In today’s world, it would appear we have all the answers at our fingertips. Whether you are searching for the best sushi restaurant in town or trying to buy tickets to see your favorite band, many of us look to our smartphones and other devices for information. For consumers, this can lead to an overwhelming amount of marketing content. How can your brand stand out in a world where consumers are over-saturated with data more than ever before?
Enter the micro-moment. According to Google, micro-moments are defined as “intent-driven moments of decision-making and preference-shaping that occur throughout the entire consumer journey.” Simply put, anytime a consumer turns to a device (for most this is a smartphone) with the desire to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something, they expect brands to immediately help them find exactly what they want in that moment. For brands and businesses here’s the key takeaway: Make sure you are conveying a clear, concise, relevant message that can be captured within a matter of seconds. Your target audience wants the information NOW, and the constant flow of emails, articles, social media, etc., they are receiving means they’ll be distracted or will move on to the next idea in the blink of an eye.
Keep in mind that, on average, consumers spend about 4.7 hours each day on their smartphone, according to Google, and will experience roughly 150 potential micro-moments during that time. Therefore, marketers must develop new strategies to capture their attention. To put that into context consider the following statistics found by Google’s research team:
- 91% of smartphone users look up information while in the middle of a task.
- 82% of smartphone users consult their phones when trying to decide what product to buy.
- 69% of online consumers agree that the quality, timing, or relevance of a company’s message influence their perception of a brand.
The good news? That’s a significant amount of time for your message to reach its target audience! The bad news? That’s also a lot of time for the competition to reach your target audience as well.
Here are 4 crucial micro-moments your marketing strategy needs to capture:
- I-Want-to-Know Moment: The Consumer is exploring or researching but not necessarily ready to purchase anything.
- I-Want-to-Go Moment: The consumer is looking for a local business or considering buying a product from a nearby store.
- I-Want-to-Do Moment: The prospective customer wants help completing a task or trying something new.
- I-Want-to-Buy Moment: The customer is ready to make a purchase and needs help deciding what to buy.
The consumer decision journey is often a combination of many different micro-moments. Brands should be prepared to have marketing strategies that are both informative (for the consumer who is in the research/comparison shopping stage and more purchase-driven (promoting deals and other competitive offers geared toward those customers who are ready to buy). Ultimately, the successful micro-moment message will be clear, concise, and provide consumers with a user-friendly experience that both educates and creates a positive impression of the brand.