I wanted to see if adding some very basic 360 degree images to Google Maps would actually do anything. It wasn't a very scientific test, there were no people in white coats and safety goggles. It was just a 'I wonder...'

So I did. I took some 360 shots on a small camera and uploaded them to Google Maps. Every month or so I get an email telling me how may views they have had. Some were getting a lot of views, and enough for me to seriously work on the idea of launching a 360 part of my company. It wasn't just Google- but it was clearly obvious that the 360 images I'd uploaded were getting views.

I am not going to start quoting facts and figures and pasting graphs to show how people engage more with interactive images, I don't think I need to.

Instead, I've taken some screen shots from my Google profile and loaded them here so you can see how many views that have accumulated.

Rogers Arena - Vancouver. You'd think there's a heck of a lot of images there and a lot of people taking images. My image has now hit over 44,000 views.

How about a shot taken from a room inside Bentley Priory Museum? Almost 10,000 views, or a shot from inside York Minster? Again almost 10,000 views.

I'm not sure I even need more proof that this type of interactive media really works. It clearly is pulling in people and they are interacting with the images, moving around, looking up and down and enjoying the more immersive feel a 360 degree shot gives.

I'd say the experiment was a success. Now the technology is here and it's available. Of course I'd love to talk to you more about it, (after all there has to be some plug for my business) and how it can help you drive traffic to your venue, property, land, theme park etc. The list is pretty much endless and it's a huge opportunity for you.