Imagine your teenage daughter decides to become a vegetarian. This requires adding some new food to your weekly shopping list to accommodate her preferences, and you want to ensure you purchase the best protein substitutes to make sure she still gets plenty of nutrition.
When you log on to your computer and begin researching different products, you’re in the Zero Moment of Truth, or ZMOT. Google identified this as the most crucial stage of the buyer’s journey when they decide to look up different products, brands or services online so they know what to purchase.
From a marketer’s perspective, whether someone is looking for veggie burgers or a new car, the zero moment of truth is when your online presence has to shine. Traditionally, the ZMOT took place in the store when the consumer made the purchasing decision, but the explosion in the availability of information and resources to learn about products online means it often occurs long before customers even leave their homes. Your marketing strategy must account for this with tactics that drive purchasing decisions even as a customer researches a product or service.
How Zero-Moment Marketing Works in the Buyer’s Journey
The zero moment of truth fits into the traditional awareness stage of a buyer’s journey. They have a pain point or problem to solve (the stimulus), so they research and decide to buy. As a marketer, you need to consider all stages of this journey.
During ZMOT, consumers who have experienced a stimulus (which could be seeing an advertisement for your product or a problem in their life) start looking for more information and solutions. They do this by:
- Using search engines to find products
- Reading online reviews
- Asking for recommendations
- Seeking other sources of information, like articles and social media
When developing the marketing strategy for your product or service, you need to consider what happens after you get the buyer’s attention with a stimulus. A commercial or banner advertisement might intrigue them, but when they look for more, it has to be easily accessible and answer their questions. Otherwise, you won’t see the conversions you expect from your campaigns.
Leveraging the Zero Moment of Truth
When you want to spur customers to purchase your products, give them all the information they need to know that your offerings will solve their pain points. Remember these best practices when developing your plan:
- Maintain a mobile-friendly website: Sometimes, ZMOT occurs in the store when customers see your products on the shelf or encounter a promotion.
- Implement search engine optimization strategies: SEO is crucial to any marketing campaign to ensure shoppers find you organically when they search.
- Offer relevant content: Some ideas include inspiration for using the product, FAQs, product updates, testimonials, and success stories.
- Seek out social proof: From glowing reviews to user-generated content, the more content you can offer from real customers, the more credible you’ll appear to prospective customers.
- Engage with customers: Respond to user questions and comments on social media, both positive and negative. Solve problems quickly and professionally.
- Use data and analytics: Stay on top of your online analytics to determine what is and isn’t working with customers. Use that information to refine your tactics and make data-driven decisions to reach your target audience.
The more accessible and relevant your information is, and the more it fulfills the questions people have about your products and services, the more effective your zero moment of truth strategy will be.
Refine Your Customer Engagement Approach With Help from Cliffedge Marketing
When you want to drive more customer engagement and transform the experience for your consumer packaged goods company, turn to the experts at Cliffedge Marketing. Whether you sell meat substitutes, condiments, beverages, or beyond we’re here to help you get the most ROI for your marketing investment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand reach customers more effectively.
