Contrary to the common adage that today's consumer is short on time and even shorter on attention span, today's consumer is a savvy multi-tasker who has become adept at weeding out the noise, and focusing only on the content that suits their needs—when they need it, where they need it.

SOLVING RIDDLES WITHOUT CHEATING

When humans have a need, they seek out information that will help them make the next steps. In this moment, we are open or susceptible to marketing. We are seeking content that will help us answer our question or solve our problem. Google calls these “micro-moments” which they define as “An intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need—to know, go, do, or buy.”

For my birthday, a clever friend sent me a carefully constructed box, with various interior layers that could only be accessed after I solved a riddle. I pondered the riddle for several days, all the while, fighting the urge to look up the answer online. My instinct was to do just that, but I felt that would somehow be cheating. In the end, I Googled the riddle, and discovered the answer. I then admitted to my friend that I was not as clever as they may have hoped. Their response however was, “It’s not cheating; it’s using the resources at your disposal.”

So it was. When we have a need or a question, the solution lies within our device. We turn to the internet to learn, plan, schedule, and purchase.

POINTS FOR PARTICIPATION, EXTRA POINTS FOR INFLUENCE

In order for your brand to participate in this process, you must not only have an answer or a solution to the questions and problems being presented, you must be an active, relevant, and engaged participant in the conversation. Your goal is to influence the consumer to engage with your brand, convincing them that your brand can address their need(s).

Customers now expect businesses “know” them, safely and respectfully utilizing their public-facing data to personalize content and engagement.

And on top of that, customers expect an engaging and intuitive user experience—a series of brief, integrated steps that seamlessly deliver to them their intended outcome.

It’s no small feat for a brand to consistently show up at the right moment. However, a smart digital marketing agency not only has the tools to track user data, they also have the experience and knowledge to successfully assimilate that user data. And perhaps most importantly, they know how to react to that data. This understanding of your target audience informs the marketing strategy—you now know what your customer wants, how they search for it, and where they’re finding it; further, you’ll discover whether or not you’re already a part of that process.

Becoming part of that process—an influencer—requires that you provide relevant and useful answers to those questions and problems at the time the consumer is seeking them.

Once you understand who your customer is, what their needs are, where and how they search for solutions, you can develop a strategy to get involved in those conversations and position your brand, or your product, as the answer.

DON’T BE EVERYWHERE. BE EVERYWHERE THAT MATTERS.

User data is the foundation of a successful marketing strategy. Envisioning your ideal customer, though an important exercise, is not as integral as knowing who your target customer is—what they value, how and where they communicate.

In order to become part of the conversation, your brand doesn’t need to be in all places at all times. The web is far too big, and there is little benefit to promoting your brand in irrelevant spaces. Instead, your brand needs to be where your customers are. And in those relevant spaces, your brand needs to offer relevant solutions.

Under the professional guidance of a digital marketing agency, your brand can develop a strategy that shares your content where and when it’s most applicable.

Call us today to discuss how we can help get your brand in front of your target audience and convert those users to customers.