To describe the instances when people turn to their smartphones to satisfy a question or immediate need, Google has coined the term “micro-moments.” These moments happen all the time and each is an opportunity to connect with a potential customer looking for help. That is, if you have the right content ready and it’s easy for them to find.

Understanding Micro-Moments

Google defines four basic categories of micro-moments:

  1. I-want-to-know moments: These micro-moments occur when a person wants to discover or learn something. For example, a mobile user might remember that Mother’s Day is coming up and search for “Mother’s Day gift ideas”
  1. I-want-to-go moments: This is when someone decides to search for a physical location for a product or service. An example could involve needing lunch and searching “where is the closest pho restaurant.”
  1. I-want-to-do moments: When people need instructions or help with a task, what do they do? Most of the time, they turn to their mobile device and look for a quick tutorial or video. In fact, over 100 million hours of “how-to” content was watched on YouTube in just a single six-month period.
  1. I-want-to-buy moments: The name of this micro-moment is self-explanatory – it occurs when a consumer is ready to purchase. Research show that 82% of consumers consult their smartphone in-store before making a purchase decision.

How to Best Get Noticed During Micro-Moments

The most common type of micro-moment is the “I-want-to-know” moment. Therefore, it’s critical to ensure that your content is ready for these moments when they happen in your potential customers. This means:

  • Anticipating your audience’s questions: Research is essential for winning “I-want-to-know moments.” Using tools like Google Display Planner, which is generally a display ad tool, to see the types of searches your target audience is making, Google Trends to see broad insights about searches within your niche and your own website analytics to determine how your audience is getting to your site, will allow you to fine-tune your strategy.Nestle Toll House successfully did this when they decided to overhaul their digital strategy. Previously, their marketing campaigns had centered on holidays. But they weren’t catching bakers during the random micro-moments when they were searching for recipes or inspiration. Nestle used search analytics from YouTube and Google to figure out what bakers were really searching for and they revamped their YouTube channel and website content to directly address those common questions. The new content, featuring Ashley Adams, went on to perform 43% better than what similar brands were creating.
  • Making your content visible: Good SEO practices are important to any content marketing strategy. But a top spot in relevant search results is especially vital for getting value from micro-moments. Most will click on the first trustworthy search result they see so it’s critical your content gets a high ranking.According to one Google study, 69% of mobile users state that they’re more likely to buy from a business whose mobile app or website helped them find an answer easily.
  • Thinking “micro” when you create content: Micro-moments are all about bursts of search activity taking place in short periods of time. Don’t bog readers down with lengthy content. Instead, use ‘snackable’ content to give them quick, concise answers. Highlight your key information first, while you’re certain to have your audience’s full attention.

Cosmetics brand L’Oreal used this strategy when they created an informational video about their Root Cover Up product. They explained the usefulness and value of the product within the first six seconds of the video. If viewers were interested, they could keep watching to find out more. However, even users who bailed on the video still walked away with the key message.

Create Content for Today’s Consumer Journey

Mobile disruption has made a huge impact on the customer journey, with countless tiny moments available to raise awareness of your brand and connect with potential customers. Businesses that adapt to this shift in behavior and capitalize on these decision-making instances will experience more success in growing their customer base.