Micro-moments

We all do it. It is reported that most of us do it an average of 1,500 a week. And throughout our day we spend at least 177 minutes today doing it. You’re probably doing it. Right. Now.  What am I talking about? You’re reading a bit of microcontent on your mobile device. You’re having a micro-moment.

In what should be a surprise to no one, 96% of Americans now own a mobile phone of some kind and 81% own smartphones. Smartphones, in particular, have dramatically altered our daily behavior. Turns out having a world of information in your pocket is pretty compelling. So much so that turning to our phones is now a reflex. Need information? Your arm reaches for your phone before your brain can even catch up. Bored? Only for as long as it takes to remove your phone from its pocket. Need something? No worries, in less than 2 seconds you can have a virtual store all queued up on your trusty, rectangular friend.

Understanding this behavioral shift is essential for marketers to be successful in 2019 and beyond. Back in January, we identified micro-moments as an impactful trend for this year. Until we all get internet implants directly fused to our brains, this trend is unlikely to die down anytime soon. Consumers will continue to turn to their devices throughout the day for information, entertainment, and connection. So how can we, as marketers, make sure we are meeting our desired consumers where they are at?

Google defines a micro-moment as, “an intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need-- to know, go, do or buy.” The best way to understand when a consumer is likely to have one of these moments is to, well, deeply understand them as humans. Researching and creating personas and customer journey maps is the best way to get at full empathy with the ebbs and flows of your audience’s daily routine, including their needs, wants, fears, and frustrations. Once you identify all of the potential moments of intent, it’s imperative to prioritize the moments that best align with your business goals. Otherwise, you can quickly get mired in details.

Once you have a set of prioritized micro-moments, be sure that your content is consistently valuable. The path to brand loyalty is long; each micro-moment is an opportunity to lay a brick of trust. Don’t waste the opportunity by shouting about how awesome your product is, instead, provide something useful. Consumers will associate your brand with authentic helpfulness and will be much more likely to reach for you the next time they reach for their phones.

With this background on micro-moments in mind, check out the other 5 parts of this series: Journey Maps, "Know" Content, "Go" Content, "Do" Content, and "Buy" Content.