According to Google, the new “battleground” for brands is the micro-moment. These are moments that are intricately interwoven with mobile behavior, usage, and psychology. Basically, the moments we’re trying to figure a problem out and pull out our smartphones to help solve it.
Marketers have been facing these challenges for a while now. That’s why there’s been so much talk about “omnichannel” and “multichannel” strategies.
The purchasing cycle for your customers today is anything but linear. Customers are bringing their phones to their stores and consulting them instead of salespeople on the floor. They’re using phones for directions, to settle arguments, and all sorts of other activities.
Here are the top biggest takeaways from Google’s research:
1. Smartphones are Personal Sales Consultants.
As soon as customers step into a store, retailers have to make an impression. But now, brands have to find a way to get onto the smartphone screen. Google found that 82% of smartphone users turn to their phone to influence a purchase decision while in a store.
So how do companies merge digital and retail to make sure that customers complete a purchase in the store instead of finding a cheaper deal online?
One way is to create a contextually relevant onboarding email series – triggered as soon as a customer steps foot in the store. Or to influence retail behavior before customers step in the store through API integrations within an email.
2. Smartphones are Helping Solve Unexpected Problems, Immediately.
If something comes up, who are you going to call? The Internet, apparently.
Google found that 62% of smartphone users are more likely to take action right away toward solving an unexpected problem because of a smartphone.
Google gives the example of “Cathy,” who broke a dish and made a purchase immediately from her phone, in her kitchen. She’s not alone. Google found that consumers are buying from some pretty unexpected places… including the bathroom.
You might not be able to – or want to – create contextual messages for all of these locations. But it pays off to know that when mobile purchases are made at home, it’s often a result of an action or from a specific room that is already influencing the purchase.
Source: Think With Google
3. Smartphone Users are Making Big Decisions, Incrementally.
Micro-moments add up. The research showed that 90% of smartphone users have used their phone to make progress toward a long-term goal or multi-step process while “out and about.”
That could mean planning for a new home or finding a new job. Each of these micro-moments represents a chance for brands to help people make that decision through non-branded content, building a relationship and loyalty that will last through each of those moments.
4. Smartphone Users Are Looking for Inspiration.
Finally, Google found that users are turning to their smartphones in their day-to-day just to find inspiration: getting ready for the day, getting dressed before an interview, or trying to find new ways to do old things.
The research showed that 91% of smartphone users turn to their phone for ideas while doing a given task. Consumers are searching for inspiration and, very often, they’re turning to their phones to find it.
Fitting “Brand” into Micro-Moments
These micro-moments aren’t usually opportunities for companies to try and make a sale. Instead, they represent times where brands can add value to the equation through content and context.
If someone is checking their emails on their phone, device detection or geo-targeting can create the most relevant experience. Nickelodeon recently did this: knowing that email recipients in the Northeast would be trapped inside during a blizzard, the brand sent out contextual email content that changed depending on the forecast.
Content-rich microsites can capture customer attention and become go-to destinations when people are trying to solve certain problems. In fact, Google’s microsite that debuted the research, ThinkWithGoogle, is a great example of how companies can offer value that keeps the brand in mind.
More than omnichannel, brands have to think about how to be omnipresent. Only then is it possible to make an impression on customers through every step of the journey – whether those are baby steps, sideways steps, or one giant leap forward.
How are brands building emails that can fit within micro-moments today?
Download Inkredible5, Spring Edition, to learn how Lenscrafters, eHarmony, and other companies are creating next-generation emails.
