Though being memorable is important, your audience isn’t necessarily always looking for the most entertaining or original content. Oftentimes they’re simply lost at sea and need quick information or the right tools to navigate the situation.
When developing a content strategy, brands should consider planning and organizing content around perceived problems or moments when someone might turn to their mobile or desktop to search for a solution, inspiration, or information.
So, how can you be the lighthouse in the storm for your customer?
This week we’re thinking a little differently about the content planning roadmap and exploring ways to tweak our content plan to cater to these increasingly important micro moments. (If you’re new to the concept of micro-moments check out our Quick Intro to Micro Moments, or for a deep dive, check out this report by the Harvard Business Review.)
Below we’ve put together a few ways you can refine your plan for 2016 to make the most of each and every customer interaction.
How do you navigate the high seas of content planning? Goal-setting is the foundation of any good content. Obviously, you can’t move forward until you define exactly what you’re working towards as a team. When planning for micro-moments, the first step is to determine what moments you’ll be targeting, so you can draft realistic goals. Making a micro-moments map can help your team brainstorm which moments you can leverage as an opportunity to be helpful.
Start by identifying a set of moments you want to capture during the customer’s buying journey. Map these moments so you know what kind of content you need to produce to “win” their attention in the moment. What is your audience searching for? Can your brand give people information? Inspiration? The resources to solve a problem? Ask yourself what would make your own life easier in that moment.
Brainstorm until you craft a solid map of the moments in which you can be helpful or useful to your audience. Plan content “that provides your key segments with the five content marketing types every customer seeks: product information, answers to their questions, details on how to use your product, styling insights, and customer ratings and reviews” says Heidi Cohen, President of Riverside Marketing Strategies.
Remember that impressions are important, but impact is what really matters when converting customers.
Now it's time to locate that buried treasure. Demographics are important, but as Think With Google points out, it can’t account for intent. In the moment, immediacy trumps loyalty, as people search for relevant information to meet needs as they arise. Demographics can tell us what products or trends people in a certain age range of a certain gender may like, but they won’t help us understand what a consumer is looking for in a specific moment, or where they’re going to find the right information.
Google published some surprising stats that defy the impressions provided by most demographic profiles:
Only 31% of mobile searches for video games are men ages 18-34.
68% of skin and body care influencers in the past six months were men.
40% of baby product purchasers live in households without children.
The data reveals that when we think outside of age and gender, there is potentially an entirely forgotten and untapped market. A parent might already know what to buy their friend for a baby shower gift, but a childless friend is probably more likely to seek out help and conduct an internet search for inspiration or help.
We can sharpen the focus of our content when we look for these moments of intent. If marketers think about intent in addition to demographics, brands can better meet their audience’s needs in the moment.
Plan for personalized experiences across more than one device.
Get all hands on deck. Today’s consumer journey is complex and dispersed across social channels and devices. “While multi-channel means creating content fit to be published on multiple channels, omni-channel goes deeper than that,” explains Forbes. The omni-channel strategy focuses on creating memorable experiences for customers during every point of interaction with your brand.
This approach stresses highly personalized content. Use data on time and location to create experiences that are tailor-made for each moment and every individual. Did they search for a tutorial on how to set up a tent? Let them know what tents are in stock at a nearby store. Did they start shopping on a mobile device and continue later on a desktop? Make sure their items are still in the cart.
Part of creating a seamless experience is making sure everything is optimized for mobile. It is crucial to plan content that is easily accessed via mobile devices so you don’t miss out on the opportunity to help your audience pick up where they left off. Marketers should also put techniques in place that help you account for cross-device conversions so you can measure your ROI more accurately and understand consumer behaviour. This strategy will help inform the kind of content you create in the future, and give you insight into your audience’s purchasing process.
The most important part of developing any content plan is to remember that it can (and should) change along the way. Don’t remain anchored to your original plan, allow for it to evolve as you gain more information about your audience, and be open to making adjustments as the data comes in.
Are you planning for the moments that matter? Do you have any suggestions or tips for content planning? We want to hear them! Share with us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 
