There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Within those minutes, there are countless micro-moments when your brand has the chance to convert consumers. As the world of marketing has been changed by mobile phones and digital innovations, brands are more able to capitalize on these time-sensitive opportunities.
What Is a Micro-Moment?
According to Google, micro-moments are “intent-driven moments of decision-making and preference-shaping that occur throughout the entire consumer journey.” In layman’s terms, they are moments in time when people turn to their devices with an action in mind. That action can be to make a purchase, find a service, learn a fact, etc.
Consider micro-moments as the consumer version of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: consumers know what they want and they want it now. People are making decisions faster than ever before. Terms like “open now” and “near me” have seen large increases in searches over time. Google sees consumers becoming more and more search-obsessed before making decisions, which has led to an increase in micro-moments. Whether this is due to increased planning, impulsiveness, or a need for instant gratification, people are looking to convert to something that meets their needs quickly.
Below are a few examples of micro-moments:
- Need-to-know: A pet owner Googling: “Should I be giving my dog vitamins?”
- Need-to-go: A stranded motorist searching for a mechanic
- Need-to-do: A home DIY-er looking for an informational video on laying tile
- Need-to-buy: A hungry Memphian looking to get sushi delivered
Establishing a Micro-Moments Strategy
With the knowledge of what micro-moments are, you should create a brand strategy to help you win consumers as they experience those moments. In order to do so, you will need to know where and when consumers are seeking information about your product or service. This knowledge will allow you to create content specifically geared toward those times and channels.
Google is the channel most often considered when consumers are searching for information, but other platforms may be just as relevant depending on your industry. Channels to consider in your micro-moment strategy include:
- Google Search
- Traditional Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram)
- Yelp
- YouTube
- Quora
- Industry-Specific Review Sites (Vitals, Angie’s List, etc.)
- Amazon
Micro-moments will be further shaped by innovation through voice search and virtual assistant technology.
How to Capitalize on Micro-Moments
Being present is the first step in winning micro-moments. Showing up for as many as possible will allow you to A/B test your messaging and creative work to determine what resonates best with potential customers. Content created to serve these micro-moments should be both helpful and relevant to the consumer inquiries. Track conversion rates and other key performance indicators to help you determine if your content is effective.
With strong content, it should be easy for consumers to make the desired conversion – especially a purchase. When there are several brands competing to win the same micro-moment, too many barriers to entry could cause consumers to back up and go with your competition. This means videos shouldn’t have long intros, blog posts should make finding information simple, and making a purchase should include only a few steps.
No matter your industry or product/service, your brand has the opportunity to capitalize on micro-moments with consumers. Don’t leave these qualified leads on the table to be snapped up by your competition. Use the information above to begin crafting your strategy to win consumers over in their time of “need-to.”