While in recent years the FMOT (First Moment of Truth) has been key in marketing to define the first time that the consumer and the product are at the point of sale, the online media have brought a new concept: the ZMOT ( Zero Moment of Truth).
The ZMOT defines the moment in which the user and the product come into contact for the first time on the Internet, before the consumer reaches the point of sale. According to Google, developers of this concept, 83% of mothers research online a product in which they are interested after seeing a spot, and 70% of users consult product reviews before making a purchase.
A key part of this prior research process is social networks. In them takes place what we call social conversation , in which users ask or consult information about the experience of their peers. They also carry out the prescription , which happens at the moment when influential users in each subject share their opinions about products and services.
This is evident from Bloguzz , one of the pioneering platforms in contacting brands and influencers, adding that social conversation and prescription benefit brands in key aspects of the consumer decision-making process : they help to clear doubts by sharing similar experiences and removing barriers as they reduce uncertainty.
The conversations between users and the recommendations of the prescribers also contribute to increase the engagement between users and brands, especially when they take place in channels where the brand is present and can participate, either with their own voice (as in Facebook or Twitter), or through specific experiences developed to achieve memorable interactions (as in actions with bloggers).