How you can use social to reach consumers at micro moments

Marketers can use social media to engage users and connect with consumers during brief, yet influential micro moments.

Scrolling through Facebook while waiting in line at the grocery store. Looking up an ingredient on the menu at a restaurant. Checking the score while waiting at the bus stop. Searching for an actor’s name during commercial break. Skimming reviews of a pair of boots at the department store. Google defines instances like those described above as micro moments – and they happen incessantly.

Consumers whip out their phones up to 150 times a day to research, look for information, or validate decisions. For marketers, these micro moments create innumerable chances to increase reach, engagement, and ultimately conversions.

Yet, while micro moments are frequent, they’re also fleeting. Marketers need to be quick and nimble in order to take full advantage of them. The rapid clip of social media channels make them a great place to get in front of consumers in these momentary bursts of attention and engagement.

The following are six ways you can use social media to reach consumers during their micro moments.

1. Highlight products reviews

According to Google, 82 percent of smartphone users say they consult their phones on purchases they’re about to make in store. More often than not, they’re checking reviews to see what other people have said about the product and searching with inquiries like:

“How durable is the stitching on a leather jacket?”
“Will snug-fitting oxfords stretch after a few months?”
“Does the non-stick coating wear off a wok?”

Product reviews can drive make-it-or-break-it decisions while consumers shop at a brand’s brick-and-mortar location. Make reviews easy to find and read on your product pages and consider including at-a-glance ratings for quality or fit or FAQs for each product, as The Home (Read more...) does.

2. Personalize social engagement

Friends and family have a major impact on our behavior, and that includes purchase behavior. When a customer looks up a product on their phone while in-store and sees that someone they know has liked or shared that product, they become more confident in making that purchase. Consider showing friends faces on the Facebook Like buttons included on product pages.

3. Leverage social commerce

Buy buttons and integrated shops on social media channels make it easy and painless for consumers to purchase during these brief moments.

All of the major social media networks are offering some type of ecommerce solution:

Facebook has offered a Buy button on ads and page posts since mid-2014, and it recently rolled out a new Shop section.
Twitter’s Buy Now buttons were also launched in 2014, and are easily integrated for online retailers using Bigcommerce, Demandware, Shopify, or Stripe.
Pinterest’s Buyable Pins rolled out last summer and saw two times the conversion rates compared to non-buyable pins, within just three months of launching.

4. Link from social channels to your site

Everyone loves inspiring quotes and funny images. However, if that is the only thing you post on social media and you never include links to your site, the lack of users visiting your site shouldn’t be a surprise. Your social media channels shouldn’t operate in isolation of your larger digital marketing efforts. Be sure to include links to product categories and product pages, promotional pages, and informational content within your posts.

5. Post snackable video content

Short and sweet videos are the perfect, bite-sized proportion for micro moment consumption. Whether it’s a useful how-to, entertaining imagery, or compelling promotion, short video bursts can provide the right message when scrolling through Facebook or Instagram while on the go. Make sure the context and message can be gleaned without sound, in case the viewer is in a loud, public place.

6. Be there and be helpful

When consumers seek quick answers, they hop on Facebook or Twitter to get the information they need. By being there in the moment, answering questions, and providing assistance, you can capture the consumer first, before they move on to another brand or product.

In conclusion

Micro moments are changing the marketing rule book by forcing brands and organizations to be more agile, adaptive, and present across all channels. Social media is the ideal place to reach consumers in these short, yet powerful moments.

Homepage image via Flickr.