Let face it, when it comes to marketing and advertising small details can have a huge impact in your business. But there are also big details that create even bigger impacts, like Google’s Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).
ZMOT – The evolution of the idea
Basically, what happens when consumers hear offline marketing, they think…should he buy this now or just go and check it out first on the web?
An article about the First Moment of Truth was published by Proctor and Gamble in 2005. They described the process of a consumer’s purchasing decision, starting with traditional advertising and ending with word of mouth.
It starts with stimulus – traditional advertising via television, print and radio brought awareness of the product and brand to the consumer’s awareness.
Next came the First Moment of Truth (FMOT): product placement. This is the point at which the customer is faced with several brands and makes the decision to choose one brand over another.
The Second Moment of Truth (SMOT) is experience – It’s the time customer experiences the product and decides whether or not it is a favourable one.
The end-result used to be word-of-mouth via an individual’s networks: including close family, friends, co-workers, etc.
Now, as author Jim Lecinski points out, the process has evolved, with the addition of the ZMOT, and a much more powerful, digital “word-of-mouth”.
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What exactly is ZMOT?
ZMOT is the period of time that the consumer spends online conducting research before making a purchasing decision, whether that individual chooses to take five minutes, 5 hours or 5 months to conduct research is up to them.
It takes place on the Internet and falls between stimulus and the First Moment of Truth. Consumers now go online to conduct research, rather than going right to the store after being influenced by stimulus. Lecinski’s book, Winning The Zero Moment of Truth is all about what ZMOT is and how to be there when your customers are looking for you.
And that is the point to show up positively when and where your potential new customers are looking for you as they conduct research before making a purchase.
Whether you are a marketer, a CEO, a sales rep, or an aspiring entrepreneur, learning ZMOT will help you understand shifts in the marketing landscape and will allow you to follow marketing strategies to grow your business online.
