Marketing, it’s all about getting into the head space of your buyers. That’s where micro-moments come into play, intent driven moments that throughout 2016 proved to be how we are all making our decisions. If we can’t do it ourselves, Google can do it for us. Understanding your customer’s decision making journey can and will help drive sizeable business growth.
Why? Because just like your indecisive partner who can never decide on what to have for dinner, we sometimes need a little guidance, a helping hand along the way. When we need help and quick answers who do we turn to? Google, of course.
“I Want To Buy” Micro–Moments
Millennials, we’re really attached. Attached to the small device by our sides and it’s transforming our lives, without us sometimes even realising. The ever-present smartphone allows us to discover new knowledge, ideas and even settle arguments almost instantly (when we can’t agree on who played who in that old classic hit film). No longer do we have to wait to settle disagreements nor do we have to search the streets until we find the perfect Thursday evening eating spot. Instead we pull out our devices and search with intent, intent to find an answer and solution, quickly.
Are you an eCommerce brand? It’s time to stop creating content based on what you believe is interesting or explains only your products and little else. Instead, build content that meets specific customer’s needs and suits the diverse situations they may find themselves in whilst searching.
A Real Life Micro-Moment
To give you a situation, imagine an average Saturday shopping trip for your audience, maybe they’ve been looking for a bikini for an upcoming holiday but they can’t find the pink bikini with detachable straps they had in mind. Sat at the bus stop disappointed they couldn’t find what they want on the high street, they turn to their phone and search online to find more choice and what they had in mind! Dreaming of their holiday, shopping bags in hand they are ready to buy.
At this stage your potential customer will then probably find at least two products that fit their description, which one would you pick in that moment? What would make the difference to you? Quality? Shipping? Price? Most buyers will at this point take to search to understand what the difference is between both products and whether they can really justify buying the more expensive option.
This is when it’s most important that your digital marketing efforts have made your brand visible to this customer. But not just present, present with the right product and the right incentives to get that customer to choose you, easily and from their mobile. If you don’t provide content like user generated content, unique product benefits and review ratings from previous customers in the right places the customer might not have all the information they want to buy now – and they want it now. It’s this information that will aid conversion because a buyer who understands the reasoning behind a price is far more likely to convert than one who just sees a price and no other vital information.
Even when in physical stores, the customer is constantly connected but your online shop can never sleep. So, whether your customer is lying in bed unable to sleep, waiting for public transport or physically in one of your stores, here’s how you can capitalise on ‘I want to buy moments’.
Some Brands Wait a Customer Lifetime for a Micro-Moment Like This
Ask the questions – Identify your customers ‘I want to buy moments’, surveys are not a thing of the past, there is very little you can’t discover from asking your customers the questions you desire the answers to. People buy differently for different styles of products – to fully understand how your customers make their decisions a survey is the perfect solution.
Be Present and Visible – Understanding that people will be buying from various locations and devices is key. It’s great that your desktop site is getting a lot of attention but mobile search cannot be ignored, 82% of people with smartphone use a search engine to find a local business. Ensure your site is responsive and mobile friendly, 2017 is sure to cement the need for mobile optimisation more so than last year.
Integrated strategies – Give the consumer multiple ways to buy—whether that means driving them to your eCommerce site from a YouTube video, a local inventory ad to a nearby store, social media and most importantly, search.
What’s your PR story? – A well thought out PR story will be a great support when trying to connect with your buyers. Customers want to know how they should interact with your products and how it will benefit their lives.
A well-constructed ‘How to’ video can quickly and effectively teach your customer just that. Your PR strategy should answer the questions your customers are asking, via like-minded and trusted sources. Customers often trust those who they consider like them, so a young professional looking to purchase a new expensive handbag may well really appreciate a detailed blog post from a writer she follows and considers influential. The combination of this external information combined with your well optimised product description and customer reviews is the ideal example of a well-constructed customer journey.
Get to Know Your Customer’s Journey
Make life easier for your customers; the buying cycle is constantly evolving and therefore so must we. The more you understand the type of questions your customers want the answer to in relation to your brand, the better your content, social media and PR strategy will become. Put the right answers in the right places via the right source and I’m confident you’ll be owning ‘I want to buy moments’ in 2017.
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