There has never been a time when live streaming has been more relevant to social media marketing trends than now. No matter what the best live video streaming platform is currently, the actual purposes of streaming are far and wide. With continuous evolution and ongoing development in the field of streaming videos, there are a lot of things that the audience is offered on this single platter.
360-degree webcasting and VR streaming are one of the latest feats of innovation and achievement in this age of digital solutions. Along with the different types of content we are now able to cater to the audiences, VR webcasting is an efficient and effective method to reach your objectives defined for this type of marketing and promotional projects. With VR gears becoming more easily accessible, social media marketing trends are changing to accommodate 360 streaming solutions into the fold as well. While VR and 360-degree webcasting might not be the same thing, they do fall into the same family of the immersive and life-like user experience.
What Is A 360-Degree Video And How Is It Different From VR?
In layman terms, a 360-degree video gives the user the chance to watch pre-recorded videos with a controllable viewing angle of a 360-degree field of vision. To the user, it feels like he/she is there and can look around everywhere.
Although the simulation of being there is a common link with VR, you can’t move around and interact with objects in the video as you do in VR. so despite being very similar, there are intrinsic differences between both.
How Is 360-Degree Streaming Used By Marketers?
Once you understand the proper functioning of 360-degree live streaming, it is easy to see how it can be used by marketers to further their marketing and branding goals. With an increasing number of people having access to smartphones and other devices that support social media networks, you will find that 360-degree videos can be commonly seen by the masses. Facebook and Youtube are two of the best streaming service providers for 360 videos when compared to other social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram.
1. 360-degree webcasting on Facebook
Facebook purchased the popular VR webcasting technology of Oculus Rift as early as 2014, gaining the advantage of being able to support 360-videos much before their competitors. They made it easy, accessible and very popular in a short amount of time. Facebook has fine-tuned its own technical support to have as little buffering or lag in the video as possible.
Any person with the Facebook app on their mobile can watch and handle such videos easily, as simply moving around of the device can change the angle too. On the other hand, watching 360-degree streaming videos on the desktop means that you have to drag the mouse and use the WASD keys constantly to move around the viewing angle, making you disillusioned from the whole experience.
2. 360-degree webcasting on Youtube
Youtube has also been very quick in grabbing onto the social media marketing trends of VR streaming and getting the benefits of holding the relative monopoly in this industry. The disadvantage of using Youtube as the platform to watch 360-degree streaming is that if you are using a mobile browser to do so, the 360 capabilities will not be activated. They will only work if you are watching the video on the app, either on the desktop or on your mobile device.
From a viewer’s perspective, applications like Google Cardboard are of great help in enhancing the viewing experience, giving it a more isolated and intense quality. Youtube is already popular as a video viewing platform, so a marketer already has access to an audience base that prefers video over another type of marketing content. Therefore, providing them with an experience that is much more than just visual stimulation, they can do a lot in terms of engagement and building customer loyalty. Youtube is now also dedicated to becoming the best streaming service along with the most popular provider of on-demand videos.
Whether you use the best live streaming service or any other medium to do 360-degree and VR streaming live, the essence of this exercise is to tickle your imagination. There is so much you can do with this tool at hand and as a marketer, there is nothing better than having limitless possibilities at hand. 360-degree tours, live streaming concert in 360, sports matches and so much more, think big and give your audience that best.
How Do You Shoot 360-Degree Streaming Content?
Even by looking at a simple 360-degree webcasting video, one can tell that it requires different types of camera and equipment to make it possible. The specialized camera has to be capable of shooting at multiple angles simultaneously to effectively give a 360 viewing angle to the user. Such cameras come at both, professional tech level as well as an easily accessible device for consumers.
Popular and innovative brands like GoPro have a 16 camera rig equipment if you are looking at the higher end of the spectrum. With a product offering 6 camera rigs as well, there are options to choose from as you build strategies to improve your live streamings. Similarly, Facebook has also invested VR webcasting and 360-degree technologies, developing their own rig capable of recording such videos.
While these two are the more expensive options, Kodak’s Pixpro SP360, Nikon’s Keymission 360 and even RICO Theta are some of the more affordable choices for users. What you have to keep in mind is that even after shooting with such equipment, the video will have to be stitched together to make a comprehensive and cohesive 360 viewing experience. With the big names investing in the technology behind such social media marketing trends, it is obvious that the market for 360 streaming solutions is growing at a fast pace.
Conclusion
Social media marketing trends in the past may have focused on branding and pushing the marketing agenda, but today it is all about connecting with people on the basis of impactful experiences. So make use of the best live video streaming platform, make strategies to improve your live streamings and make use of the amazing 360 solutions available to you. The future of VR webcasting is bright and we are excited for all that it brings!
