360 Photography: You Don’t Have to Be Rich to Use Rich Media in Higher Education

Rich Media Fuels Engagement

At Caylor Solutions, we’ve long been preaching that using rich media is an important way to engage everyone who comes to your higher education website.  Whether your visitor is a prospective student or an alum, using a variety of media channels is a great way to grab their interest… and keep it.

In the past, we’ve talked about utilizing video, infographics (see an example here), photography, quotes, statistics, audio, and other rich media options to provide depth. We’ve recently discovered a tool that provides an affordable and easy way to add 360 images to your website or upload them to Google maps, allowing potential visitors a “virtual tour” without the high price tag that can come with a professionally done virtual tour.

The Theta 360 Camera for Higher Education

The Theta 360 Camera is an affordable and easy-to-use tool that takes amazing 360 views in one snap. These images can be used in many ways, but here are a couple of ways our higher education clients are using them:

• Franklin College:  We took a series of photos at strategic locations throughout the campus and then uploaded them to Google maps.  You can see some of the images here.  Google will sometimes reject indoor images, so this application is best for an outdoor campus virtual tour. However, nothing limits your ability to post indoor 360 views on your own website.
• Association of Biblical Higher Education:  We took images of their conference facility so that potential users of the facility could get a panoramic view of the room setups available.

The Sky is the Limit

With a little practice and creativity, the possible uses for this type of rich media in higher education are endless. Faster and easier than video, it can provide a piece of media that is engaging and affordable, with little to no professional editing needed.  Of course, there are times that professional photography and video are critical.  But consider some of these ways to use 360 views at your institution:

• Indoor and Outdoor Virtual Tours of Campus: Give potential students a preview of student life.
• 360 Views at Sporting Events: Make your sporting event come alive!
• A Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Using a 360 photo, reward users for finding specific items that reinforce your brand and messaging.
• 360 Views of Any Event:  Make users wish they were there by putting them in the middle of the action.

You are only limited by your creativity!

If you’d like assistance with a strategy for using this and other rich media tools, contact us today. We are also available to plan and shoot your 360 Tours.

Looking for Enrollment Marketing Content that Works?

You’re in luck! We’ve curated 25 awesome ideas inspired by top higher ed institutions across the country and put them in one handy guide: 25 Ideas for Great Admissions Content.

In this brand new resource from Caylor Solutions, you’ll get…

• • 25 enrollment marketing content ideas you might never have considered before
  • Guidance on how to use each one for best results
  • Brief discussion on why they work to help you sell these ideas to your team

Get inspired.
Get enrollment results.
Get 25 Ideas for Great Admissions Content.
Download your copy today!

Featured image by vborodinova via Pixabay