DIY Technology: Virtual Reality

This is the first of a series of posts focused on free tools that enable marketers to quickly and easily harness new technologies

Check out the other post in this series here.

Augmented reality… virtual reality… artificial intelligence — experiences that once seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie are quickly becoming the new normal in today’s marketing landscape.

These new technologies go hand-in-hand with experiential content to provide a superior customer experience, enabling more immersive storytelling and bringing your brand stories to life in new and exciting ways.

And here’s some more good news: you don’t have to be a tech guru to harness these technologies yourself and take your marketing to the next level.

Our first focus in this DIY series is on virtual reality, or VR. Google recently launched Tour Creator, a (free!) tool that enables you to quickly create virtual tours from existing Street View/360 imagery. (You can also upload your own if you have it.) On top of that you can layer points of interest with additional images, descriptions and details, and then easily embed your own virtual tours on your website.

I tried it myself and created a tour in about 20 minutes. Granted, the quality of Street View imagery varies by place (some areas were crisp; others pixelated), but if you spend a little more time selecting places with better imagery (or, again, uploading your own – Street View-ready products are surprisingly affordable), you can create a share-worthy virtual tour that will quite literally immerse potential visitors in your destination.

Here’s a gallery of tours that others have created: https://poly.google.com/tours

Give it a try yourself at https://vr.google.com/tourcreator/.

If DIY doesn’t do it for you, get in touch: Miles works with clients to create more immersive, story-driven VR and 360 experiences such as this island adventure video for Amelia Island and an overview of the endless discoveries to be had in Delaware.