Virtual Reality is set to completely upend the way we connect with content creators on social. Since it first launched in September of last year, Facebook 360, along with a select group of invite-only brands and media companies, has been giving a master class on how it's done. The good news is that now, everyone is invited to play.
If you've been paying attention, you've probably sped across the Jakku Desert in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens experience, gone surfing with GoPro in Tahiti or seen the implications Facebook 360 will have on news coverage of international events such as the Paris terror attacks.
From places you want to go, to things you want to see or know, the possibilities are truly remarkable. Facebook 360 allows you to become fully immersed in news, brand experiences, entertainment, sports, travel and live events like never before. And it's just the beginning.
We recently produced a Facebook 360 video for Paramount's Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension, which after 8 years, represents the final piece of creative content that will emerge from the revered horror franchise. What's also notable about this 360 video is the fact that our team endeavored to make it a truly immersive, interactive VR experience that touched on the film's themes, and included plenty of "Easter eggs" for the viewer to discover. With surprises, frights and delights coming from all angles, viewers are enticed to engage in repeat viewings.
As a fun, strategic twist, we decided to cast social influencers and fans of Paranormal Activity to star in the video. The cross promotion coming from the influencers helped us to expand our reach and social prominence. We also partnered with gaming and entertainment behemoth IGN to further amplify distribution.
360 Degree Paranormal Activity SeanceContacting the dead is never a good idea - unless you record it on a 360-degree camera.
Posted by IGN on Tuesday, December 15, 2015
To date, the video has been watched more than one million times.
From a qualitative standpoint, the benefits of Facebook 360 videos are centered around connection and experience, but as far as data and performance goes, there are a few core benefits to keep in mind:
- Facebook 360 videos are favored by the Facebook algorithm in the Newsfeed.
- 360 videos rack up views because people watch multiple times in order to enjoy the full experience.
- Once you pass a certain view threshold depending on the number of targeting groups, Facebook allows you to automatically create a custom audience of people who watched your content. This allows you to retarget those people OR exclude them from future videos to build a larger unique audience.
A few things to note about the Facebook 360 ad unit:
- You can only boost 360 video content that has been uploaded to your Page
- Facebook's Reach and Frequency tool can be used for Facebook 360 videos
- Additional ad features such as uploading via Power Editor, promoting unpublished posts, etc. will be available in the coming months following more testing by Facebook
As with all shiny new things, more information and best practices will become available in the near future after more adoption and more testing, but one thing is for certain: we're in for an exciting ride.