SUMMARY. How many of you are reading this article on your smartphone right now? Dependence on mobile devices has changed the traditional user journey and split it into thousands of micro-moments, each of which is pertinent to someone, somewhere, at some point in time. Users’ perception and consequent trust of a company can hinge on a single micro-moment sliver. So, if you can optimise your content for these moments, you’re going to be noticed, leading to more leads and increased sales.

How do you truly capture your audiences’ attention with valuable content at the right time? As marketers, it’s a daily grapple fuelled by understanding consumer behaviour trends and relentless monitoring of analytics. What if I told you the broad scope of user targeting might be distilled down into a series of moments, micro-moments, to be exact?

 

What are micro-moments?

Micro-moments are those split seconds where time stands; still, your brain’s synapses are firing, causing an intent-rich, instinctive action to occur. An article published by Mention makes the following comment about micro-moments ‘[It’s] when people reflexively turn to a device – increasingly a smartphone – to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something.’

In a previous article, we discussed Identifying and Adapting to New Consumer Behaviour Trends. In a nutshell, it explains that the evolution of technology continually influences (and increases) users’ expectations when searching for information online; this behaviour has been compounded further with the advancements in mobile usage and an on-the-go lifestyle. Suppose you want your brand to dominate Google SERPs; in that case, you have to anticipate micro-moments and seize them so that you can deliver precisely what potential customers want before your competitors. Recognising and capitalising on micro-moments is being touted as a game-changer for lead generation and conversion opportunities.

 

How you can apply micro-moment marketing

Capture every marketing qualified lead and conversion to establish user interaction. When working with micro-moments, it’s unlikely that the journey will be linear; therefore, accurate analysis and interpretation of the collected data must streamline somewhat erratic patterns. It’s definitely not an easy task; it will challenge seasoned SEOs and search marketing specialists, but the payoff is that you’ll be able to identify subtle connections which you may not have seen otherwise, on which you can capitalise. The ability to be the brand that’s there, with the right message when your customers need you, will tick every box required to ensure a lucrative return on investment.

A guide published by Google states, “Thanks to mobile, micro-moments can happen anytime, anywhere. In those moments, consumers expect brands to address their needs with real-time relevance.”

In the guide, Google summarises three essential stages that can help you win micro-moments – we’ll take a more in-depth look at these methods in an upcoming article [Watch this space].

• Be There

You’ve got to anticipate the micro-moments for users in your industry and then commit

to be there to help when those moments occur.

• Be Useful

You’ve got to be relevant to consumers’ needs in the moment and connect people

to the answers they’re looking for.

• Be Quick

They’re called micro-moments for a reason. Mobile users want to know, go, and buy swiftly. Your mobile experience has to be fast and frictionless.

 

Google also identifies four key moments that need to be captured in each of the three stages. “A good guiding principle is this: be there across all stages (moments) of the consumer journey, not just when someone is ready to buy. To accomplish this, consider four key moment types that represent the full range of user needs.”

 

The four key moments

• Moment one: The ‘I-want-to-know’ moment

These are instances where a user searches for specific information.

• Moment two: The ‘I-want-to-go’ moment

These are situations where the user searches for local businesses within a specific industry because they want to go there now. They would type in a question such as ‘Chinese restaurants near me. If your company is currently signed up for Google My Business, do yourself a favour and get registered right away. Your business will be more visible on Google SERPs.

• Moment three: ‘I-want-to-do’ moment

This situation occurs when a prospective customer is searching for instructions to solve a problem. E.g. How do I manage my personal finances during a crisis?

• Moment four: ‘I-want-to-buy’ moment

These are moments during which users are looking to make a purchase. Many people aren’t committed to a brand but will generally purchase from the one which supplies the required information upfront.

© Google

Key takeaways

• Micro-moments are occurrences when people reflexively turn to a device such as a smartphone – to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something.’

• You have to anticipate micro-moments and seize them so that you can deliver precisely what potential customers want before your competitors.

There are four types of micro-moments

• Moment one: The ‘I-want-to-know’ moment
• Moment two: The ‘I-want-to-go’ moment
• Moment three: ‘I-want-to-do’ moment
• Moment four: ‘I-want-to-buy’ moment

When working with micro-moments, it’s unlikely that the journey will be linear; therefore, accurate analysis and interpretation of the collected data is key.

 

So, are ‘traditional’ marketing and strategy planning conventions going to become obsolete?

The efficacy of micro-moment marketing begs the question, are ‘traditional’ marketing and strategy planning conventions becoming obsolete? No, on the contrary, micro-moments can only be leveraged to their full potential if you:

• Understand your target audience

Implement platforms and methods that entice engagement with your existing and/or prospective customers. Also, keep your ears to the ground about the latest happenings in your industry’s space. If you complement these tactics with continual research, you’ll gain a far more in-depth knowledge of your audiences’ I-want-to-buy-that’ moments and overall purchase decisions.

• Deliver relevant, valuable content

Once you have a good grasp of who you’re targeting, how your message is delivered is the next hurdle. An omnichannel marketing strategy is an effective way to achieve a holistic view of which channels will convey the moment effectively. Remember, not every medium may be suitable for a particular message, so focus on one or two platforms to bring maximum exposure. For example, if you’re communicating through images and/or video, consider using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Interestingly, the concept of micro-moments has been around since 2015, yet it can be argued it generally hasn’t been used to its full potential. It challenges the status quo, which is vital if you want to break audience complacency barriers and oust the competition.

Suppose you’d like help from a professional marketing consultancy to help you integrate this seamlessly into your business strategy. In that case, we have a highly experienced dedicated marketing team ready to assist in maximising micro-moments.