEO efforts, 360-degree video can also help companies to build stronger and more recognizable branding, allowing them to set themselves apart in an ever-increasing sea of content.

Now that we’ve discussed 360-degree video and its ability to use an “all-angles” approach, it’s easy to see why the technology is considered by some to be a form of virtual reality (VR). Immersive formats can certainly prove more effective than traditional video in creating an emotive response in people engaged in this experience. Because the viewer can choose to interact with the technology with freedom to choose the content and the way they view it, engagement is greatly enhanced. New advances in mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone 8 and “X” make it even easier to adjust your phone to change perspective.

Furthermore, with technology such as Google’s Cardboard, you can enhance your experience by “head mounting” your phone using this inexpensive, easy-to-assemble visor.

Now let’s look at a few examples of 360 videos:

Healthcare: youtu.be/IMr-_GB-n9U

Museum Tour: youtu.be/OPseiSRHyNo

The Daily 360 / NY Times: https://youtu.be/LdUxW8_59bA?list=PL4CGYNsoW2iDN-xj9xxfgRLsqmAdY8J_W

Be part of an interview: youtu.be/tHPejMRHTGc

Amusement Park: youtu.be/Js_Jv5EzOv0

Documentary: youtu.be/ecavbpCuvkI

Non-Profit Storytelling: youtu.be/jz5vQs9iXCs

After experiencing the power of these immersive video applications, it should be obvious that using 360-degree video and VR technology can greatly enhance your marketing efforts, while building brand and helping you to stand out from the competition.

Here are a few things we feel are important to remember when deciding when to use this technology:

1. Use the technology selectively – When you use 360-degree video or VR technology, you need to remember that you’re now asking the user to become a greater part of the experience – your use of the chosen content needs to support this role, so be selective in the ways you choose to use it!

2. Have an “attention grabber” – something specific in this immersive world that will grab a user’s attention, and make the experience relevant.

3. Carefully choose your publishing platforms – Research where your target audience “lives” -- that is, where do they spend their greatest amount of viewing time … that’s where you’ll have the greatest affect!

Quast Media offers state-of-the-art 360-degree video experiences. Click here to view more examples of 360-video and to learn how we can develop, design, and implement a customized immersive experience that can allow you to better engage your audience, build your revenues, and allow your brand to “stand apart” from all the others!