In the famous words of Nam June Paik, “The Future is now!â€, at least in the sense YouTube’s Advertisements have just pioneered the 360 degree world of video, rolling out the capability on Chrome, Android and iOS.
Back in January 2015, Google unveiled being able to support the feature, and has very recently seen the first takers from Bud Light & Coca-Cola with exceptionally high-production value.
JR Futrell, YouTube’s Ad product manager, remarked the new 360-degree format as a “mobile-first†initiative for two reasons:
- Motion – 360 ads will move with the mobile device, allowing you to view the video through a virtual lens.
- Mobile Is Dominating – In ten countries around the world, mobile searches have now surpassed that of desktop use, inspiring innovations to keep viewers watching advertisements longer.
When looking at how revenue is earned on YouTube in the first place, engagement is the most important aspect. It’s always been rumored that the more views you have, the more you make, but even videos with 1 million views could earn nothing unless viewers engage with the advertisement.
That’s why in the ever-changing world of video YouTube has taken the concept of viewer engagement to an entire new dimension: The World of 360 Motion.
Not Just For Corporations
Right away many viewers new to the concept would expect this technology to be limited to corporations or businesses with a large marketing budget to support the production value. But, creating a video in the three dimensional space has become surprisingly easy, and highly accessible to even the smallest business looking to advertise.
The trick is acquiring a camera capable of filming 360 Degree video format. As the technology improves, the amount of camera options has readily increased, including:
Tapping Into Viewers Curiosity
In order to run any effective advertisement you must capture the attention of your viewer within a split second. We’ve all seen the “Skip this Ad†after 5 seconds button, which has set the standard for how fast you need to capture your audiences attention on YouTube.
Skipped ads don’t create conversions, and nowadays unless there is something dynamic built into a video, viewers are quick to simply ignore it.
The goal with 360 Degree video is to take the viewers from a place of feeling passive, into a realm of activity and curiosity. The Ad can involve scripted elements similar to Coca Cola’s, or it can simply allow your viewers to spin the camera behind the scenes to get a perspective on how the ad was created.
Google sees this innovation as the future of advertising, and as food for thought, imagine how obsolete regular ads will feel once users can tap into this form of virtual reality.
Like everything, we’re advancing towards higher forms of stimulation.
Staying Ahead Of The Curve
Understandably, many business owners might feel overwhelmed by the prospect of generating 360 ads on their own. However, we assure you the process is as easy as regular video once you own the right camera mentioned above.
Getting into this trend before it’s inevitably dominant will keep your advertising campaign at the forefront of newer innovations once they happen. The more interesting your ads, the greater ROI for your company.
Once you have workable videos, follow these steps provided by Google to upload. Campaigns for 360 degree videos running as TrueView Ads can be set up in Adwords.
Image Source: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/9VrfFpXPK4E/maxresdefault.jpg
Jeremy Jensen is a Professional Photographer and Freelance Writer based in Lake Tahoe, CA. His work is centered around photojournalism, nature and music, but also loves any opportunity to work with people. To view his portfolio or to follow him on Social Media visit JeremyJensenMedia.com