One of the most effective qualities of content, especially the visual mediums, is that it is able to convey the feeling of experiencing your product or service before the customer actually experiences it. This is what I call “vicarious experience.”
This is super useful in a lot of situations. For example, if you had to get a root canal and were very nervous about it, it would probably be helpful for you to see a video of the endodontist’s office to get a feeling of who the doctor is and what it will be like to go in for the procedure before you get there.1
In this case, the vicarious experience is able to alleviate fear associated with a necessary but undesirable service.
On the other hand, if you are planning a day at an amusement park, the vicarious experience of seeing people having fun on the rides might heighten your excitement and anticipation for being on the ride yourself.
In this case, the vicarious experience increases desire for the real experience.
While the subject of your vicarious experience content will obviously be you and your product or service, remember that ultimately this content is about making the customer feel like you understand their hopes and fears before they get to actually experience your offering.
- To see this specific example in action, take a look at my case study from Root Canal Specialists of Baton Rouge. They did a great job of expressing an understanding of the patient’s perspective and fears while alleviating those fears with their warm personalities and patient testimonials. ↩︎
