When Google released the free Photo Sphere app about a year ago (which has since been renamed the Street View app), they gave us the ability to take 360-degree street view photos with our phones and post them to the public Google Maps archive. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any kind of social media support for this kind of thing, so the excitement ceiling was pretty low.
But now that Facebook has introduced 360-degree photo support, all that has changed.
How to Make True 360-Degree Photos
If you want to post a true 360-degree photo to Facebook, here’s what you need to do.
- Download the free Google Street View app.
- Push the camera icon.
- Spend 1 minute or less aligning your camera with the orange dots provided by the app while you spin in a circle (sounds weird, but trust me, it wasn’t hard at all).
- Tap the checkmark.
- You’ve got a 360-degree photo ready to be posted! (Can’t find it? It’s in your phone’s camera roll.)
Now, I wrote this blog post in my home office, so that’s where I took my 360-degree photo. This is a screenshot of that orange dot I was talking about:
When you first set up the photo for posting on Facebook, the thumbnail will probably look like a regular panorama:
But as soon as you hit publish — MAGIC! The photo isn’t a regular panorama, and it isn’t a video, either.
It’s a true 360-degree photo that your friends can explore, either by holding up their phone and physically turning in a circle or by moving the image with their thumb. If they want to see what’s on the right side of the room, they pull the image around until they get their desired point of view. They can see everything just as you see it — like they’re standing in the middle of the space where you took the photo.
Your Facebook app does need to be updated to the latest version in order for this to work, by the way.
Why This Is Good for Your Business
Novelty is always a useful thing for businesses, and right now, not many companies are taking advantage of 360-degree photos on Facebook. This could be a new, interesting way to showcase an event, publicize a sale, or just have fun online!
Anytime you can get your face, product, or service in front of a whole host of current or potential clients, it’s good for business — and 360-degree photos give you a fresh way to present your company to the public.
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Whether you’re interested in 360-degree photos, video marketing, or pay-per-click advertising, Uptick’s got what you need. What are you waiting for? Contact us today and take your business to the next level!
