Hoping to gain the attention of their target audience, companies work to develop and refresh their marketing strategies every quarter, or even every month. Despite the millions of users on the Internet, many companies not only struggle to gain new customers but to also retain them. A shift in consumer behavior may be the cause of your marketing woes, and micro-moments may just be the thing your business needs to include in their marketing refresh this year.
Hoping to gain the attention of their target audience, companies work to develop and refresh their marketing strategies every quarter, or even every month. Despite the millions of users on the Internet, many companies not only struggle to gain new customers, but to also retain them. A shift in consumer behavior may be the cause of your marketing woes, and micro-moments may just be the thing your business needs to include in their marketing refresh this year.
What are Micro-Moments?
Google has defined micro-moments as “an intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need.” These needs are categorized and broken down into four crucial moments that really matter in the world of marketing:
- I-Want-To-Know Moments: Users who are in research mode but aren’t necessarily ready to purchase are experiencing “know” moments.
- I-Want-To-Go Moments: Users who are searching for a local business to visit or are considering making an in-store purchase are in “go” moments.
- I-Want-To-Do Moments: Users who need assistance with completing something or trying something new are in “do” moments.
- I-Want-To-Buy Moments: Lastly, the moment most businesses thrive off of, “buy” moments are when a user is ready to purchase a product but may need help with either figuring out what to buy or how to buy the item.
When it comes to “know” and “do” moments, providing informative and relative content are the driving forces behind satisfying users, which is why careful content creation is key. For “go” moments, focusing on your local ranking on Google, similar to your SEO ranking but for your business’ brick and mortar location, is crucial. Lastly, for “buy” moments, clear and concise purchasing instructions and managing your online reputation are extremely important and help to both gain and retain customers. Utilizing influencer marketing is another great way to encourage consumers to try your products.
Why do Micro-Moments Matter?
Nowadays the average consumer is bombarded with an overwhelming
amount of content. There are ads, emails, text messages, push notifications,
and social media updates all vying for an individual’s attention. Once upon a
time people only faced marketing when watching television, listening to the radio,
or driving down the highway. Now, thanks to the Internet and rise in mobile
device usage, content is being pushed into people’s lives on a nonstop
basis.
Considering consumers are already facing too much content and might
have a hard time processing very much more, marketing strategies need to shift
to keep up. This is where micro-moments come in to play. By focusing on
providing only useful, interesting, and relevant content to your target
audience, you are becoming more of an asset and less of a nuisance in their
daily lives.
The catch —you only have a few seconds, if not nanoseconds, to
capture their attention and if your message isn’t clear, they’ll just keep on
scrolling.
The Three Keys of Google
Micro-Moments
There are three major things to keep in mind when you’re trying
to shift to a micro-moment perspective; be present, be useful, and be
accountable.
Being present means
you anticipate the needs of your target audience. You will need to understand
when your audience experiences these different moments and commit to being
available when they occur. By being present, you are able to provide a flawless
user experience by understanding consumers wants and needs, encouraging them to
revisit your brand.
Being useful means
you provide a digital experience that matches up with the needs of consumers at
the moment in time. You need to quickly, and correctly provide users with the
content they are looking for to keep them coming back.
Being accountable is
all about creating a seamless customer experience across the board. This means
that no matter where your brand shows up, consumers know exactly what to
expect. By keeping their experience unified across multiple screens (computer,
mobile, laptop) and channels (official websites, review sites, social media platforms),
you create a more significant impact on your target audience. Don’t forget to
quantify how well you are doing across all of your channels as well, so you
know where changes need to be made.
How Do I Implement Micro-Moment
Marketing?
Shifting to a new marketing strategy can be extremely difficult,
especially during the beginning of the process. When transitioning to a
micro-moment strategy, it’s important to ensure that all your digital efforts
are considered and accounted for. We’ve outlined some of the essential
information to help get you started but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, think
about partnering with a content marketing firm to ensure you are moving in the
right direction. Contact fishbat today to get started on a plan that will boost
your online presence, enhance your positive reputation, and of course increase
sales.
