Do you remember the last time you used your phone to look up information or suggestions? Of course, you do! It might have been seconds ago or maybe you are doing it right this moment!

Using the internet for guidance has become a part of our daily life. May it be on a product we want to purchase or a recipe we want to cook up or just a place we want to visit – we direct all our queries to the all-knowing internet. This is why consumers are more well-informed than ever before.

To a great extent, the credit goes to the smart devices and search engines. As devices become handier and as search engines become more precise, it has become easier for us to turn to the internet for counsel. This is exactly where the notion of ‘micro-moments’ comes in.

Before we move on, if you need any kind of help with your digital marketing campaigns, you should definitely reach out to us. Check out our team. Let’s talk.

What are Micro Moments?

Introduced by Google, micro-moments refer to those specific, active moments in which consumers seek information to make their decisions. As Alexander Bickov puts it: “the main philosophy behind these moments is that consumers reflexively turn to a device to fulfill their needs – to compare prices, to decide what movie to watch, to read the news”  

Google focuses on 4 basic micro-moments:

1. “I-Want-to-Know” Moments: Here consumers are looking for specific information. The responses they get to their queries will determine the decisions they take.
2. “I-Want-to-Go” Moments: These moments are more geographically oriented. Consumers’ focus in more on the “where” than on the “what”. Here they are looking for concrete directions, maps, and local search results.
3. “I-Want-to-Do” Moments: This is the moment where consumers seek practical information regarding a product or tasks. When consumers search for tips, recipes, tutorials, and how-to videos, they are engaging in an “I-want-to-do” moment.
4. “I-Want-to-Buy” Moments: This is the moment where the information collected from the previous moments finally concludes into a conversion. The consumer is now well informed. Their preferences are set and they are ready to make a purchase.

As a brand, you can identify micro-moments unique to your own your target consumers.

For example, the patrons of the beauty industry can have their own micro-moments like – exploring various products, comparing them by their price, formula, and reviews, purchasing the product, and then looking up directions to use the product.

How to Use Micro Moments for Your Business

From the first search to the final purchase, every moment a consumer interacts with your product is valuable. Purchasing your product or services is only the end goal. There are multiple moments that lead to that a consumer to that goal and you must skillfully guide them through these moments.

The following are some quick essential tips you should follow to capitalize on every micro-moment:

• Showing Up is Half the Job!

To make use of the micro-moments, your business must show up when the consumer engages in a micro-moment.  Google advises marketers to “be there” when that happens.

To be in the right place at the right time, you must be able to anticipate your consumers’ needs. What are exactly are they looking for? How are they describing their query?  Identify the exact moments you want to target.

For example, if your consumers are more likely to search for how to use a product like yours than where to find your product, then focus on that. Step in to assist them with the ‘how to’ – maybe even provide instructional videos!

Focusing on keywords is one way of “being there”. You can also localize your ads so that your business shows up during the  “I-want-to-go” moments. More than anything, make sure your business and content are optimized for a mobile experience. Most consumers are now searching on their smartphones. If you are not showing up on their mobile screens you might as well be not showing up at all.

• Being Helpful Goes a Long Way

Your business showing up in a moment means absolutely nothing if it does not engage the consumer. The best way to do that is to be useful. Consumers gravitate towards those responses which solve their query quickly.

Different moments require different kinds of usefulness. You can be useful in an “I-want-to-know” by providing short and exact nuggets of information. For an “I-want-to-go” moment, show consumers that you’re nearby (through GPS features and maps) and ready for service.

In a “I-want-to-buy” moment, do more than just push your own product. Go the extra mile. Provide reviews, price comparisons and easy methods for online transactions.

• Swift Responses = Satisfied Consumers

Technology has increased impatience. A website that does not load quickly will be abandoned immediately even if it seems helpful. Your business needs speed to be successful.

One way of being swift is by eliminating unnecessary steps and forecasting needs. For example, hide secondary menus (like the signup tab for your newsletter) and highlight the checkout options. Make sure your content loads at lightning speed. Provide GPS features so that your consumers can easily locate your business.

Customers appreciate a simple experience and will come back for more of it.

Why Micro Moments Matter

Today’s marketing is all about finding new moments and learning how to respond to each of them. Micro-moments matter now more than ever before because people are engaging in these moments more than ever before.  Not only that, but they are also increasingly using these moments to define their choices. Therefore, making use of micro-moments is not only a question of relevance but also of taking part in influencing how your consumers choose!

As always, feel free to reach out to us if you need any help with your digital marketing campaigns. That’s all for now, cheers!