One of the biggest challenges that consumer-facing businesses in this digital era need to confront is that of consumer attention. Not just capturing it, but maintaining it…
Audiences today simply don’t behave the way they used to a decade or even five years ago. Nowadays, people expect instant access to information and services, and if they aren’t delivered within seconds, they’ll move on to something else.
If you’re managing your digital marketing processes in-house, this shift in consumer behavior does present a challenge, but also great opportunities for growth. One of the most significant lies in mastering the so-called “micro-moments,” which are brief, but crucial instances, when users turn to their devices to make decisions or take action.
Curious? This article will explain more about microinteractions, and equip you with simple strategies that you can leverage to capture consumer attention in seconds.
Understanding Microinteractions
Micro-moments, aka microinteractions, are those moments when a consumer reaches for their device — be that a smartphone or laptop — to satisfy an immediate need. Such moments are driven by intent, whether that’s someone searching for information, route finding, or making a purchase.
Urgency is another core desire behind a microinteraction. Consumers want immediate answers that will help them move forward in the decision-making process.
It’s helpful to think of microinteractions as four different categories:
- I want to know
- I want to go
- I want to do
- I want to buy
Each of these represents a different consumer journey. Naturally, meeting each of them will require a different approach.
We’re reinforcing how important it is to understand the different nature of micro-interactions because that clarity will then drive your strategy. You’ve set up services or developed products to meet your target customers’ needs and pain points; you now need to reach them in the most precise and accurate ways possible.
Just think about it… by delivering the right information at the right moment, you can ramp up your chances of converting that interaction into a sale or lead, or gaining a loyal customer. Alternatively, if your brand isn’t visible during those moments, you risk losing out to competitors who are better prepared.
Optimizing your Presence
So, how can you leverage microinteractions? The first step is ensuring that your brand is present when it matters most. And we can achieve that with focused search engine optimization.
Having a website is a great start, but your content also needs to be optimized for multiple devices — especially mobile, as this is where most microinteractions take place. Taking a mobile-first design approach is essential, prioritizing things like loading speeds and easy navigation on smartphones and tablets.
You can also power up your mobile-first design by concentrating on local search engine optimization, particularly if your target audience is locally-based. People frequently use their devices to search for the nearby businesses or services, often with an intent to visit immediately. Capitalizing on these queries is easy when you know what to do — updating your Google Business profile, ensuring that your contact info is accurate (and that you are reachable when you say you will be), and using local keywords in your content should be at the top of the list.
Make the Most of Offline Engagement
So far, we’ve treated most microinteractions as happening online, but it’s just as important to consider those times when your audience is offline. Quite a lot of users spend time on their mobile devices even when they’re not connected to the internet, like playing offline games or interacting with downloaded content. Plus, folks will often turn to offline apps as a way to stay entertained when commuting or flying.
Offline moments might seem insignificant, but they do prove a genuine opportunity to increase engagement. Integrating your brand into offline apps through in-app advertising will keep you present in the user’s mind, even when they’re not actively searching for information online. Consider running targeted ads that offer value to a player, such as discounts or exclusive content. As well as attracting their attention, this will encourage them to interact with your brand once they’re back online. Offline iPhone games are a great opportunity to do this.
Offline engagement might not deliver those immediate results you can get with online interactions, but it does play a crucial role in being able to build long-term relationships with your audience. By being present during these seemingly insignificant micro-moments, you can create a consistent experience for your target audience… and stay at the forefront of their minds.
Maximizing Microinteractions
Capturing a user’s attention, whether online or offline, is only the first step. Once you have their attention, you need to hook them… and you can do this by providing relevant and valuable content.
Understanding the intent behind micro-moments is critical. What are your users trying to accomplish? Are they looking for information? Maybe they’re trying to solve a problem, or are simply ready to make a purchase.
If you haven’t already done so, sign up for Google Analytics to identify trends in user behavior; by understanding the why behind searches, you can tailor your content to meet those specific needs.
So, we’ve covered relevance and value. What’s the final ingredient? Action! Specifically, your content should include clear calls to action (CTAs) that guide users toward the next step.
In micro-moments, users just don’t have the time to figure out what to do next, so give them clear and direct signposts. Buy now! Learn more! Call us! — they’re unmistakable CTAs that make the path forward clear and simple. The more straightforward your calls to action are, the better your chances are of turning micro-moments into meaningful brand interactions.
