Hi, David Juengst, Brafton’s Content Marketing Strategist here, with your Third Thursday Tip. When I talk with my B2B clients about the Zero Moment of Truth that impacts buyers decisions, a lot of them have a hard time finding ways to successfully integrate it into their content strategy. Watch my video or check out the blog below.

Before we dive into ways to improve your strategy, lets talk about what exactly is the ZMOT:

The 3 step mental model

  • First, there is the stimulus. This is when someone hears about your products and services. 
  • Next, there is the shelf moment, which is the 2nd moment of truth. This is when a consumer goes into a store and decides to purchase your offerings
  • Finally, there is the experience. This is the final moment of truth when customers interact with the items they have purchased. It’s when they form an opinion about your brand’s value.
  • But there is now a fourth moment of truth known as the zero moment of truth, or ZMOT.  Google and Shopper science conducted research on over 5,000 shoppers in a variety of industries to find out what influenced people’s purchase decisions. What they found was that before people make a purchase, they do research, look for coupons, look at competitors, etc. Marketers that can influence these four steps will generate a competitive advantage.

So I came up with three ways to help clients generate content for ZMOT – Transparency, Utility, and Accountability

1. Transparency:

  • When potential customers do research, they want to form an opinion about you. That opinion generally comes from reviews, what people say about your business on social media and other options. 
  • You can create content that helps to give consumers a clear picture about what your business does and how well it delivers on those promises. Interviews, customer testimonials, thought leadership pieces and social media presences can all contribute to the impression you provide prospects.
  • When you have this kind of transparency, you establish a level of trust  with consumers and create a perceived value.

2. Utility:

  •  It’s also a good idea to create content that is going to meet your clients’ needs. 
  •  And remember not to be too self-serving. Thought leadership is important, but you need to answer your customers’ questions as well.
  • The best way to ensure you can answer these questions is to talk to your sales team. Ask the people on the front lines what kinds of question they frequently receive from customers at various stages of the sales funnel
  • This Q and A approach will become more important, particularly with the growing use of questions in search engines.

3. Values:

  • Most B2B relationship require a tremendous amount of time and resources from both parties. Your audience is going to want to know how you conduct business before they make your partnership official. 
  • To give them a clear idea about what to expect, write content about your values and what matters to you.
  • It’s also a good idea to showcase your staff, your awards and accomplishments to create a well-rounded picture.

This concludes today’s tips. Feel free to leave us your comments or send us a tweet @Brafton. For more helpfult tips, advice, news and other video’s be sure to check out Brafton’s blog.

Dave Juengst is a Content Marketing Strategist who enjoys analytics and understanding what influences consumer behavior. He is a graduate of Bentley University with a BS in Business Management and Ethics. His previous marketing experiences range from promotional work in the food and beverage industry to developing social media strategies for mortgage brokers. Aside from his love of marketing, Dave enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and exploring Boston.