Winning the Zero Moment of Truth

In 2011, Google coined the term, Zero Moment of Truth, that refers to the point in the buying cycle when consumers research products or companies, often before the seller even knows that they exist.  If you don't believe that the customer buying journey has undergone a complete transformation in the last several years, consider this: on average consumers review 22 sources of information before making a purchase, and that number is more than 40 sources in categories such as travel and hospitality.  

 

Winning the zero moment of truth involves implementing the guidance Marcus Sheridan provided at the 2013 DPHA Annual Conference.  Your web site and social media posts need to answer the questions that customers ask most often, and provide helpful content that makes the buying journey easier and also builds trust with potential customers.  This may include the following:

• Solicit performance and product reviews from customers and distribute those among third-party review sites, e.g. Yelp, Google, Angie's List and Houzz.com.
• Have your showroom sales staff be brand ambassadors, reviewing products on your web site and offering guidance to make purchasing and renovation processes easier.
• Be constantly present and relevant by blogging about issues that address customer concerns and issues.
• Daily publish social media posts.
• Develop an email marketing newsletter.
• Implement email drip and trigger campaigns.
• Participate in paid social media search ad campaigns.

Effective content marketing helps build communities and create brand advocates that result in more sales and higher profitability.