What are micro-moments – and why should they matter to you?

The world has gone mobile. More and more consumers are turning away from traditional resources in favour of their mobile devices. In the current age of information, if someone has a query or needs to find out information regarding a place or product, all they need to do is pull their phone out of their pocket and start their search.

This action is what Google refers to as a micro-moment. It’s the small fraction of time when the user turns to their smartphone to find information. These micro-moments are intent rich, because the user is actively seeking to learn more about a particular place, product or service. Therefore, it’s a great time for a brand to connect with that user. Micro-moments happen constantly but they are all a key stage in the sales cycle and a notable chance for you to positively affect and shape the decision making process.

There has been a wave of data and statistics in recent years illustrating the huge shift towards mobile and app usage. Google stated that a quarter of people use mobile devices as their primary search tool. Most digital media screen time comes from apps. This time is also profitable and valuable. Adobe for example says that $1.2 billion worth of sales were made from mobile devices on Black Friday 2016. All of these sales would have intersected with a micro-moment, that intent rich sliver of time where the consumer wanted to find out more, locate or purchase a specific item.

Mobile devices conceal a vast potential consumer base that is continually growing. More than that, they offer all kinds of opportunities for developers, companies and marketing specialists to interact with consumers through these important micro-moments.

Google divides micro-moments into four main categories:

The majority of people that unlock their mobile phone to search for something will fall into one of these categories. By understanding these four categories and tailoring your marketing so you are present and useful in those micro-moments, you can work towards better ROI and much stronger engagement levels.

In order to maximise the effectiveness of your brand’s digital presence, improve customer relations and expand your market share it’s important to utilise the opportunities that micro-moments offer. By understanding how and where mobile usage fits into your target market’s decision-making process, you can fill any gaps and customise your service or marketing tactics based on those needs.