Internet speak has created a much richer lexicon for today’s generation. And honestly, you can’t help but develop an appreciation for the clever terminologies that have emerged in recent years. And speaking of Internet terms, one of the relatively new ones that online-driven people use is “micro-moments.”
The definition provided by Google for this terminology is this: “Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device—increasingly a smartphone—to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something. They are intent-rich moments when decisions are made and preferences shaped.”
So, essentially, a micro-moment is the point in time when you turn to an Internet-connecting device for the information you need or to carry out an activity, which is what everybody does frequently on a smartphone. For whatever people need, it seems Google is the key — hence the phrase, “google it.”
Turning to the Internet is almost instinctive for a lot of people, and because of this, businesses must take this into great consideration, especially if they need to build a strong brand. But how does a company go about this? Here are seven strategies to implement.
1. Create a website
A website is the most extensive representation of your company in the digital realm. A lot of micro-moments can be accomplished through this online real estate, such as data provision, shopping, chat, and sales. You can really create an excellent impression for your brand through a website.
However, you need to make sure that this official online brand presence creates a consistently good user experience. Otherwise, your brand will suffer. Therefore, hire the best web developers for the job. They’ll make sure that your website displays correctly on all mobile devices and whatever transactions to be carried out on the site will go smoothly.
2. Blog
A blog can be a page on the website, but you need to focus on the different brand experiences it provides users. Make it as informative as possible by sharing tips, instructions, and guides.
Likewise, make your brand personality shine through it. You can share stories on the blog, which are essential for brand building because stories are the perfect content to connect with your target market. Indeed, there is nothing more powerful than a good story when it comes to building a brand and marketing.
3. Take into great consideration customer feedback
Take it from experienced branding consultants who always say that what customers say opens doors for improvements. Listen to the opinions and complaints of the people who connect with you online. Follow this up by formulating ways to tweak the quality of your service. This is the best way to draw them back in if your online presence had disappointed them before.
But aside from improving your service and online interaction with customers after listening to what they had to say, you can also work on polishing your product quality and rethink your prices. All such moves can create a solid, positive, and memorable impression for your brand.
4. Diversify your content
Content creation is very much a part of brand building in the digital world. Online content is what your target audience will consume first before your actual products and services. Thus, invest in the creation of different kinds of digital content for your brand.
Use videos to reinforce the value of your brand and what it stands for. Perhaps, launch witty memes as well, especially if you want your brand to be more meaningful to younger audiences. And, don’t forget to use infographics, images, podcasts, and others to deliver the information that people turn to your business for.
5. Take advantage of local SEO
Another effective strategy in making your brand more meaningful and memorable is by placing it where it’ll be more visible – you can do this through local SEO.
With local SEO, people searching for your brand through their smartphones will automatically be directed to the establishment nearest them where your products and services are available. This will create an image of a highly reliable brand. Plus, your business can score the chance to outperform your competitors in the area that do not make use of local SEO in terms of the search-to-purchase cycle.
6. Invest in an app that you can sell to your customers
Apps are highly useful programs that can be downloaded in most mobile devices, including small wearables such as smartwatches. The advantage of apps is people can use them even if they are not connected online. Therefore, micro-moments can be created even in the absence of an Internet connection.
You can turn to specialist companies for these programs to boost your brand. They will design an app that can provide users with an extensive collection of information to answer queries or to guide them in performing an action.
This is, no doubt, a pricey investment, but if you want your brand to serve a device-reliant audience well, an app for your business is completely worth it.
7. Stay relevant
One of the best ways to make your digital content work optimally for your brand is by making it relevant to the times. Churn out articles and other informative pieces that relate your brand to what the rest of the world is going through.
According to top branding agencies, you can’t go wrong by being a source of something good for a lot of people. So, let your brand prove timely information and other solutions. If your brand cannot provide those through products and services, then demonstrate empathy. Quite often these days, people turn to social media just to find words of encouragement and some sense that they are not alone. Let the brand be that for them.
Indeed, creating micro-moments through your brand is a fantastic way to ensure competitive advantage and relevance. It can be a lot of work, but the lovely thing about it is, it can provide you with a fiercer commitment to help or be what people need. Furthermore, you can trust that all these efforts will reward you with exponential connections that can lead to more sales and profits for your operations.
Author Bio
Hasan Fadlallah is a Serial Entrepreneur – Founder & CEO of Brand Lounge, the region’s leading and award-winning branding consultancy, whose role is to help organizations align their business behind an idea that will deliver success time and again. Equipped with over 20 years of professional consulting experience, today he advises businesses throughout the Gulf and Africa on brand development and in 2014 was recognized by the World Brand Congress who awarded him the prestigious Brand Leadership award in Brand Excellence.