Digital Clarketing: 360-Degree Content Has Officially Taken Over Our Newsfeeds

Scroll down your Facebook timeline for a few minutes, and you’re bound to stumble upon a 360-degree video posted by a consumer brand. It’s one of the newest and hottest trends in digital marketing after all, so get used to seeing this engaging form of content all over your social channels for the next couple of years. With that said, is this type of content the right fit for every business and (most importantly) your business? For some agencies, this is the million-dollar question. Here are some answers to your questions about this emerging technology and how it can be integrated into your digital content strategy.

Wait, are we talking about virtual reality?

No, not technically. Thanks to mainstream media, 360-degree video is often labeled as virtual reality. Thankfully, 360-degree video gives you much of the same effect for a fraction of your budget.

What are this content’s advantages over traditional video?

The biggest advantage to 360-degree video is that it’s incredibly engaging. With a click of the mouse or tap of the finger, your customers can be placed anywhere in the world and explore environments they never imagined. While anyone with a smartphone can enjoy a 360-degree video, consumers with VR devices — like the Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard — can also view them. The interactions are meaningful and the impact on social is lasting, shareable and measurable. Coca-Cola, for instance, saw huge success in its ad performance with 360-degree video, which outperformed standard in-stream video by 36%.

Can I create this content with a normal camera?

While a standard camera can take a photo or video at one angle, a 360-degree camera captures footage at multiple angles and simultaneously stitches them together to give you spherical view of your entire surrounding. If all of this sounds confusing, it’s because it is. Just know that the money is worth the content quality.

There are smartphone apps that allow you to take 360-degree photos, like Google Street View. But if you’re dedicating part of your digital strategy to these immersive videos, it’s worth a few hundred dollars to purchase a quality 360-degree camera.

Ok I’m in. So what type of 360-degree content should I create?

This is where you can get creative. Every brand strives to tell its story, and 360-degree video is the perfect medium to do this. Depending on your campaign goals, 360-degree video is ideal for content ranging from virtual tours in real estate marketing to live-streaming event presence for consumer brand marketing. Retail brand Lokai produced a 360-degree film to raise awareness for Ethiopia’s water crisis, while Marriott Hotels transported its guests to exciting travel destinations around the globe from the comfort of their own hotel room. There’s no end to the potential for creative ideas here. The reality (not virtual) is that this content is here to stay, so experiment and let us know your results.