It’s no secret that digital marketing, especially through the use of social media, has gained popularity in recent years, and it’s no surprise that marketers are constantly looking for new ways to make their marketing efforts more efficient and effective. One of the newest trends in digital marketing that’s being tested at the moment is chatbots, or software-based robots that people can interact with through messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Slack, among others. We’ll look at how they work, why they’re gaining so much popularity and what to consider before implementing them into your own marketing strategy.
What is a chatbot?
A chatbot, sometimes referred to as an online chat agent, or talk bot, is software that is designed to simulate a conversation with human users. Chatbot interaction occurs through direct and immediate input via chat rooms, instant messaging, SMS, or speech recognition. Chatbots are often integrated into applications in order to assist users with services.
How can you use chatbots in your business?
Many brands are still experimenting with chatbots, which means you can use them in many ways. Chatbots can be used for both marketing and sales. The general rule of thumb here is that people tend to prefer text-based interactions over voice conversations, especially when it comes to providing feedback or asking questions. They feel more at ease typing out their thoughts than speaking aloud.
Here are some ways you can use chatbots in your business:
1) Follow-up campaign after digital or physical events
To get leads, you can use chatbots to conduct surveys and ask consumers to provide their information so that you can follow up with them later. They can be useful for building brand awareness and engaging your customers as well. A recent survey by ServiceRocket found that 73% of business owners believed chatbots were effective in converting potential buyers into actual sales. Plus, 60% said they were effective in building brand trust.
2) Surveys about your products
If you are planning on using chatbots for your business’s customer service department, it will serve you well if you build a FAQ-based bot instead. This way your customers won’t have any issues getting their questions answered through your chatbot.
3) Use them to promote special offers, loyalty programs, etc.
You can use them to identify potential clients and convert them into paying customers. It is also possible to use chatbots to offer customer support. Just like they can be used for marketing and sales, chatbots can be employed in customer service departments as well. If you’re using them to sell products or services, you might want to learn how to build a conversational chatbot.
4) Respond quickly to customer queries.
By using chatbots in customer service, you’ll be able to respond faster to customer queries (and complaints). Plus, when handled correctly, you might end up receiving fewer calls from customers because your chatbot is capable of handling some issues on its own. This leads to happier and more satisfied customers. With so many advantages, it’s not surprising that more businesses are looking into incorporating chatbots into their business models. What do you think about chatbots? We’d love to hear about how you plan to use them!
Matts Digital Service 