Introduction
Turning sci-fi ideas into reality has never been easier, thanks to technology. It has the potential to push our imagination to create innovative business models which shake up more and more industry verticals each day. In today’s world, where everything is growing digital, businesses are on the lookout for utilizing cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). One such versatile and sophisticated tool which helps automate business processes is the chatbot.
These AI-powered robots help in seamlessly pushing your customers through the sales funnel. It is no surprise that chatbots have become so popular as messaging applications have now become the top destination for brands to reach out to their consumers. Right from HR, recruiting, marketing, operations, and administration, chatbots are now beginning to surface in every aspect of a business.
What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is the most promising and advanced expression of the interaction between humans and computers/machines. It is an artificial intelligence-enabled computer program which stimulates a conversation with a user in natural language. It communicates using telephones, messages, websites, and mobile apps.
Chatbot responds based on input from a user. Chatbot applications help streamline interactions between people and services, thereby enhancing the customer experience. Human intervention is crucial in a chatbot system as they need to configure, train, and optimize the chatbot. Chatbots greatly benefit enterprises by improving customer engagement process and operational efficiency.
Let’s now evaluate the benefits of chatbots for a marketing team.
1. Offers the audience a personalized experience
We have heard people say that the name of a person is the sweetest sound for him/her. Having a conversation with someone who knows your name and addresses you by it would completely alter the nature of a conversation and make it more pleasant. This is exactly what chatbots do. They interact with social media platforms and gather information about every single person with whom they interact. In the case of a customer care inquiry, chatbots can answer questions accurately and elevate the conversation to the next level by providing personalized shopping advice based on the purchase history and preferences of the customer.
2. Gathering and analyzing data and customer feedback
A majority of the people do not want to spend their time completing surveys. In such a case, a chatbot offers the perfect opportunity to gather feedback from customers. Chatbots soften the approach by gathering relevant feedbacks by introducing questions during their conversations. By using the right machine learning tools, chatbots can analyze feedback and information which it collects from users, thereby giving marketers more insights into what their audience truly wants. This makes it easy to create an inbound marketing approach by remodeling your marketing strategy to focus more on customer needs.
3. Greater engagement capacity
A chatbot doesn’t just help engage your customers; it also helps retain them. Chatbots help keep your customers entertained for longer. The best example would be catching the attention of your customer with a video. Even though the video you show might be extremely engaging, it does not have much more to offer once it ends. But in case of a chatbot, it can catch your customer’s attention and learn from the interaction. This will allow the chatbot to send relevant information concerning the products, services, and brands. Chatbots enable up-selling and cross-selling in a conversational, engaging, and personalized manner.
4. Making brand communication more fun
Chatbots deliver quality information to customers. They also aid in making customer interactions fun. A perfect example of this is Whole Foods’ chatbot. This is a facebook messenger chatbot. Whole Foods selects a specific recipe for users based on their responses when users are looking for recipes. For example, if a person searches for diet-friendly or low-carb foods, it will provide specific recipes which meet those requirements. This makes marketing more interactive and fun and leaves a lasting impression on the customer. This also helps increase the number of customers to your website as it shares links to relevant blog posts and other contents.
5. Maintaining a fresh social media presence
By using a chatbot, you will be able to make yourself available to your customers 24 hours a day for seven days a week. This helps save money and most importantly, enables you to maintain a fresh and active social media presence. Without a chatbot, it would be impossible for you to answer every inquiry on social media profiles. More than being unrealistic, this is also extremely expensive and time-consuming.
Conclusion
Join the party by doing smart business with chatbots. Wait no more! Harness the power of chatbots to thrive in this world of cut-throat competition among business leaders. Push the bar and improve and enhance your processes for the better. Be ahead of your competitors, reach your clients, and cater to them before they do. Thanks to their advanced abilities, chatbots add value to each moment.