In the era of technological advancements, almost everything goes digital. Digital automation streamlines business processes with the help of innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and machine learning. One of the latest trends in digital marketing is AI-powered chatbots that are currently on the rise and are widely incorporated by businesses to help with content automation, real-time interaction with customers, and customer service processes.
Now businesses can provide even more effective service than before, as chatbots are available 24/7 and respond to customers instantly. Customers can prompt and control these interactions themselves, and they don’t need to wait for the customer service representative. The whole process is conducted on one platform.
Bots are no longer associated with the distant future; they are already here. Major companies like Amazon, Lyft, Spotify, and MasterCard have incorporated chatbots in their marketing strategy. Moreover, surveys suggest that 80% of businesses tend to adopt chatbots by 2020, while 63% of respondents would prefer to use online chatbots for communication with businesses. For companies to be prepared for the future, here are 4 strategies on how to use chatbots in marketing:
1. Offering rewards for using the chatbot
Clients are relatively new to the whole chatbot experience. Giving them small rewards like promo codes or discounts when they use the bot for the first time will leave a positive impression. Also, you can increase your customer retention by running contests and giveaways via chatbots. Depending on the number of people who used the rewards, businesses can track the success rate of this strategy.
2. Providing information
In the past, to find out information, people had to deal with customer representatives via phone call. More recently, the option of customer service chat became available. However, it still can be problematic, as the number of representatives is often limited. In case of using chatbots, all customer inquiries will be addressed on time. One example is MasterCard bot on Facebook Messenger. You can ask how much you spent on food last month, and get a prompt answer, as it can provide information about your account transactions. Besides information, companies can send newsletters to their chatbot users.
3. Support with service delivery process directly in the chat
Besides providing information, chatbots can support with service delivery process directly in the messenger. To create a smooth and satisfying user experience, photos, videos, and even reviews must be integrated into the chatbot database. One relevant example is the Messenger or Slack chatbot of the ridesharing company Lyft. Users can request a ride, and the bot will provide all the necessary information about the driver, wait time, and the car.
4. Personalized experience
Chatbots can save data from previous interactions with customers. After several inquiries and orders, the bot can automatically make suggestions. This strategy will show that you, as a company, care about your customers’ experience. From their perspective, you minimize unnecessary interactions with other apps and save their time.
These strategies are the beginning steps of automated marketing, and with the improvement of AI and technology, we will be able to develop more innovative approaches for enhancing these trends.
Arevik is the COO at SmartClick with 15+ years of experience in business planning, operations, brand management, marketing, and web development. In this role, she is leading and managing large-scale international projects.
