In the high-pressure world of sales and quarterly earnings, it can be tough to see changes as they are occurring. Particularly when those changes are rapid, significant, as well as counter-intuitive to your education and protocol.
How audiences select and purchase a brand has seen a significant change and shift in power. Google refers to this as the "Zero Moment of Truth" or ZMOT.
Understanding the ZMOT
The ZMOT is not a term that most CMO's, startups or business owners are familiar with - even though Google announced this important moment back in 2011. What the ZMOT refers to is how consumers are determining which brand to select, with almost no influence from the brand's advertising and marketing efforts.
While most brands are expending the majority of their marketing budget at the "Stimulus" stage, this is only the beginning of a complex buyer journey.
"The most valuable forms of marketing are consumed voluntarily." - Seth Godin
In other words, most brands are not following Mr. Godin's advice and ensuring that "valuable forms of marketing" exists to be in queue at the right time, and in the right place, for the consumer to locate.
The Content Marketing Blind Spot
Major corporations are still getting this wrong, so do no fret. Let's look more into what occurs at the ZMOT.
It is as the ZMOT where the majority of purchase decisions are being made. The point where the majority of brands are blind and scrambling to understand. Moreover, even when the light begins to dawn they find it difficult to develop a content marketing strategy to fulfill their audience's needs.
And this is where the content marketing blind spot, as well as opportunity, exists. Slow and obtuse brands will die because of it and fast-thinking and opportunistic brands will grow because of it.
The content that most influences those consumers is:
The content that most influences those consumers is:
- High organic rankings of mobile responsive websites where the contact data and address are readily available.
- Positive online reviews on Yelp, Google My Business, etc.
- Videos about the brand and/or products and services.
- Social signals from friends, family and influencers. Social signals are the positive mentions and buzz on social media.
When a brand lacks these factors, they are in fact non-existent to the majority of online consumers.
Content Management and the ZMOT
Content management (CM) is traditionally referred to how a brand creates and manages their content internally. But as the world is shifting, CM will have to extend its thoughts and efforts to the ZMOT.
Brands will need to ensure that they are working with bloggers, YouTubers, industry media sources, and other influencers. The content they create about the brand has significant power to launch or kill a brand. They is no escaping these ZMOT players or their power. Embrace them in a natural tone - in a proactive manner - versus waiting to see "what happens." They carry much more influence at your customer's ZMOT.
Content intended to educate is difficult to connect to ROI. Positive, genuine reviews can be difficult to manage. Learning how to network with your social media audience still remains uncharted territory to Fortune 500 brands.
Where there is confusion and uncertainty exists opportunity.
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Edwin Dearborn is the author of Power Branding Secrets and is a marketing strategist that is leading ambitious brands to higher levels of profitability.
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