How to use Chatbots for conversational marketing

For years automated processes were exclusively used by the IT industry. However, with simplified codes, and user-friendly and budget-friendly robotic tools, automation has been taking the lead in manufacturing, marketing, and customer experience industries. Businesses have started preferring artificial intelligence over labor to run their processes in order to enhance their productivity within a reasonably short time. 

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The year 2022 has come to be known as the year of automation, where artificial intelligence majorly takes over critical, traditionally human-controlled processes and businesses embrace digital transformation to enjoy the sweet taste of consistent success. 

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In today’s date, automation can be seen in various segments and departments of a company. From process mining to the rapid adaptation of workflow platforms to incorporate the sudden shift in the work environment (from office to work from home), the hints of successful implementation of automation can be seen everywhere. 

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However, the most accessible and efficient use of automation and artificial intelligence to support the business processes, mainly sales and marketing, can be experienced with the implementation of chatbots. 

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What are Chatbots?

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Chatbots are the newest fad in the business world that has been steadily taking over conversational marketing. Basically, chatbots or chatterbots are computational software used to conduct online conversations with the aid of text-to-speech or simple text with customers. To efficiently process data and provide appropriate responses to customer queries, chatbot software is driven by artificial intelligence, automated rules, machine learning, and natural-language processing. They give the clients the feel of interacting with actual professionals while saving businesses from investing too much in human and other resources, depending on the complexity and capabilities of the software. 

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The functions of the chatterbots can be defined according to the choice of software a company chooses for its conversational marketing program. From a rudimentary application that answers simple questions with fixed, multiple-choice answers to complex programs where the chatbot acts as a digital assistant that aids the customer with personalized solutions, the chatbots are changing the face of conversational marketing one business at a time. 

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There are primarily two types of chatbots available according to the varied needs of global businesses and small enterprises. 

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1. Data-Driven, Predictive Chatbots : These are usually referred to as “Virtual Assistants” due to the interactive nature and personalized solutions they provide to their clients. They also have the capability to initiate conversations and detect their user’s needs. Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa are some well-known examples of predictive chatbots.

This software is programmed to utilize natural language processing and understanding and use machine learning and predictive intelligence to learn about their customer's preferences, user behavior, choices, and interests for personalization, recommendations, and anticipating their requirements. 

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2. Task-Oriented Chatbots : Due to the minuscule contribution of machine learning, task-oriented chatbots are single-purpose software applications programmed to focus on one function, i.e., generate conversational responses to customer inquiries. They are the most commonly used chatbots across all industries since they are equipped to handle basic queries while providing a conversational, interactive customer experience. 

The interactions with chatbots are concise, specific, and structured to transfer queries to more equipped client-handling resources. In short, these are appropriate to provide basic customer support using customer responses as cues and to give pre-programmed, non-personalized business data as solutions. 

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Implementing Chatbots for Conversational Marketing

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Conversational marketing has become the most sought-after strategy to boost sales, improve customer experience and increase customer engagement and satisfaction. It is a client-centric, personalized dialogue-based approach to marketing to create an impressionable brand image in front of the masses.

The core concept of conversational marketing revolves around one-on-one interaction via online messaging or calling. It includes live chatting using messaging applications and implementing chatbots. 

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While live chatting sounds more engaging and personalized, chatbots have made conversational marketing accessible for all kinds of businesses without emphasizing the need for human resources. The best point about using chatbots for conversational marketing is that it enables businesses to attract, and engage in leads and conversions 24x7, 365 days. 

Chatterbots engage in sales-generating conversations with website surfers and prospects. 

To conclude, implementing chatbots for conversational marketing helps businesses focus more on pushing prospective customers through the sales funnel and driving conversions. 

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Optimizing Chatbots for Conversational Marketing

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Besides providing customers with appropriate information about the products and services of a company, there is more to chatbots in conversational marketing that is attracting businesses around the world to turn towards AI for customer engagement and satisfaction. 

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Let's dive deeper into the other functions of chatbots: 

• Increase sales conversions :
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  In the end, sales conversions are the target for most businesses, while implementing all types of marketing strategies. Businesses create a sales funnel for themselves, which helps them identify prospects that need a little push to make the final decision.
  The aim of implementing chatbots into the marketing strategy is to help customers learn more about the business and get them closer to purchasing your products. Chatbots aid the process of the sales funnel by interacting with customers and directing them towards making their decision faster.

• Provide recommendations to clients based on their preferences :
  
  A part of pushing the customers ahead on the sales funnel is to provide them with personalized recommendations and solutions according to their usage patterns, search results, and preferences. This is where machine learning comes in handy. It helps chatbots gather primary information about the prospect to help understand their requirements better and up-sell or cross-sell the products accordingly.

• Push offers and discount :
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  Chatbots play a vital role in promoting offers and discounts on selected products and services. They assist in the promotional activities by sending an automated message to website visitors, informing them about the offers, and providing related links and recommendations, to push them ahead on the sales funnel.

• Efficient customer experience :
  
  Customer experience is one of the most prioritized activities in order to boost sales and grow the business. Many companies often prefer chatbots for conversational marketing since they provide around-the-clock information, customer support, and interactive service. While human resources have a specific time zone they can cater to; this is not the case with chatbots. They provide quick and effective services and quality customer experience to website visitors and faster lead conversions to the company.

• Engage with clients :
  
  Nowadays, businesses around the globe are focusing on customer engagement since it is the primary step of the sales process, which helps in lead generation as well as maintaining relationships with existing customers.
  Chatbots encourage customer engagement by conversing with prospective customers about the product and the company and exhibiting valuable information according to their preferences and inclinations. This memorable interaction has proven to make the customers feel more connected to the brand, thus creating another valued, regular customer in the company’s sales funnel.

• Generate new prospects :
  
  The initial aim of chatbots during the process of creating a sales funnel and attracting customers is to make a lasting impression on the company’s website visitors. The bots are programmed to initiate dialogues with all prospects and direct them towards various products and services offered by the company. This regular interaction can turn a surfer into a regular, paying customer in no time at all.

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Conclusion

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While bots are an essential component of any brand’s marketing strategy, it is crucial to maintain a balance between automated customer interaction and a personalized human element in the customer experience. Too much of chatbot conversations may lead to customers avoiding the interactions and, therefore, a significant drop in the engagement rate. 

That said, chatbots are the most recommended solution for boosting your customer engagement and fulfilling your customer’s expectations. 

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At CognitiveClouds, we have partnered with some of the world’s leading industry giants to create AI, ML, and NLP-driven solutions, to help serve customers better, and enhance their ever-growing sales funnel.

Are you looking to add chatbots to your marketing strategy? Have a chat with our experienced engineers to create a custom solution for your business!

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