Changes are coming to your Facebook news feed in the form of 360-degree videos.

Earlier in 2015, Oculus Virtual Reality division dedicated itself to producing virtual reality movies with the use of 360-degree videos. Virtual reality has long been a staple in science-fiction films. Remember The Matrix?

Virtual reality has long been promised but hasn’t exactly been delivered. It’s a shame really. Wouldn’t it be awesome to experience a new world around you in, lets say, a video?

While not on the scale of The Matrix, 360-degree videos are a step in the right direction because of the experience they provide. More importantly, you won’t need to travel to the movie theater to see these videos. All you need to do is open up your news feed on Facebook or visit your favorite brand’s Facebook page.

360-Degree Videos on your news feed.

On September 23, 2015, the social media giant announced that they want to take your news feed into the future with the support of 360-degree videos. They explained:

“Our goal at Facebook is to connect you with the people and things that matter, every single day. Over time, we’ve seen that people enjoy more immersive content in their news feeds. This is one reason video has been so successful on Facebook, and we’re excited to take it a step further…”

The support of 360-degree videos are possible through a partnership with the Oculus virtual reality system, which was purchased by Facebook earlier in the year.

This move was made after YouTube began to support immersive videos back in March. Facebook’s goal is for users to become more immersive with content and improve their overall Facebook experience.

How do 360-Degree Videos Work?

Using 360-degree videos are surprisingly simple. As a 360-degree movie plays, you can rotate your point-of-view to see any direction. This is done by a special set of cameras to record all angle of a scene together. When you’re watching these videos on a desktop, all you need to do is more your cursor to glance around. Simple enough, right?

Viewing these videos on a mobile device is a bit different. You don’t need to swipe your fingers on the screen to movie your angle view. Instead, your view changes as your device moves. In short, if you turn left, the video will do the same and show you what’s in that direction. Talk about increased user interaction, right?

In regards to mobile use, Facebook explained that viewing 360-degree videos is only compatible on Android devices…at least for the time being. Users should expect iOS compatibility in the next few months.

What does this mean for Marketers?

360-degree videos truly is a WOW factor as well as a different form of storytelling. So obviously it will affect your marketing efforts. Virtual reality can bring customers to far away places, include immersion to product demonstration and allow customers to have new experiences that no image or video could ever provide.

A perfect example is the upcoming movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Facebook demonstrated 360-degree video capabilities with a sneak peak video from the movie. Not only did it show off the new feature, but also it allowed viewers to actually experience the movie. Talk about hype!

Currently, this feature is available to only a select few publishers; however, you can expect this to change in the next few months. More importantly, don’t be surprised if 360-degree videos soon become the norm for content creation.

Do you think that 360-degree videos will become a new norm for marketers? Let us know what you think.

At Kraus Marketing, we remain knowledgeable about the latest news in digital marketing, SEO and website design. To stay up to date on the latest industry trends, make sure to visit our blog. For more information, contact us at 973-998-5742 or visit us online at www.KrausMarketing.com.