You two are almost always in contact. And even when you’re not, you’re not more than a few feet away from each other. And in case you do get separated once in a blue moon, you feel vulnerable and incomplete.

While not many people share such a relationship with their better halves, most of us, if not all, share such a relationship with our smartphones today. Especially the millennials.

30% of smartphone users admit that they actually get anxious when they don’t have their smartphone with them. (Source: Google consumer surveys)

You have probably realised this by now, but that little device is transforming our lives. It helps us do and learn things in an instant, manages our tasks, tackles problems, and inspires ideas… The list is endless. Whenever we want or need something, we simply turn to our smartphone.

An average consumer checks his/her phone 150(!) times a day. (Source: Google)

These “moments” when we check our phone during the course of the day are mostly interactions like texting your friend to ask about plans later that night, posting a tweet about the latest trending topic, or replying to a work e-mail while waiting at the cash counter at the local grocery store. These types of moments are a part of our daily life and if a Brand tried engaging with us in such a moment, it is likely that we’ll ignore it. Mobile app developers can focus on micro-moments and create an app that gradually becomes a person’s need in a daily routine.

However, there are moments when we turn to our phone looking for help in making decisions and informed choices on whatever we need or want. These are the moments we, as mobile app developers, have to be ready for and use them to our advantage to engage with the users.

These are the moments Google calls “Micro-Moments”. And they classify these moments loaded with intent, context and immediacy as I-want-to-know, I-want-to-go, I-want-to-buy and I-want-to-do moments.

It makes a lot of sense, if you think about it. Whenever we want something, we simply reach for our devices and make informed decisions faster than ever before. And it’s our smartphones that are spearheading this change. The users are now spending less time when visiting websites and apps but are converting a lot more. This holds true not just online, but in retail stores as well since users already have all the information before they walk in.

Winning the Micro-Moments Battles

In today’s world, people are more loyal to their need of the moment than to specific brands. So as to successfully fill in the boots of a great mobile app developer, you must 24*7 be aware of your competitor’s tactics. Whichever brand can successfully engage with the user in this moment with a promise to fulfil that need, wins the battle. Therefore, it is essential to earn your customer’s consideration and action moment after moment.

Here is what you need to do make sure your brand is constantly winning these micro-battles:

• Anticipate the micro-moments for users in your industry, and be present to help when those moments occur.
  Whenever someone picks up their smartphone without being prompted or receiving a notification, in all probability they’re looking to learn, do, find or buy something. Whether in the form of searches, app interactions or mobile site visits, micro moments happen constantly and you need to be there for them. Examine all phases of the consumer journey to map moments when people want to find inspiration, learn about your products, make a quick purchase, or anything in between. Doing that gives your brand the chance to address that momentary need, help someone make an informed decision and increase loyalty.

• Be relevant to consumers’ need in the moment and get them the answer they’re looking for.
  Simply showing up in these moments isn’t going to earn you the consumers’ trust (and dollars). As a brand, you have to connect the people to what they’re searching for in real time and provide relevant information in the time of need. For example, let customers searching nearby your stores know when the products they’re looking for are in-stock or available for pickup in-store.

Failing to do so has serious consequences. Without utility, users will not only move on in the moment, they actually might never come back!

• The experience has to be quick and seamless.

Consumers today are always in a hurry to accomplish their tasks. They’re making decisions faster than ever before and it’s our smartphones that enabled this behavioural change.

That’s why your mobile site and app has to match their need for speed by being quick and seamless.

They’re called micro-moments for a reason.

Eventually, your brand is not just seen, but chosen.

Red Roof Inn set a good example of how to win micro-moments by getting all three strategies right. The hotel chain company in the US realized that flight cancellations were leaving 90,000 passengers stranded every day.So its marketing team found a way to track flight delays in real time and triggered targeted search ads for its branches near the airport. By committing to these “I-need-a-hotel-ASAP” moments, they delivered with relevance what the stranded passengers needed.

Clever ads like “Stranded at the airport? Come stay with us!” resulted in a 60% increase in bookings across non-branded search campaigns. Now that, is marketing done right.

Conclusion

The mobile explosion has had a significant impact on the way brands and online marketers look at the customer journey. And understanding this online customer journey, from search discovery intent to purchase intent, has been made a lot simpler by Micro-Moments.

As a brand, your focus should be on incorporating these micro-moments in your mobile strategy, for example, by creating your own app that can trigger the thoughts of your potential customers, because ultimately, the brands that do the best job of addressing our needs in each moment will win.

And as a person, maybe give your better half as much attention as you give your smartphone today.

The post Micro-Moments: It’s a Game Changer for Your Brand appeared first on Instappy Blog.