Did you know that there are now more than 300,000 Facebook Messenger Chatbots?
Robots are the future, there is no denying this. But they’re not here to take out jobs just yet. If anything, they can be a powerful tool that can help you automate certain tasks in your business.
Try our online invoicing software for free
Accept online payments with ease
Keep track of who's paid you
Start sending invoices
Think: more like cooperation, less like Skynet
And in the hands of powerful marketers – they’re a godsend.
Bots and humans go hand in hand – one doesn’t cancel out the use of other. And they work best in an environment where you can automate some, if not all, of your work.
So, what exactly does this mean for marketing?
You should make the best of that information and play to your strengths.
If done well, your open rates can go up to as high as 88%, with a CTR of 56%.
This is huge.
For contrast, the average open rate percentage for most emails as of now is 18.16%. And to make things better, messenger bots are free and don’t require any coding knowledge whatsoever.
No doubt, it’s only a matter of time until we start seeing more Messenger bots in marketing in the near future. Companies who are on the fence about them will probably be the first ones who start adapting them, especially if the total number of bots continue rising (which they will according to the trend). After all, as mentioned above, they’re free and can be easily created with the help of no-code conversational marketing tools that don’t require coding background.
The truth of the matter is that bots are one of the main ingredients in the future marketing trends, and combined with other resources, they can be truly powerful.
Now, with that said, it’s important to first take one simple fact into consideration.
1. Mobile is (also) the future
One of the main prerequisites for having messenger chatbots taking over the marketing landscape has to do with the mobile user experience.
The term “mobile first” has been around for some time now and is one of the essential steps for optimizing your website to gain more visitors. However, only now is it fully coming into effect.
Here’s why:
The data shows that as people spend more time on their mobile phones, they also use it for making purchases, opening their emails, and just about anything.
As a result, mobile access is one of the main driving forces in eCommerce and online economies, based on the simple fact that people nowadays make most of their purchases from their smartphones.
Not to mention more consumers are likely to own a smartphone (that they carry around with them everywhere and is always within easy access) than to check an email on their laptop, for example.
So, what does it truly mean to be mobile first?
Even though it has become a bit of a buzzword recently, it just means taking into consideration and prioritizing things like the mobile experience and how customers interact with your brand from their devices. The smoother the online experience for a customer on their phone – the more likely they are to make a purchase.
And here’s where Messenger chatbots come in.
Chatbots are an AI that you set up to that interacts with your customers via the simple Facebook chat interface. They can do many things, from being functional to fun.
You can use Messenger chatbots in numerous ways (whether it be greeting customers who visit your Facebook page, essentially acting as a landing page, or even guiding them through a sales process). They’re not perfect right now by all means, but if used right – they can be.
This is based on another trend, which is:
2. Messenger Chatbots improve direct communication
Let’s face it, as important as cold calling and email marketing are, they’re just not as suitable for the younger generation.
This makes sense when you think about it.
For millennials, phone calls and emails might as well be outdated forms of communication.
They think and work differently, they multitask better and have different shopping habits.
But the “anxious generation” is averse to phone calls, since they’re too spontaneous and phone calls require too much thinking on your feet. Instead, they prefer methods that allow them to reply with a well thought-out response whenever they want to.
Enter: Messenger chatbot marketing.
This solves all of the abovementioned problems, and to make things better, they’d be talking to a chatbot, not a human.
So, there is no real anxiety over communication whatsoever.
Here’s what chatbots mean for marketers:
- They’re instant and automatized.
- They save you tons of time and skyrocket your customer engagement.
- They’re tailored to the preferences of your customers.
- They have a higher open rate percentage.
If done right, the bot will be interacting with your customers and helping them (providing info, making a purchase, etc.) on behalf of you.
There’s something about that simple and direct communication bots have that attracts customers.
Most websites bots, meanwhile, attack your privacy and spam you with notifications as soon as you enter their page. With Messenger chatbots, your customers will be the ones who feel like they’re in charge and are also more likely to enjoy the process, as a result.
This is because they’re going to be the ones seeking out the said chatbots to find out more information. Then, if your copy is right, you can ask for their emails in a subtle way (e.g. if they want updates) and just like that, you’ll gain a new lead with little to no work done on your part.
3. Maximum personalization
By personalizing the user experience, you make your user feel more valued and understood.
This is true for any platform, whether it be emails or a Messenger chatbot.
Similar to how ads have become personal and more targeted, your messenger chatbot is another way for you to brand yourself and appeal to your users personally.
Your messenger chatbot is essentially your brand in character form.
The way you shape your bot (avatar, language, emojis, etc.) depends a lot on how you want your target market to see you. And because of how versatile chatbots can be, they can be personalized to fit your buyer persona.
A lot of eCommerce companies are already using messenger marketing to send transactional messages, purchases confirmations, tracking info and more.
Of course, it’s possible to do all this through email as well, but sometimes email can feel cold and impersonal.
And this is one of the biggest advantages of Messenger chatbots – they’re personal and custom tailored to your customers. It gives you all the automation you want, a personal one-on-one interaction and they’re instant.
It almost sounds too good to be true.
When you walk into a shop looking for advice or help, a good salesperson will customize your interaction based on your previous experience and ask questions that set you on the right path.
A good chatbot should be the same way. Of course, you can’t customize it all the way like a real conversation – but you can come close.
The takeaway
So, what’s the takeaway for all this?
Well, if anything, it’s the shift in tech (that is the result of the new younger generation) that reflects what’s truly important and prioritized nowadays. That is to say – convenience.
Hence the rising importance of mobile in online shopping and user experience. As a result, more and more companies are capitalizing on this change by truly focusing on the mobile experience and making it more convenient for mobile users. Messenger chatbots play an important role in this because they act as the main gatekeeper for your brand and interact directly with your customer.
Messenger chatbots can do anything from simply giving news updates to opting people in and making a purchase. All without even closing the app.
Soon, Messenger chatbots will be another essential tool for business owners.
And setting one up isn’t as complicated as it sounds because they require no coding background.
So, if you’re seeking to get ahead of the curve and automate one of your primary channels – Messenger chatbots just might be the communication tool you’re lacking in social media marketing.