faoThe latest buzzword in the marketing industry is bots. They are the future, and if you are wondering whether your business should have them, you are asking the wrong question.
Chatbots are a seamless and efficient way of engaging with existing and potential customers. The best part about this technology is that you do not even have to give in time and effort.
Everything is automated thanks to artificial intelligence.
What is a Chatbot?
Chabot is powered by artificial intelligence and is a piece of automated technology utilized by businesses to engage and communicate with their customers. Chatbots are capable of audio commands and text messaging.
Artificial intelligence has allowed businesses to build brand awareness, increase customer retention and enhance productivity at a minimal cost. Chatbots are just one of the many tools that this technology offers.
For example, you want a new laptop for gaming. You could visit various websites, scroll through 15-20 pages, fill out a form with all your shipping and payment details, or tell the chatbot.
The bot will guide you through the various options suited for your request. Behind your request, the chatbot leads you through a series of dependent questions to understand your query and then deliver the right content. Even chatbots will most certainly become commonplace in the office by 2022, with the goal of improving the employee experience.
Superpower of Chatbots
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Reduces Communication Costs for Businesses
Chatbots magazine says that businesses can reduce customer service costs by up to 30% after integrating a chatbot.
AI chatbots can handle simple requests like scheduling an appointment, changing a password, or requesting balance without any human involvement on chat support. So, it can help to significantly reduce the number of sales assistants required by further cutting down the costs and the sales enablement process.
Chatbots can work 24×7 to attend to your customers without you having to set up a 24-hour call center. Also, businesses can save significantly by shifting from IVR technology to AI.
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Finishes everything in one place
The best part about chatbots is that they do not redirect the customers continuously to other pages. They accomplish the entire task in the place where your customers already spend a lot of time.
For example- WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, or Viber are some apps where you can integrate the bots and allow them to do their work.
Inviting a bot into a conversation with your friend and asking it to place a takeout order is possible. You can even chat with it and clear your doubts before purchasing a product from a new store. The possibilities to convert a potential buyer or encourage an existing buyer to make a purchase are endless.
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Helps to De-clutter
Chatbots solve the most irritating problem that customers have with apps. There is no need for people to download apps that take up storage on their phones, and they rarely use them. Most people use a few apps daily, and messaging apps are one of them.
Businesses can connect with their customers directly without asking them to redirect or download anything with chatbots. Every customer service email inbox is cluttered, so customers want a quick and straightforward way to connect with the brands. Chatbots are precisely the solution to this problem.
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Consumer Shift
There are so many brands and products on the internet that consumers’ attention is decreasing. They want quick responses from brands to make a quick purchase decision. If a business fails to do that, some other brand will distract the customer.
So, consumers are shifting to social media apps to connect with brands. They have the control to follow or block a brand. However, if a business can provide value in the places they already spend their time, everything changes.
A buyer is merely looking for a direct line between their problem and the solution a Chabot can provide.
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Easy and Simple Fixes
Combining bots in messaging apps has been a game-changer for online business growth. It helps consumers find solutions irrespective of where they are or what device they use. The best part is that a buyer does not have to put any effort into filling forms of their requirements, cluttering their inboxes, or wasting minutes while scrolling through content.
They have to type their question or concern, and the bot will provide them with the best relevant solution. Chatbots help to intertwine communication, services, and transactions. It has also changed the self-serving marketing of the past as bots are themselves a service.
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Keeps it Conversational
The major challenge of building a chatbot is not a technical one. Instead, it is a conversational one. However, a brand needs to understand its audience’s interactions with it. Then, it is possible to harness a chat interface that yields maximum impact with minimum fluff.
Also, brands can mold the content their bots have with their consumers. Most brands prefer to have witty banter with their audience to keep coming back to the bots and use them as a service.
Good chatbots can harness the micro-decisions of the consumers daily and use those as an opportunity to help. Bots provide various solutions like updating the shipping details of an order, changing a reservation, providing medical advice, and so on.
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Informational or Utility
Chatbots are either informational or utility-based. Informational bots help users to consume content in a new format. For example, customers can subscribe to breaking news alerts based on their reading habits.
On the other hand, utility bots will solve a consumer’s problem via a user prompted transaction—for example; a shopping bot allows customers to purchase flowers or buy a new dress. However, utility bots are not just shopping bots. They can automatically book meetings by scanning emails or even giving payment notifications.
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Voice Communication is the Future
Voice is the next big thing in the digital marketing industry. People are used to starting their day by asking Google or Alexa about their appointments or any live streaming events. Most searches have become voice-driven as they offer clients a seamless experience.
The best part is that voice can be integrated into chatbots. Also, voice bots are gaining popularity by engaging customers with intelligence-based communication. Businesses can provide reliable data insights and give correct real-time information with voice-enabled bots.
Voice bots are also the future of online marketing as they offer opportunities for personalization and reduce errors faced while dealing with customers.
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Greatly Improves Customer Experience
Any aspect of marketing, including PowerPoint presentations, Youtube marketing, or even content marketing, is done to improve customer experience. The latest edition of the same is Chatbots. They help to redefine the way with which businesses engage with their audiences.
A good customer experience is known to increase the revenue of any business. Companies can automate functions like lead generations, customer feedback, and even FAQs with chatbots.
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They even reduce support tickets and can engage with the customers 24 x 7. At the same time, chatbots are scalable during busy hours to engage with the buyers to offer them a good customer experience. With the help of chatbots, customer service like number for live person can be improved.
The Success of Chatbots
Chatbots are already gaining popularity as most buyers prefer to use them regularly. One such example is WeChat in China. With its bot, users can video chat with a friend, hail a taxi, order food online, and even book their next vacation. WeChat is popular back there that a business would be considered obsolete without its integration.
It is because chatbots give the user what they ask for and nothing more.
Should brands incorporate Chatbots into their marketing strategy?
Brands should incorporate chatbots, but it is essential to understand why a brand might need a chatbot.
Some of the questions that a brand must ask are:
- Do they need it to answer customer questions?
- Will it be helpful in their industry to give personal recommendations to the customers?
- Can a chatbot help your brand increase customer engagement and retention?
These are some of the initial questions you must answer as a brand. If you replied yes to any of the above questions, you need a Chatbot. However, the best part about answering such questions is that the utilization of chatbots is clear from the start.
A clear motive will help you develop a chatbot accordingly with an excellent user interface and experience. Also, building a chatbot is very easy in today’s time. You do not have to type a code; just subscribe to a good software or tool.
Most companies adopt chatbots for brand awareness and marketing. The most extensive consumer base of any brand or service is millennials, and they surely appreciate the fast-paced communication that the bots offer.
Conclusion
Chatbots are a fun and interactive way to engage with the audience. Also, it has taken place in the conversational strategy as it needs to be constantly evolved and optimized based on how users interact.
Bots are the new superheroes of the marketing industry as there is nothing that they can’t do. They are giving the brands and customers a beautiful opportunity to redeem commerce and communication. If used wisely, brands can build authentic relationships with their buyers.
