Micro Moments that Drive CX

What Marketers Can Learn from Micro Moments to Influence the Customer Experience



By: Jason Hornik – Vice President of Strategy, Zeta Global


 



Both minor and significant consumer interactions can greatly influence customer experiences and purchase decisions. As a marketer, do you have the ability to identify these interactions to ensure you are mapping out beneficial customer journeys for your customers and organization? My recent panel presentation at eTail West examined how Micro Moments can influence personalized customer experiences and ultimately result in increased sales and customer lifetime value.


 


Anticipate and Impact the Customer Experience in Real Time


What are Micro Moments? Micro Moments are points in time when people indicate their intent, shape their preferences, and make decisions – and these moments occur throughout the entire customer journey. While there are several industry definitions, at Zeta Global we look at “Micro Moments” as key inflection points in a person’s daily life that we can listen to, and act upon, across multiple touchpoints. We also observe these Micro Moments (or signals) over time as a series of events that provide insights into the changes in customer need states.


Here are a couple of examples of Micro Moments:

  • Path to Purchase Events – Consumers searching for products, visiting web sites, doing product research, viewing products, reading product reviews and social posts, trying on products in store
  • Life Events – Going to college, getting married, having a child, moving to a new home
  • Temporary Need States – Going to a wedding, going on a job interview, going on a date, taking a trip
  • Daily Activities – Going to the park, going surfing, going shopping, posting on social sites


By analyzing these need states at an individual level, and at scale through artificial intelligence, we create personalized interactions that anticipate and impact the customer experience in real time.


 


Micro Moments are points in time when people indicate their intent, shape their preferences, and make decisions – and these moments occur throughout the entire customer journey


 


How Micro Moments Can Influence the Larger Customer Experience Picture


Analyzing intent-based behaviors, transactional data, customer variables, and geo-tracking data to create a single, in-depth view of the customer is how marketers can influence the customer experience. At Zeta, we analyze over 1 billion Micro Moments daily (the smaller interactions) across the open web and dynamically incorporate those signals into the real-time messaging and customer experiences for 175 million individuals (the bigger CX picture).


Based on signals from Zeta’s data cloud and actionable customer data, we help clients personalize interactions with their most valuable customers, and potentially with any customer, at an individual level in real time. However, centralizing customer data is critical to enabling and scaling relevant personalization that anticipates and delivers upon customer needs. For example, we are personalizing and measuring the impact of marketing messages, site visits, call center interactions, and in-store experiences.


 


Interacting with Consumers on Their Terms


Marketers need to focus on delivering relevant content that takes intent and preferences into account so that they interact with customers on their terms and humanize experiences. More personalized and relevant content creates longer attention spans, particularly for digital channels. The following are approaches that can be incorporated to balance the best information with digestible information:

  • Deliver and reinforce relevant content across multiple channels and formats
  • Provide customers with choices and information they can expand upon to learn more
  • Create easy navigation with precise details and summary points
  • Develop content and information that is consistent with the tone of the brand


 


At Zeta, we analyze over 1 billion Micro Moments daily across the open web and dynamically incorporate those signals into the real-time messaging and customer experiences for 175 million individuals


 


Discovering Small, Impactful “Moments” that Alter the Customer Journey  


Along the customer discovery path, you might identify surprises that reveal opportunities. Moving to a new home is one Micro Moment that has surprised us, based on its sheer level of impact across so many decisions and purchases. Approximately 30 million people move in the U.S. every year, and it is an emotional and stressful experience. By capturing and understanding the daily signals that precede a move, rather than reacting after a move, we can better define customer needs and positively affect customer experiences. Let’s walk through how a marketer could influence a consumer in a pre-move state.


 


The Consumer Move Case Study, Signals to Listen for…


It begins with intender signals that tell us when someone is about to move vs. when they just moved. What signals can you identify for pre-move data? Are your customers commenting or asking questions on social media about home mortgage rates? Are they researching specific geographic regions/areas for schools, grocery stores, and gyms? Have they been selling household items online to declutter the home? All of those signals – and more – can tell you if someone is “intending” to move. These are great points to take advantage of with your data and act upon.


New movers are just one audience category marketers can identify to build loyalty and increase sales. How many of you think about “new movers” as a category to target? Probably not many (unless you are selling home-based or financial services) but think of all the other opportunities new movers present. A new home often means new everything…grocery stores, dry cleaners, vets, doctors, and schools. If you have a national brand that fits this category, you may be surprised at what your return on investment could be by identifying this customer segment pre-move!


Marketers who can identify when consumers are in a state of intention and identify with confidence and activate them are reimagining the customer experience. These need states provide valuable insights such as paths to purchase, brand preferences, timing, and location. Savvy marketers who focus on Micro Moments and create test and learn plans to understand these inflection points will be able to electrify their marketing efforts.


To learn more about how Zeta can help you and your brand identify Micro Moments, watch our webinar: Micro Moments That Matter: Learn what your customers really needs. 


 


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