Question: Should I Be Using 360-Video?

Answer:

For arguably the first time, 360-video is finally mainstream enough that nearly all viewers will have no trouble viewing it and they have a great user experience while doing so.

The Market is Finally Ready for 360-video

The rollout has been slower than many in the industry thought over the last few years. But one by one different popular sites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc. gradually integrated the technology. Not only across their websites, but their apps as well. This means there’s no better time to get on board and bring your brand into the 360 world. (I say 360 instead of VR, because there is a definite difference.)) That being said, 360-video isn’t for everyone and isn’t for every brand. When utilized properly, 360-video can be incredibly fun and engaging. We completed a project recently with our friends at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank that showcased one of their great volunteer events in a simple, but effective time-lapse style video.  This video proved to be wildly successful for them. It hadsthe most views and the highest engagement of any video they had ever posted on Facebook to date.

But 360 For the Sake of 360 = Bad

When you create 360-video just for the sake of creating a 360-video, though, the result could come off as gimmicky or not an engaging experience for the user. Doing this can ultimately damage the success of future 360-videos that brands release. Users might remember the previous videos as not being a good use of their time to watch and not give the newer videos a watch, which obviously is not a desirable outcome. The moral of the story is that 360-video can be done in incredibly cool and effective ways. But, it does require the same strategy and planning that goes into a more traditional video. Our team would love to help guide you through that process, so if you are ready to get on board with 360 video, feel free to reach out. We’ll work with you to create a compelling concept. And we can even to give you advice on if we think that an alternative method would be best to achieve your goals. 360-video is definitely growing in popularity. The only thing left to consider is when to jump into this new and exciting world!