So, why use Chatbots, anyway?
Author: Rutger Thole October 11 | Blog
If you’re one of those people watching the “rise of the bots” and thinking, “yeah … I should really do something with that …” you’re not alone. I hear you on what it’s like to find the hours to keep up with all the ideas in your head and the software options that must be played with!
One guy put it well in a comment recently: “yeah, I’m not doing any botting yet …” ? Botting. There’s a new term. But it can work.
Here’s why “doing botting” is good for your business:
#1 People want convenience, they want it shaped to suit them, and they want it, like, now.
And you can deliver that!
People find it really easy to send a message to a business, rather than call or email. It’s quicker to send, they can often get an answer back in record time, and they can find the exact details faster.
By getting info to people right when they want it, you have a better chance of closing the deal.
Here are the official stats from Facebook to back this up:
? 1.3 billion people use Messenger every month.
? 20 billion messages are exchanged between people and businesses every month.
? 78% of people using smartphones were predicted to be messaging every month by the end of 2018.
We see it all the time, with people messaging a store to ask about sizing and delivery times (even if you did put that in the ad and on the product page!). And as consumers, we don’t think twice about messaging a business now.
#2 Bots can make marketing feel more human
Whaat?
Well, when people get information that’s tailored to them, in their inbox, at the exact right time, they feel like they’re being looked after.
So the best way to build a bot flow?
Think like a human.
Keep it real and converse with your customers, just as you would if you were in the same room – then your bot’s going to do a great job.
Think, “what would I need now if I had wandered into this flow?”
And give them that.
#3 Bots can help your team “take a load off”
Who isn’t tired of answering the same question Over And Over Again?
There’s just no need to do that anymore.
Even just a simple FAQ flow on your website can save loads of money and time in customer service. The beauty is that you can easily modify or add to your FAQ list as people interact with the flow. A simple tweak when you come across another question people ask, and you’re good to go.
#4 Bots can bring you better quality leads
Asking people a few questions before someone moves to the next step with you?
Life changing.
No more taking calls from people who just aren’t ready to work with you.
Instead, your bot can pre-qualify people. If they’re a good fit, they’ll be sent through to a call. Not a good fit? Sell them something else. But let the bot do it 😉
We’ve seen bots lower customer service team’s stress levels, qualify high-ticket leads, hand out freebies to potential clients, help people choose the right shoe size, show people the wonders of the ocean through dive adventures and even sell cars!
It’s not only about tailoring information to suit your client … with a lead qualifying flow you get to tailor the information to suit you.
#5 Bots just make buying more fun
Quizzes. Competitions. Hilarious Bot characters. Get into it and see “who” your Bot develops into. Those stories of awesome engagement rates with Bots? They’re true. So use them to build an audience quickly. You can run engagement campaigns so that the traffic costs you less. Just remember to also get the email addresses of as many users as possible while they’re in the flow, so that you’re building a list to retarget on your own “real estate” You know that’s the smart option.
While you’re at it, keep it compliant so you can be messaging for the long term.
#5 Bots make you seem omnipresent.
Use every channel to get your Messenger link out there:
- On your Facebook Business Page, use the “Send Message” button and connect it to your latest competition, FAQ flow or lead qualifier.
- Link paid ads to Messenger flows where you can filter people according to where they’re at in the customer journey, and give them what they need at the right time.
- Have a link to your Messenger flow on your website, Youtube channel, Insta bio, and everywhere you’re active.
How to get started?
It takes a bit of time to learn to do Bots “right”. You want to make the flows compliant with the terms for each platform used, and you want to make them useful, engaging + entertaining.
But you’ve got options.
If you’re looking to learn one-on-one from Rutger join FATC to get a full inside look.
Sign up here
https://membership.digitaldistillery.com/
Cheers! ?
Rutger Thole
AKA “The Botfather”
