What is a micro-moment? Google coined the term in 2015 and defines a micro-moment as “an intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need — to know, go, do, or buy” (thinkwithgoogle.com). Within these moments, people are expecting to find results and solutions instantly. Businesses can take advantage of these intent-driven impulses and capture the user in an actionable micro-moment by delivering exactly what that user is looking for at the right time.
Yet, with the exorbitant amount of information we devour every day, it can seem impossible to create something that sticks out and captures a potential client in a micro-moment. But trust us, it can — and should — be done.
How Will Micro-Moments Help Your Practice?
Micro-moments are tailored to the mobile experience, but they have the power to work on any device. It’s more about the user experience and less about the medium they use. Micro-moments in marketing are like stepping stones in a garden. They lead potential customers to your website via singular steps, where each one offers a different view of the garden (aka your company). This journey creates a deeper level of trust with every interaction, thereby increasing the chance of conversion (i.e. a phone call, appointment request, or purchase from your online store). Micro-moments are becoming the norm, and they can benefit your practice substantially when implemented correctly. Let’s take a look at how that can be done.
Implementing Micro-Moments into Your Marketing Strategy
Micro-moments are enchanting little glimmers that you can use throughout your website, social media accounts, blog, veterinary app, and more! Notice how all of these could be accessed by a mobile device (and likely are) and that’s important to keep in mind throughout all your copy and design development. Yet, again, it’s not the only way these moments will be noticed.
Step One: Understanding Your Audience
The first step for implementing micro-moments is understanding your audience and what they want to do or know, where they want to go, and why. For pet owners, common concerns that pop up include:
- “My pet is scratching himself raw. I need to understand why and get him the help he needs.” – I-want-to-do moment
- “My cat hates going to the vet, but she’s due for vaccinations. Is there somewhere I can go where she’ll be less stressed?” – I-want-to-go moment
- “Does my pet really need parasite prevention all year long? What’s the risk of stopping treatments in the colder months?” – I-want-to-know moment
- “I’ve heard of laser therapy for pets and want to try it for my older arthritic dog.” – I-want-to-buy moment
Step Two: Deliver Valuable, Consumable Content
The next step is to deliver valuable, easily consumed content to hook them in. The key is to personalize your message to each client. Using a bit of creativity, you can probably see ways to position yourself and your practice as the experts with the answers to their questions.
Here are some micro-moments marketing examples you can apply to each situation above:
1. Write a blog about pet allergies at the beginning of spring and promote it on social media, prompting visitors to set up an appointment or call you for more information.
2. Promote cats-only days at your clinic once a month or weekly if possible, and highlight your practice’s cat-friendly amenities on your website. Offer a call to action to set up an appointment, too.
3. Offer a discount on parasite preventatives in your veterinary app, targeting clients who haven’t made a purchase recently. Be sure to offer accompanying information about why prevention is crucial to pet health to fill their need for information.
4. Have a page on your website devoted to laser therapy and deliver a direct call to action on that page to drive curious visitors to set up an appointment.
Notice that the common theme throughout each example is a call to action. Without having a direct conversion path to take, you risk losing possible clients. Keep in mind as well that these examples are by no means the only options you can implement. You can use a combination of digital media to create a number of moments to prompt one action. The possibilities are endless.
At InTouch we deliver customized content to users and generate micro-moments for the veterinary industry on a daily basis. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you in this quest!
Reviewd by: Mary B. on Nov. 18, 2019