Sharing 360 photos on social media reaches a significantly larger audience than website-only publishing, but each platform handles 360 content differently. Facebook renders 360 photos interactively; Instagram does not support native 360 viewing; YouTube supports 360 video but not still 360 photos. Understanding which platforms support which formats — and how to maximise reach on each — determines whether your 360 content reaches thousands of viewers or just a handful.
Platform-by-Platform 360 Photo Support
Facebook: Full Native 360 Support
Facebook is the best platform for 360 photo sharing. When you upload an equirectangular JPEG with proper XMP photo sphere metadata, Facebook automatically detects the 360 format and renders it as an interactive spherical viewer. Users can pan, tilt, and zoom directly in their newsfeed on both desktop and mobile.
How to post 360 on Facebook: Upload the equirectangular source image file directly as a photo post (not via a link). Do not share via URL — Facebook only activates the 360 viewer for directly uploaded images. The file must contain the Google Photo Sphere XMP metadata. Files exported from Travvir, Insta360, Ricoh Theta, and Google Street View app all contain this metadata automatically.
Engagement impact: 360 photos on Facebook receive on average 3× more interactions than standard photos and 4× more shares — making them significantly more effective for organic reach than conventional photography.
Instagram: No Native 360 Support
Instagram does not render 360 photos as interactive content. If you upload an equirectangular 360 image, it appears as a flat, heavily distorted rectangle — the characteristic warped appearance of an unmapped equirectangular projection.
Best approach for Instagram: Export a standard flat "preview" crop from your 360 image — a wide-angle or dual-pane style extract that shows the most interesting view. Include text in the caption directing followers to a link (in bio or Stories link sticker) where they can experience the full interactive tour. Alternatively, record a short screen capture video panning through the 360 tour and post it as a Reel — this shows the interactive quality of the content in Instagram's video format.
YouTube: 360 Video Only (Not Photos)
YouTube supports 360 video with full interactive viewing (users can pan and tilt during playback), but does not support 360 still photos. To share 360 content on YouTube, create a 360 video — either by recording a timelapse or slow-panning video in 360 mode, or by using video slideshow software to create a rotating video from your 360 still images.
Twitter/X: No 360 Support
Twitter/X renders uploaded images as standard flat images regardless of metadata. Share a compelling crop or thumbnail with a link to the interactive version on your website or Travvir tour URL.
LinkedIn: No Native 360 Support
LinkedIn does not render 360 photos interactively. Use the same approach as Instagram: share a standard crop with a link to the full experience. LinkedIn is a useful distribution channel for B2B applications of virtual tours — sharing with property industry professionals, hospitality sector contacts, or potential B2B clients.
Google Business Profile: Native 360 Integration
Google Business Profile is one of the best 360 photo channels for local businesses. Upload directly via the Google Maps app or Street View app — photos appear in the "See Inside" section of your Business Profile and can influence local search rankings. For a complete guide on this, see our article on Google Business virtual tours.
Creating Platform-Optimised Exports
Facebook Export Settings
For Facebook upload: export as equirectangular JPEG at 6000 × 3000 pixels minimum (higher is better but Facebook compresses on ingestion). Maximum file size 30 MB. Ensure XMP photo sphere metadata is embedded — Travvir exports include this automatically.
Instagram Crops from 360 Images
To extract a compelling flat crop from your 360 image: open the 360 file in a viewer, navigate to the best angle, and take a screenshot at the highest resolution your device supports. Alternatively, use Photoshop or the free app Theta+ (iOS/Android) to extract flat crops at custom resolutions. Instagram's optimal aspect ratio is 4:5 (portrait) or 1:1 (square).
Thumbnail Images for Link Shares
When sharing a virtual tour link on any platform (LinkedIn, Twitter, email), the preview image (Open Graph image) is what drives click-through rate. Ensure your tour platform has a well-set thumbnail — in Travvir, set the tour thumbnail in the tour settings to the most compelling single view of the space. A compelling thumbnail increases link click-through rate by 35–55% compared to an auto-generated preview.
Social Media Content Strategy for 360 Tours
Facebook Posting Best Practices
Post 360 photos as standalone posts (not albums) for maximum engagement — album posts do not activate the interactive 360 viewer. Write captions that explicitly tell viewers they can drag to look around: "Drag to explore our new [space name] ↔️" performs significantly better than captions that don't mention the interactivity. Post at peak engagement times: Tuesday–Thursday 10am–2pm typically produces highest reach for business pages.
Cross-Platform Distribution Workflow
A single 360 photo shoot produces content for a cross-platform campaign: (1) Upload the full equirectangular image directly to Facebook for interactive engagement. (2) Export flat crops for Instagram feed posts with link-in-bio to the full tour. (3) Create a 15–30 second screen-capture video for Instagram Reels and TikTok. (4) Share the tour URL on LinkedIn with context about your business or property. (5) Add to Google Business Profile for local search visibility.
This multi-channel approach from a single photo session maximises the return on the time invested in creating the 360 content.
Conclusion: Match Format to Platform
360 photo sharing is not a one-size-fits-all process. Facebook delivers the full interactive experience directly in the feed. Instagram requires a preview-based strategy with links to the full tour. YouTube works for 360 video content. Google Business Profile offers the most direct commercial benefit for local businesses.
Plan your distribution strategy for each platform before shooting and you'll maximise the reach of your 360 content across every channel your audience uses.
