But how can you make the most of it? And how can you create a chatbot for your business? That's exactly what we're going to talk about in this article, so take note because we hope it's really useful.
Come on!
First… What is a Chatbot?
Chatbots are AI-powered software that you can program to facilitate conversations with your customers. You can program your chatbots with specific answers to frequently asked questions (like “what is your return policy?” or “how much do your services cost?”), so instead of wasting time and energy answering each individual question from your customers, your chatbots can step in and do the work while you focus on other business activities.
And the best part? Chatbots leverage machine learning, so the more questions your customers ask and the more complicated those questions are, the better the software will be at answering them.
You can have chatbots on your website, on Facebook, or in your customer service portal. Wherever you interact with your customers, you’ll find the opportunity to leverage chatbot technology.
How to create a Chatbot for your business.
These days, it's very easy to create a chatbot. In fact, there are platforms for creating chatbots , where the process is really simple. A chatbot platform is a service that allows businesses and marketers to create, host, and maintain multiple chatbots for different messaging services in one place.
Chatbot platforms can host chats for social media (like Facebook Messenger or Instagram) or instant messaging apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram). If you want to dig deeper into Zuckerberg's platforms, here's how to have a Facebook Chatbot and you can also check out how to connect a Facebook Chatbot .
Choosing the right Chatbot platform for your business
After learning how to create a Chatbot, keep in mind that there are several important factors to consider before selecting the best Chatbot platform for your business. We suggest you take into account:
Available channels . One of the main advantages of chatbot platforms for companies is the possibility of generating multichannel and omnichannel strategies that produce positive returns.
In this sense, the more marketing solutions can be found on the platform, the more suitable it will be for your company. At the very least, in addition to the management and construction of chatbots, the platform you select must provide email marketing and CRM services. It is also desirable that it has elements related to the construction of other stages of the conversion funnel such as landing pages, web push notifications, SMS marketing, among others.
Technical support and language . A good chatbot platform makes it easy to create one; however, as you progress, you can refine it and add more features to your chatbots. At this point, you may need quality technical support that can provide assistance 24/7, but most importantly, it must be in your language. There is no way to get help in Spanish, English, French or any other language you speak. The problem with many platforms is that they only offer advice in English and this complicates the resolution of incidents.
Free payment plan . If you are going to entrust such an important task as customer management to a chatbot platform — shouldn't you be able to try it out in advance completely free of charge? Make sure that the platform offers you this option and above all, create your free account and learn in detail the pros and cons of each of the platforms.
UX and interface design . Another important element, and perhaps the most relevant one to consider, is the user experience using the service; that is, how user-friendly and intuitive the interface is. The point of having a chatbot platform is to make the process easier and not require coding knowledge to perform this task. It is best if the platform used has a drag-and-drop editor as well as a previewer to see how the user will receive the campaign being created.
How are chatbots transforming digital marketing?
Now that you know what chatbots are and how to create them, let’s look at how they’re transforming digital marketing (and how they can transform your business in the process):
Chatbots automate part of the marketing process, freeing up your team to work on more important projects.
In case you haven’t noticed, marketing takes work. Chatbots give you the ability to make marketing easier and more streamlined by automating the beginning of the process, freeing up your time and energy to work on other things.
Chatbots are great for managing the initial chinese overseas america phone number data steps of the marketing process, whether it's gathering information and contact details for a sales call, answering general customer service questions, or providing guidance on common technology issues.
Now, before you go all “robots are taking our jobs!” let’s be clear: chatbots are in no way replacing humans. If anything, chatbots are an enabler of human engagement. The chatbot’s job is to handle the initial communication and gather the necessary details from your customers, so that when you step in, you already have what you need to engage people in a meaningful way.
Chatbots increase the volume of marketing conversations
As we’ve discussed, chatbots can automate a large part of the marketing process. And because a large part of your marketing process is automated , that means you and your team can handle a higher volume of marketing conversations and, as a result, close more sales. Something every business wants.
This is another example of chatbots enabling engagement; they allow you to connect with more customers, start more conversations, and generally have a higher degree of personalization in your approach to customer communication, all of which can have a huge impact on business.
Chatbots bridge the gap between marketing and sales
There can be a huge disconnect between marketing and sales. Maybe marketing doesn’t know what sales need to be successful, or sales doesn’t know exactly how the marketing funnel is set up (and where prospects are in the sales cycle when they reach your desk).
Chatbots are a great way to bridge the gap between marketing and sales. Bots are more efficient at gathering information, qualifying leads, and setting up the sales team for success. By involving everyone in your chatbot strategy, you can get marketing and sales on the same page and convert more prospects into customers.
Best practices for incorporating chatbots into your digital marketing strategy
Clearly, chatbots are an amazing tool to take your digital marketing and business to the next level. But you can’t just invest in a chatbot, throw it on your website, and expect sales to start rolling in. Like any other marketing tactic, it’s impossible to (in the immortal words of Nike) “just do it” – you have to do it better.
Now that you know how to create a Chatbot, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Keep it simple . The more complicated you get with your chatbot programming, the more opportunities there are for things to go wrong. Keep your chatbot strategy, and the conversations you program your chatbots to have, simple (especially when you're just starting out). The simpler your chatbot strategy, the better you can execute it and the more successful you'll be.
Think in terms of “if/then .” When programming your chatbots, you need to think like an engineer. Use “if/then” triggers to let your chatbots know how to respond (e.g., “if a customer asks question X, send response Y” or “if a customer asks a question outside of this schedule, send an email to X.”).
Create conversational chatbots . Few people like to feel like they are having a conversation with a robot. If you want your chatbots to deliver results, they need to feel like real humans. Be sure to infuse warmth and personality into your chatbot programming!
Use chatbots as a complement to human conversations, never as a replacement . Chatbots can only manage simple conversations, so you never want to use one in place of a real person. Make sure chatbots are the first step on the path to real, live human engagement.
If at first you don't succeed? Try, try again. Chatbots are a completely new technology, and like any new technology, it will likely take some trial and error to get it right. Be willing to try new things, test new strategies, and overcome obstacles as you implement your chatbot strategy. The more flexible and adaptable you are, the more successful you'll be with chatbots.
Now it's your turn.
As a digital marketing professional, you already know that technology is constantly changing. That is why, in order to achieve our goals, we must keep up to date with trends and tools. Chatbots are one of those innovative tools that can make the difference between businesses whose sales are slow, versus those that are growing every day. Which group do you want to be in? See you in the next post!
