Using 360-Degree VR Video in Your Marketing Strategy

When people can’t come to you, you’ve got to go to them, and the way to show site selectors, investors, potential visitors, and new residents that you’ve got just what they’re looking for is to use PlaceVR technology.

Virtual reality and 360-degree video are transforming how people view and interact with the world, especially now as we come out of the COVID pandemic. Video (specifically virtual reality video) creates a sense of presence where viewers are transported into a realm full of experiences and possibilities.

With virtual reality and 360-degree video, viewers feel as though they are actually at the place they see through the VR headsets. With this type of video, viewers can walk through a virtual site tour, experience a day hiking through the mountains, or see a factory in action - all things they might want to do before moving to your community.

Using 360-Degree VR Video in Your Marketing Strategy

In general, 360-degree VR video has created a new way to communicate and share experiences. It has already allowed consumers to connect with brands, buyers to view real estate, tourists to view new attractions, and most importantly for you - site selectors to visit communities. All this can take place without anyone actually being there. More and more, organizations are beginning to take advantage of all that virtual reality has to offer. Golden Shovel Agency’s PlaceVR was the first in the economic development world. Contact us to become an innovator in the industry.

The Science Behind 360-Degree VR Videos

Virtual reality is possible because of the way our eyes and brain work. Each eye sees the world slightly differently because they are around three inches apart. The brain stitches the images together to create a 3D image of the world with a sense of depth. By calculating the differences between the images both eyes see, the brain knows how close or far an object is. VR recreates this through stereoscopic displays. Pretty neat, huh?

For a true 360-degree VR video to be shot, it must be taken from two slightly different perspectives that are offset from each other. Filming requires a level of skill and experience in shooting videos for VR. For these videos, several cameras are needed to capture 360 degrees' worth of images. If a video is meant to allow someone to “walk” through it, the cameras must capture 360-degree views of a large area. By moving arrows, hands, the head, or through eye-tracking, the viewer can see aspects of the image that they would not by looking straight ahead. This is what gives people a sense of actually being in a place and makes the experience fully immersive.

Quality Matters

Visual

When it comes to a 360-degree video, the technology used, along with the skill level of the videographer and editor make a big difference in whether the video feels real or just makes a person motion sick. The smallest inconsistencies like delays and incorrect field of view induce what is called simulator sickness. Hiring a professional marketing company helps prevent the likelihood of a viewer experiencing that.

Audio

As you know by now, virtual reality can be a full experience where viewers are virtually transported to wherever you want them to be. For everything to be complete, the audio must be consistent with real life. Spacial audio can be used in your videos which allows viewers to hear sound coming from different angles. For example, if someone is talking on their right side, they’ll hear it in their right ear.

Creating Opportunity

Economic developers often struggle to explain what their city, county, region, or state is like to someone who has never been there. When site selectors and business leaders are located in different areas of the country, or even the world, this inability to picture the area can become a roadblock. Now, these virtual tours make it possible to capture interest, showcase community assets, and attract attention from people and businesses looking to locate somewhere truly innovative. These days you’ve got to be innovative or you’re going to be invisible. Contact us to explore how you can use PlaceVR technology to reach more people and make economic development progress.

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