Everybody is talking about 360 degree interactive video, but what does it really mean? Can it really reshape business videos the way people say? How would you benefit from this type of online video content?
We are increasingly approached by people wanting to know about 360 degree interactive video, and it’s easy to understand why it’s becoming so popular. People are 66% more likely to watch it, and they do so for 44% longer, plus the way they interact with it produces lots of useful feedback. One study found that 360 videos produce twice as many conversions as traditional ones, with click-to-purchase rates up to 14 times as high.
Sound good? Read on to find out more.
The History of 360 Videos
So, what is 360 video?
360 degree video is an engaging and immersive type of video content which has gained popularity in recent months with the likes of Facebook and Youtube. It allows the viewer to move around the camera without limits, giving them control of what they see.
It’s a technology that originated in 1995, immediately making a splash, after the Immersive Media Company put a 360 panorama camera in the middle of a basketball court to produce a truly immersive experience. Many marketers immediately saw the potential of this, but it took another nine years for the company to release a panorama camera – the spherical Dodeca System – to the wider market. This was a system inspired by the multifaceted bug eyes found in nature, developed through science to revolutionise filming in studio and outdoor settings.
360 film: The Latest Trends
Since then, 360 video has come a long way. The idea of being able to watch a sequence and click anywhere, at any time, to change perspective, was popularised in computer games and became even more popular with the invention of Virtual Reality headsets like Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard. These innovations gave users access to a more compelling experience. The 360 video camera technology was picked up by Google Streetview and started to be used in industries like security, whilst UK film studios began to investigate the potential of live 360 film for events.
The big breakthrough came in March 2015, when a YouTube 360 video platform was launched. With Facebook 360 video facilities appearing later that year, the potential of the system for advertising became clear. You can now use video production services like ours to create your own 360 degree video Facebook or YouTube experience, which studies show viewers will watch for 44% longer than traditional web video. If you put it on your website, you could increase click to purchase rates by as much as 14 times.
The benefits of 360 video
There are clear benefits of 360 degree video content when including it in your marketing strategy. Aside from the unlimited possibility it gives to viewers and content creators; it encourages engagement and, through this, has over 3 times the conversion rate of traditional video content and a 30% higher repeated view rate. It’s clear that your audience is likely to respond better to your marketing efforts if they have immersive, 360 degree video content to interact with.
70% of marketers who have used 360 videos say it has increased engagement for them.
Watch a 360 movie
For YouTube, 360 video is more than just a new platform, it’s a marketing tool in itself. Working together with Snoop Dog, YouTube created Snoopavision, one of their most popular April Fools of all time. You can see the original movie here. It proved such a hit that a short series followed, teasing fans and generating serious interest in the 360 YouTube was developing seriously. You can see what the platform has done with 360 video here, with an innovative look at London which really shows off what the panorama camera can do. Watching videos like this shows you the potential of this technology. Why not contact our London video production team to see what they could do for you?
Potential Uses in your Marketing Strategy:
There are many ways to incorporate this technology into your marketing campaigns. Here are a few ideas:
Live Event Filming:
If you’re holding a corporate or public event, why not give those who couldn’t be there a chance to watch it virtually – live or otherwise. Take festivals for example, filming this live event not only gives you some quality content to attract your audience with; but also an opportunity to repurpose this footage into promotional material to endorse future events. Show your audience what you offer in an extraordinary way.
Interactive Video Tours
Whether you’ve opened up a new store or you want to draw attention to yourself at trade shows, 360 degree video is a great way to show people where you are and what you have to offer.
Data, Data, Data
The more people engage with your video, the more information you collect about your audience. This data can be used to improve what you offer your audience – and how you market it to them. Data will tell you their preferences, which part of the content they were most interested in and plenty of other useful information you can use to refine your marketing strategy.
