Asking if chatbots are right for your business is like asking if social media marketing is right for you. If they haven’t reached your industry yet, bots are on their way.
Messaging apps are becoming the next big thing in marketing. Social networks are still the queens, but messaging applications are gaining ground little by little. The way to capitalize on this is through bots.
However, tread carefully.
When a new channel starts to show promise, we tend to get overly excited and overwhelm our audience.
A little moderation will go a long way, especially with chatbots. As efficient as they are, research shows that people really don’t like them. They may be the key to overwhelming success, but their own application is crucial.
What exactly is a chatbot?
There is a simple answer and a complicated answer to that question. Forget the complicated answer, as it’s not up to you as a marketer.
All you need to know is that a “bot” is a piece of software that automates a task or group of tasks.
There are a variety of bots available. Some can handle a variety of tasks, while others are more limited. Bots are designed and built to do very specific things.
In practical terms, this means that the chatbot program will have a series of pre-written responses to interact with humans.
For example, imagine your company that manufactures harmonicas. People often find themselves on your website trying to find the best harmonica for them. Instead of directing them to support staff, implement a chatbot. When the person visits your site, the chatbot initiates the interaction. It then reads the visitor’s questions and uses preprogrammed responses to answer them.
Instead of contacting someone else, your customer gets a response from an automated system. It’s leaner, faster, and best of all, instantly available.
The benefits of bots
The superficial benefit of using chatbots is pretty obvious. You do not have to pay a staff member to participate in customer service. But that is not all. Bots are also useful in many other ways.
- Bots are easy to build and implement. You can design a bot for Facebook Messenger in less than half an hour. Granted, this won’t be the most sophisticated bot ever created, but it will get the job done. Even a simple chatbot can be very useful and profitable.
- Bots give simple answers to simple questions. Many people just want a quick and easy answer to a short question. So instead of having to check the database or talk to a person, people can instantly get their answers and be on their way.
- Bots always give their best. An interaction with a bot will always be predictable. Your brand image will be presented in the best possible light at all times. A chatbot will not lose his temper or insult anyone.
- The potential of bots has yet to be explored. Bots are being adopted en masse and the sky is the limit for them. At present, it is difficult to predict how the use of bots will evolve. However, the above stat about messaging apps is worth considering. When messaging apps finally take over, the companies with the best bots will lead the pack.
The chatbots are already here
To answer the original question: bots are not only effective, they are a necessary tool for entrepreneurs of the 21st century.
Almost all companies can benefit from the use of chatbots. Not to mention the very real ROI potential of bots compared to humans.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows here. Poor bot implementation can indicate that a brand is losing touch with its customer base. Even a small series of negative experiences is enough to drive customers away from a brand.
In short, bots are definitely a great tool, but they can do more harm than good if not implemented correctly.