“Consumers are swimming in a sea of sameness,” said Treeshake CEO Dave Duarte in a previous media update article. And that is precisely why it so difficult to reach your audience.

Marketing in general — and digital marketing in particular — have suffered at the hands of lacklustre strategies. The more below-par adverts there are, the more difficult it is to reach consumers as they are tired of seeing content.

This is where micro-moment marketing comes in!

What is a micro-moment?

According to Think with Google, a micro-moment is an intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need. Basically, it’s that exact moment when a person wants to find information on something and logs on to the Internet to get it.

The device they use is not important — but it is the action of reaching for a device and wanting to find that information instantly.

For brands, there are four micro-moments that are the most important:

1. I-want-to-know moments

This is the moment where a person wants to find information on something, but they are not quite willing to commit to purchasing it just yet.

They are only in the phase of exploring and researching, but the information they find in this moment can affect whether or not they move into the phase where they do want to make a purchase.

An example of a search in this moment would be: ‘What types of jeans suit tall people?’

2. I-want-to-go moments

This moment is when someone is looking for a business nearby or is considering buying a product at a nearby store.

This moment is very much location-based, as consumers are increasingly becoming unwilling to travel far distances to find products. Most searches in this moment include the phrase ‘near me’.

An example of a search in this moment would be: ‘Where is there a mall near me?’

3. I-want-to-do moments

These moments are when people want help in completing a task or trying something new. They could be looking for videos, blogs or even step-by-step advice to assist them in completing their task.

An example of a search in this moment would be: ‘How do I build a small wooden desk?’

4. I-want-to-buy moments

This is a vital moment for businesses — when people are actually ready to make a purchase. In these moments, people are looking for help on deciding what to buy or how to buy it.

An example of a search in this moment would be: ‘Where can I buy Levi jeans?’

How does micro-moment marketing work?

Micro-moment marketing is based on the philosophy that consumers are living in a world of ‘content shock’, where they are unable to consume much more content than they already are.

So how do brands reach consumers then?

Well, according to a 2018 study by Nielsen, the average American spends a whopping three hours and 45 minutes on computers, tablets and smartphones. Plus, 62% of that time is spent browsing the web or using apps on a smartphone. So in order to capitalise on this, brands need to change the way they capture people’s attention.

In an article for Inc., Jonathan Lacoste says that brands have to understand that they are not the be-all and end-all of consumers lives.

“Most of the content we produce as marketers might be perceived as an interruption to a consumer …[and] the key of micro-moment marketing is to embrace the idea that you have but a few seconds to capture the attention of your target consumer.”

“In those nanoseconds, brands are challenged to convey a clear and concise message that is relevant and of interest to the consumer. Otherwise, they're on to the next email, tweet or article and you've lost their attention until the next time.”

So what exactly should brands be doing?

In order to capitalise on the short amount of time you have a consumer’s attention, brands need to understand that, in these micro-moments, consumers want what they want, when they want it — and they are drawn to brands that deliver on those needs.

To perform well in micro-moments, Google says brands need to:
  • Be present: Anticipate the micro-moments for your target audience, and commit to being there to help in those moments.
  • Be useful: Provide a digital experience that is relevant to consumers’ needs in the moment and aim to quickly connect people with the answers they are looking for.
  • Be accountable: Create a seamless customer experience across all channels, and measure the collective impact across them.
Do you think micro-moment marketing is a viable option for brands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Wondering how to get your marketing content to actually appear on people’s social media timelines? Our article, Understanding social media algorithms: A guide for brands, has all the answers.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy