Marketing in a Micro-Moment
Tuesday, April 17th, 2018
We as active people are on the move all the time. Fast is also the way we conduct business and gather information. Mobile devices are becoming our number one source for instantaneous content. Smartphones have become an important part of our every day life and many of the decisions we make are made in a micro-moment. We turn to our phones to research everything from new cars to new products. According to the 2018 Digital Suite of Reports from Hootsuite and We Are Social, mobile phones lead all other devices in share of web traffic. This includes laptops, desktops and tablets. It’s important to realize, that at 52%, mobile phones accounts for a greater share of web traffic than all of these other devices combined. In addition, Google reported that in the past two years, mobile searches for product reviews have grown over 35%. Searches for local places have grown 150%.
What is a Micro-Moment?
Consumers experience what Google refers to as “micro-moments” every day related to their mobile devices. They have identified four micro-moments of users, which include:
- I want to know.
- I want to go.
- I want to do.
- I want to buy.
These moments not only include research for information, inspiration, searching businesses or products, but also learning how to do things or making mobile purchases. Many decisions are made and preferences shaped in these micro-moments. They are an ideal opportunity for a brand to engage. Micro-moments happen quickly. Marketers and brands have mere seconds to capture and keep the attention of a consumer. It’s definitely changing face of digital and social media marketing.
Capturing the Attention of a mobile society
We go right to the palm of our hand in our quest for immediate answers. Who of us hasn’t turned to our mobile device for inspiration for our weekend plans or to search for restaurants. We seek out travel ideas, weather updates, answers and we make purchases. As digital marketers, we need to capitalize on mobile search and more specifically, these micro-moments.
First and foremost, consumers want value. This can include valuable educational content and exclusive information. It can also include discounts and quick and easy purchase opportunities. Did you realize that more than 80% of smartphone users report consulting their phones in-store when making a purchase decision? Imagine the opportunities both gained and lost in those split seconds.
Opportunity can be Gone in a Micro-Moment
Google recognized the increase in mobile searches and reacted with a change in algorithm. Just last month, the company announced that “mobile-first” indexing of the web is finally starting to roll out. Mobile-first indexing means that Google will use the mobile version of a web page for indexing and ranking. The goal is to better help primary mobile users find what they are searching for.
Expectations are higher than ever, so user experience needs to be a top priority in mobile marketing. Equally important, the load time of a site can spell death for a retailer. You only have a few short seconds before a mobile user decides to move on to another site. Give them what they want and give it to them right away. What’s going to reach out and grab attention? Videos and imagery that wows is a great start. Furthermore, valuable content is a must. Useless fluff is a thing of the past.
Raise the bar and follow your own vision. Be the go to site and source for authenticity and original information. Exert your influence by being the fastest in your industry out of the gate and capitalize on consumer micro-moments.
Five Ways to Leverage a Micro-Moment
- First and foremost, understand your consumer. They expect information of value and to have more personal experiences tailored just for them. To deliver this, you need to know your consumer. This includes their wants and needs. Knowing this will help you create more effective digital content. It will also help you to better understand when and where your consumers are searching. Once you know, you’ll want to be sure you’re there as well.
- Be sure you have high-quality content that is readily available and easy to access. Significant content is what’s going to help you take advantage of consumer micro-moments. Google will still put a priority on indexing useful content first. Think short, attention-grabbing headlines and engaging visuals. Easily accessible useful content is the name of the game if you’re going to succeed in a mobile world.
- If you haven’t already done so, optimize your site for mobile devices. Implement design changes to ensure mobile usability. This should include utilizing flexible text and images that are easily adaptable. Mobile visibility is critical to achieving your digital marketing goals. Responsive design is imperative if you want to provide a mobile-friendly experience. Be sure to optimize content for readability. Another key point, responsive sites that change based on the immediate needs of the users and the device they are viewing on are imperative.
- Focus on the user experience. You want every experience a mobile user has with your brand to be a content rich, positive experience. You want them to come back for more. Don’t make mobile users search endlessly or go through multiple steps. By all means, simplify your navigation and highlight clear calls to action.
- Optimize site speed. Speed it’s crucial when you’re dealing with a mobile micro-moment. Page loading speed is not only important for a better user experience, but also to your search rankings. A delay is just a few seconds can make a user move on to another site. A report by DoubleClick found that 53% of users would bounce from a mobile site that takes more than three seconds to load. With this in mind, if you’re selling something, simplify your purchase process. Limit the number of clicks it takes to reach checkout. You want consumers to finish that purchase every time they shop your site.
Time for a Mobile Marketing Strategy
Someone once told me that I had the attention span of a gnat. Apparently, I’m not alone. Consumers are living in the moment. As a business or brand, you need to as well. Consumers want and need answers at their fingertips. It may be the right time to begin developing a mobile marketing plan. Understanding those important micro-moment opportunities for your business is key. Your goal is to provide the information consumers need when they need it. Keep in mind, when it comes to mobile search, speed can save the day and your sale! To read more articles on various topics and trends of digital and social media marketing, follow Corcoran Communications on Facebook or Instagram. You can also subscribe below to be notified as new informational marketing blogs are posted.
Contact the digital marketing team at Corcoran Communications for helping develop a mobile marketing strategy today.
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