If you’re like me, the first thing you probably do when you wake up is the same thing you do as the last thing you do before you fall asleep. You check your phone.
According to Checky, an app that tracks how many times a person checks their phone each day, the average person checks their phone an average of 60 times per day (noting it varies widely). Another Google report references we check our phones 150 times per day, which adds up to approximately 177 minutes per day of phone use. One step further brings you to their magic number of 1 minute, 10 seconds per use.
Welcome to the world of Micro-Moments. These are those times when you quickly need to check your calendar, order an Uber, make an Amazon purchase, look up a place near your hotel for dinner, or are researching a bathroom remodel on Houzz during a break in meetings. All of these moments sit at the crossroads of intent, context and immediacy.
Marketing is no longer just getting in front of the right people, but instead, it is getting in front of the right people at the right time. Google summarizes these into four categories of Micro-Moments and here are a few examples of how your business can be useful in each moment:
I-Want-to-Know-Moments
These are often the beginnings to a long-term sale. How to find my credit score may be the start to a large purchase like a home. A local realtor can have a guide to credit scores and mortgage calculators, then target search terms locally to be the first stop in a homebuyer’s process.
I-Want-to-Go-Moments
Perhaps you are a local coffee chain and an out-of-town visitor habitually searches Starbucks as they walk through their hotel lobby. In reality, they are right next to your fantastic, locally owned coffee shop, but wouldn’t know to search for you. Local targeting for coffee shops on mobile keywords could put you into that busy, business traveler’s fingertips at the decisive moment.
I-Want-to-Do-Moments
Wine can sometimes be difficult to approach for the uninitiated and how-to videos help break down the barriers. People like Gary Vaynerchuk with Wine Library TV, or The Second Glass have made wine approachable to wider audiences with no-frills wine lessons. Both brands have seen success from their videos by ultimately driving people to buy from their store, or attend their events. Cooking, construction, and beauty are other popular industry examples of how-to videos helping build brands.
I-Want-to-Buy-Moments
Eliminating steps when you are on mobile is key for an ecommerce company. Compare Domino’s pizza right now on your mobile phone vs. their mobile app. For those with an account, typical of repeat customers, they have expedited the process and even let you know where your pizza is every step of the way. Amazon Now has the ability on your iPhone to checkout with your thumbprint to authorize a purchase and have it to you in less than two hours. Speed is important for mobile users, so look at your checkout process and see how you can optimize it by the device, and location. Even a click-to-call button can make it easier for a potential customer to reach out to you by phone when they are on the go.
By better understanding your customers and how they shop, you can then inventory your mobile presence to ensure you are in the right place at the right time.
The entire Google report on Micro-Moments can be read by clicking here.