Be There When It Matters Most

When customers look to their phones to solve their problems or fulfill their demands will you be at their fingertips?

Being there when it matters most is important to businesses as consumers turn to smartphones find local businesses.

Businesses and small want to be there when customers are choosing. Some of this is the right location, being on the shelf or that preferred placement in media.

The average person unlocks their smartphone over 100 times a day.

People spend these critical micro-moments on their phone when they can learn, do, find or buy something. The key to capitalizing on this is to be there when it matters most.

Consider these stats from a recent Google report:

• Many consumers aren’t brand-committed. Ninety percent of smartphone users are not absolutely certain of the specific brand they want to buy when they begin looking for information online.¹
• You get a shot at your competitor’s customers. One in three smartphone users have purchased from a company or brand other than the one they intended to because of information provided in the moment they needed it.²
• Your presence can drive brand awareness goals. Studies have shown that you can increase unaided brand awareness by 46% (or 6.9 percentage points) simply by showing up in mobile search ad results.³ And more than half (51%) of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their smartphones.⁴

Being a local business doesn’t keep you from competing when it matters most. But you can’t do it if you’re not there.

When you fail to be there, you’re simply handing opportunities over to your competitors. Nobody wants that (except your competitors). So find those moments when you should be present, and dig in your heels.

In mobile there are four key moments to be at a consumers fingertips.

I-WANT-TO-KNOW MOMENTS: Someone is exploring or researching, but not yet in purchase mode. They want useful information and maybe even inspiration, not the hard sell.

Consider this: Sixty-six percent of smartphone users turn to their smartphones to learn more about something they saw in a TV commercial.⁵

I-WANT-TO-GO MOMENTS: People are looking for a local business or are considering buying a product at a local store. Being there means getting your physical business in their consideration set in that moment.

Consider this: “Near me” searches have grown 2X in the past year⁶ and 82% of smartphone users say they use search to find a local business.⁷

I-WANT-TO-BUY MOMENTS: These are huge, of course. Someone is ready to make a purchase and may need help deciding what or how to buy. You can’t assume they’ll seek you out; you have to be there with the right information to seal the deal.

Consider this: Eighty-two percent of smartphone users consult their phone while in a store.⁸

I-WANT-TO-DO MOMENTS: These may come before or after the purchase. Either way, these are “how to” moments when people want help with getting things done or trying something new. Being there with the right content is key.

Consider this: Searches related to “how to” on YouTube are growing 70% year-over-year.⁹

Many of these moments have local intent. For local business being an option when customers have their moments of need can make a measurable impact on their success.

Where to start?

Find out more about your customers, what they care (and search) about. Are you there? Are you happy with your presence?

• Consider the most searched topics for your brand or category. Grab your mobile device and try those searches. Are you there and do you like what you see?
• Much like share of the store shelf or share of voice on TV, what is the share of consumer intent you’re capturing with your mobile marketing strategy? How big is the gap versus desktop? How big is the gap versus your peer set?
• Are you only there at the bottom of the funnel, when people are in buying mode? Or are you there across the full range of consumer needs, wants, and curiosities? Are you also considering the various contexts of those needs, and are you adjusting your strategy accordingly?

 

Source: Being There in Micro-Moments, Especially on Mobile – Think with Google