Did you know that 80% of the total consumer-based online traffic will be represented by video come 2019? No, we didn’t pull that number out of thin air; a recent study by CISCO said that. And that explains why every other player in Phoenix web design industry is out shooting video campaigns.

We are living in an information age where the attention span of an average person is shorter than that of a goldfish. With new content being uploaded every second, you content has to be super special or unique for catching people’s attention. Turns out, video content is better received than text-based content. No surprise there; videos are excellent at generating emotions and sensations that plain text simply can’t.

Facebook’s 360 Degree Videos

360 degree videos are live streaming videos that provide the best experience to mobile screen users as they only need to tilt the mobile phone to navigate it. Desktop users can also enjoy Live 360 videos by navigating through the mouse-scrolling.

Mostly, 360 degree videos are made for the mobile audience as 56% of Facebook users’ login from their mobile phones.

If you’re interested in producing 360 degree videos for your mobile users, here are some quick tips for you.

Buy a 360 camera

You will need a 360 camera to shoot these videos. The price of the camera depends on your budget; from Ricoh Theta S for $350 to Nokia’s Ozo for $45,000, there’s a huge price discrepancy. Granted, there’s a huge difference in video quality of these cameras too, but you do not need to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment to shoot a decent Live 360 video.

How to shoot?

What makes a Live 360 video different from a standard video is everything’s right in front of your vision. You cannot hide or try to overlook unwanted objects behind the camera – it’s 360 degree, after all. So, keep this in mind while shooting your scenes.

Also, since all the shots are filmed from a wide angle, it is recommended to keep the camera closer to the elements (or action) compared to the way you’d shoot with a standard camera.

Always make sure that the key elements – people or objects – are right in the center of your shots, or you’ll have a hard time stitching it at the end. And it’s a good idea to use a tripod to move your camera around, or you can leave your viewers feeling seasick (true story).

Do you even need a 360 Live video?

Now that’s a million dollar question. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Not all customer segments are going to enjoy a Live 360 video. If, say, you are shooting a sporting event, or a picturesque locale then using a 360 camera will give your audience a highly immersive experience.

But if you think that a Live 360 won’t impact your customers that much, or worse, just annoy them – stick with standard video content.

You Should Use 360 Live if…

Imagine taking a virtual tour of Facebook headquarters with a 360-degree field of vision. Now imagine that Mark Zuckerberg is your tour guide and that he is going to respond to all your questions in real-time.

Pretty amazing, right?

Okay, so your work space might not be as grand as Facebook’s, but a close shot, 360-degree video is super helpful in humanizing your brand and showcasing you company culture.

And in a world where most businesses are conducted online – without any face to face interaction – this kind of interactive video content can make a big difference in making you stand out in the crowd of competitors.