Marketing automation has become popular over the years as companies seek to connect with customers more personalised. From email marketing software to predictive analytics, sales teams have been using technology for lead generation and improving their sales processes. Now chatbots are disrupting the space.
Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulate conversation through artificial intelligence (AI). They are text-based conversations that use natural language processing to communicate with users.
In digital strategy marketing, chatbots can be used in a variety of different ways, from customer service automation to lead generation.
Customer Service
For years, marketing automation has been constantly being introduced to new industries. Chatbots could be the next big marketing innovation since the technology is still relatively new.
Different types of chatbots can be used in marketing. One example is a virtual assistant, which is basically an automated customer service representative. Brands can use chatbots to provide real-time support for customers who have questions about their products or services without having to hire more customer service representatives.
Lead Generation
Chatbots could also be used to generate leads through information gathering. Marketers can use chatbots to act as a customer service agent where the bot asks for specific information about the user, which needs to be provided to receive whatever they are looking for.
There is also potential for marketers to use chatbots to drive online traffic and increase web conversions. Marketers can create ads that direct users to landing pages with a chatbot or include links to their websites in their messages directly via Facebook Messenger.
Collection of Data
Chatbots for digital strategy marketing can be used to collect data, engage with audience members and track results. These bots are often programmed with pre-written responses so that they can guide conversations without straying too far from the intended goal of providing useful information or engaging audiences on social media.
For example, when a customer visits a website and begins a chat session with the chatbot, the bot can provide product recommendations or even offer a discount for products that are being considered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sales chatbots are designed to make conversations about services or products more efficient. These chatbots can answer frequently asked questions about the product and provide the user with a price quote or set up an appointment for a sales representative.
This allows businesses to create faster responses that are tailored to the individual customer’s needs without having a human representative on hand 24/7.
Brand Awareness
In addition to these practical uses for chatbots, they are also being used as part of marketing campaigns in order to create buzz and raise brand awareness. For example, Coca-Cola ran a campaign in which it used chatbots to take over Twitter for a day.
These bots tweeted out messages about the product and responded to people who interacted with them. The campaign was successful in getting people to talk about the product on social media and raised brand awareness.
Takeaway
Brands are just starting to incorporate chatbots into their marketing efforts, so there is still a learning curve for marketers and chatbots alike. Chatbots give marketers the ability to personalise customer interactions in ways that were not possible before, but brands will need to learn how to use chatbots effectively in order to maximise their benefits and results.
Overall, chatbots have already changed the landscape of customer service, marketing and sales. As chatbots become more advanced and companies continue to find ways for them to be used, they may dominate a number of business processes in the future.
Thelma M. Gutowski