{"id":88190,"date":"2017-06-13T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/?p=88190"},"modified":"2017-06-14T10:00:56","modified_gmt":"2017-06-14T09:00:56","slug":"chatbots-changing-way-communicate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/managing-digital-marketing\/managing-marketing-technology\/chatbots-changing-way-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"How chatbots are changing the way we communicate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chatbots are now key to increasing engagement rates and motivating users to buy<\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019ve realized it or not, it\u2019s very likely that you have spoken or corresponded with a <\/span>bot<\/span><\/a> at least once in your life. In fact, chances are you\u2019ve had long and insightful conversations with a bot, some of which you couldn\u2019t possibly have had with a member of the human race. Chatbots are on the rise, and it seems that in 2017 they\u2019re becoming <\/span>more effective, more engaging, and easier to use<\/span><\/a> than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n

The rise of bots<\/span><\/a> could be plainly attributed to an increasing usage of messenger apps and is built on the premise of instant messaging. <\/span>Predictions<\/span><\/a> show that <\/span>by 2019, more than one-quarter of the world\u2019s population will be using mobile messaging apps, with the majority of them supporting chatbots. It\u2019s no wonder then that the global chatbot market is <\/span>expected to grow exponentially by 2023<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

From the Messaging App to the Rise of the Bot<\/span><\/h3>\n

Understanding the marketing potential in chatbots, several <\/span>companies, brands and even news organizations are building bots on popular messaging apps, including <\/span>Messenger<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Viber<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Kik<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Telegram<\/span><\/a> and others. The shift from human-based support systems to chatbots has a lot to do with the speed and direct correspondence consumers have gotten used to due to social media platforms and messaging apps. In turn, consumers can now contact companies directly and demand immediate responses. Ironically, prior to the introduction of chatbots, support teams were trying to get back to as many users as quickly as possible without sounding too robotic. Today, in more ways than one, bots are able to pick up the slack and engage in a highly responsive, personal and immediate relationship with customers. <\/span><\/p>\n

With <\/span>statistics<\/span><\/a> showing that 80% of companies will integrate bots into their businesses by 2020, it\u2019s no wonder bots are beginning to take over. Nowadays, businesses that have already incorporated bots into their support system have them corresponding with their customers, giving them efficient and quick responses. This is, of course, beneficial to marketers as it improves their UX and helps them get better insights into their customers\u2019 interests and requests. It\u2019s important, however, for companies to remember that <\/span>users will not use bots just for the sake of it<\/span><\/a> \u2014 they will only use bots if they provide an easier or faster way to access a service. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Poncho<\/span><\/a> chatbot on Messenger, Kik and Viber gives users personal weather forecasts based on their specific location, and can even supply them with morning and evening forecasts to help them better prepare for the day. The bot also supplies a weather report for runners who\u2019d like to better prepare for the outdoors.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another engaging bot marketers can learn from is <\/span>Foxsy<\/span><\/a> on Viber, a matchmaking chatbot that introduces users to new people and potential love interests. As a means of helping people find friends who share their common interests, the bot presents the users with different profiles and allows them to connect with other users directly within the chatbot by sending them a letter. What makes this app stand out within an array of dating apps, is that it is capable of giving users the added personalized value that they\u2019ve been missing. <\/span><\/p>\n

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A Powerful Marketing Tool<\/span><\/h3>\n

The more personal bots are becoming, the more important it is for businesses to integrate them into their marketing efforts. As powerful tools that provide <\/span>content, facilitate a purchase and connect with their consumers<\/span><\/a>, chatbots contain everything a business needs to become a new <\/span>channel for sales, marketing, distribution and engagement<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

As such, chatbots are most beneficial to <\/span>service-oriented brands<\/span><\/a> and companies that are more reliant on curation. These include travel companies that can use bots to expedite bookings of flights and rooms, as well as fashion and home goods brands that are looking to close a sale. If you\u2019re contemplating adding a chatbot to your brand\u2019s marketing efforts, simply ask yourself whether you\u2019re <\/span>constantly communicating with your consumer,<\/span><\/a> and if you are, a bot may be the way to go about reaching a different level of communication with your targeted audience. <\/span><\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re still on the fence, wondering what chatbots can do for your marketing strategy, let us remind you that unless you have a team of hundreds of people working on maintaining high engagement levels with your consumers, you\u2019re only one person. As a <\/span>Forbes article<\/span><\/a> puts it, \u201cIt may not be possible to clone yourself, but when it comes to marketing, Chatbots can get pretty close, allowing you to (finally) be in multiple places at once.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Chatbots can be used by marketers not only as a means of generating sales, processing payments and increasing engagement. They can also <\/span>play a large role <\/span>analyzing customer data<\/span><\/a> and optimizing sales and marketing strategies in light of this analysis. They can even help you <\/span>monitor your customer's patterns<\/span><\/a>, so you can discover which products or services they prefer<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

If your business has a human-like chatbot that works properly, you can create personalized ads that will be specific enough for each of your consumers. Once the customer reaches out to your chatbot with a question, the chatbot greets him or her while <\/span>gathering initial information on that person<\/span><\/a>. The chatbot then asks them to wait for a moment, at which time the information collected by the chatbot is used to generate personalized ads. <\/span><\/p>\n

Connect with Your Users on a Deeper Level<\/span><\/h3>\n

As a means of growing your brand\u2019s engagement and personalizing your brand, chatbots are also able to allow you to connect with your users on a deeper level, get to know them by asking them specific questions and make them feel that they are <\/span>in command of the conversation<\/span><\/a>. The <\/span>Ch<\/span>ristopher Bot<\/span>\u00a0on Messenger<\/a>, which was surprisingly created by a 14-year-old named Alec Jones, does just that. The bot helps students keep track of their homework by sharing their schedule with it, thus creating an ongoing correspondence. It then sends messages at the end of each lesson asking users if any homework needs to be done, all while empathising with them over the fact that they have to do it. <\/span><\/p>\n

And in case you need another example of the ways in which bots are becoming users go-to friends, assistants and guides, just take a look at this adorable video of a 2-year-old conversing with Google\u2019s Siri as if they were the best of friends.<\/p>\n