Facebook Rolls Out 3D Camera, Investing Big in VR

Mark Zuckerberg spent most of last quarter mired in controversy for indiscriminately sharing millions of Facebook users’ account details with third-party vendors. His punishment? Peeling off that ratty tee-shirt, donning his first-ever big-boy suit and tie and testifying before Congress. He was completely MIA for a few weeks as his handlers schooled him in the art of humility. Among his tasks: Explaining to a group of aging politicians that cookieshave no relation to one of America’s favorite desserts. There was clearly a knowledge gap between Zuckerberg and his audience—these legislators had little understanding of the power of data mining or the value of user information.

While Zuckerberg was defending himself to Congress, his team was creating new functionality

At the company’s annual developer’s conference in May, Facebook showcased new visual tools that focus on the platform’s augmented-reality (AR) capacity.

Facebook introduces their new 3D camera

You can now download Facebook’s free 3D camera to your mobile device and take three-dimensional (3D) pictures and upload them to your Facebook News Feed and other apps. The 3D posts provide a whole new layer to images that respond when users scroll past or angle their phones.

Time for a reality check

To try this out, I took a few photos and uploaded them to my own News Feed to see if the camera really worked. I was delighted to see that the new images really do provide an interesting new dimension. The 3D camera has an editing tool so you can filter, enhance, highlight, crop or add text to an image. You can take a new picture or pull up an existing image from your smartphone’s photo library and turn it into one that’s multidimensional. You can upload your new 3D image directly to your Facebook News Feed, Instagram, iCloud Photosharing or WhatsApp applications.

Facebook and VR: enticing us with great new functionality

Facebook is making a significant investment in virtual reality (VR), betting that 3D will be an important component of social communication’s future. While this may be the future, it’s still a long way off. To transition users from their regular social feeds to full VR environments, Facebook will be providing little stepping stones that hint at what the next evolution will be. While the 3D photo may seem like a modest step, the new imaging will make users more interested in how they view images and enhance their own photos. With more than 2 billion smartphone and Facebook users around the world, I’m betting these 3D images will quickly become disseminated across our social channels.

Look for more new tools from Facebook

In the coming months, look for Facebook to introduce visual enhancements that will showcase new ways to engage with Facebook content. Watch Party lets users watch video while chatting with friends.Dating Home enters the online dating space, accessible by clicking on a small heart icon.Facebook is counting on its users to embrace the new functionality that will broaden and enhance our content experiences.

Need help with your and content marketing program? Contact Top of Mind Marketing. We’re writers and internet marketing specialists.

Reaching Millennials Requires a Powerful Online Presence

Remember the baby boomers? 

They were the big proud, vocal generation who made things happen. A powerful force for creativity, innovation and change. But the boomers are so over. They’re dying and running out of money, their purchasing power significantly diminished. 

They’ve been replaced by the millennials, who are now the nation’s largest living generation. Research suggests that millennials have an estimated $200 billion worth of spending power, but reaching this audience requires a different approach than what we used to reach the baby boomer market. Millennials are more digitally connected than any group in history, and they expect a more personal relationship with the businesses they support.

• An estimated 91% of millennials are regular Internet users. No surprise here--they’re connected 24/7.
• Because millennials are so tied to their connected devices, some have begun referring to this demographic as Generation FOMO--Fear of Missing Out.
• They use a combination of smartphones, tablets and laptops to access the web for everything—information, shopping, reinforcement, entertainment, news and social media.
• Millennials don’t want to be told, they want to be spoken with, to make a personal connection. They want to know about the people with whom they’re going to be working.
• Think immediate information delivery and impatience. Millennials have been raised on social media. They’ve been trained and have come to expect short answers with even shorter waiting times.
• They’re skeptical. Millennials google everything to check for accuracy.
• They don’t do anything without validation, asking their friends’ opinions, relying on market research and reading reviews before purchasing.

A big misconception about millennials: They are young and immature

While the demographic still skews young, they are growing up and many now have children. Remember that their tastes and needs will evolve, just as they have for the boomers and other generations. Staying on top of these changes is going to be important.

Another misconception: They avoid traditional media formats like TV and magazines

• Magazines are reemerging among millennials as the preferred screen for beauty categories; the group views magazine reading as a luxury or reward.
• It’s an oversimplification to suggest that millennials don’t watch TV. They are powerfully drawn to TV for big events, sports, premieres and finales. 
• Millennials are motivated by a desire to engage in social conversation (FOMO).

Reaching the millennial market: Cause marketing

• One way to reach millennials is by aligning your brand with a cause. Millennials love social issues and are likely to select brands and products that support them. Think TOMS Shoes, for instance, which millennials love—buy a pair of the fun, comfy TOMS and they give a free pair of shoes to a needy child.
• Most important, if you want to get the attention of millennials, you’ll need a multichannel online presence that is authentic and inspires trust. 

If your online presence isn’t compatible with the needs of millennials, it may betime to update your website and integrate your messaging across your all of your online channels. This demographic is here to stay.