What exactly are chatbots?
Why are chatbots essential for business? We have all heard of chatbots and probably interacted with one at some point. However, not many people understand the power they hold when it comes to process automation. When we think of chatbots, we think of automated customer service with chatbots being able to answer customer quries in real-time 24/7. Although this is the case, answering customer quries is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to chatbot functionality.
What can they do?
Generate organic leads on autopilot 24/7 and qualify those leads ensuring you only deal with qualified customers. Handle bookings, schedule calls, record input information, and issue refunds. Reduce the steps required for a customer to convert by taking one-click payments within the chatbot. Deliver Documents based on user actions or scheduled times. Create automated follow up messages. Construct a customer/email database. Include all the important elements of your website right in the chatbot. There isn’t much that chatbot’s cannot do.
Chatbots for message marketing
Here you will discover exactly why chatbots are essential for business. Although all the chatbot functions mentioned are amazing when it comes to process automation and saving you time and money, the most amazing function in my opinion is the marketing potential. 46% of all smartphone sessions include a social media or messaging app as one of the first three apps launched and 6 of the Top 10 most used apps globally are messaging apps. The number of users turning to messaging apps for their main line of communication is increasing exponentially with email, sms, and phone calls becoming outdated. Chatbots are a way in which we can market to our audience using these messenger apps. Just like the early days of Facebook, we would not have been able to comprehend the power this platform would hold in terms of marketing. Well, with more and more people flocking to messaging apps, messenger marketing is fast becoming the new way we can market to our audience.
The potential
According to chatbot magazine, 65% of consumers prefer to use a messaging app when contacting a business, 50% of consumers would prefer to make a purchase through a messaging app, and over 55% of consumers expect a business to be open 24/7. Chatbots address all of these preferences and as you can imagine, as consumer trust begins to increase around commerce through messaging apps, this will dramatically increase.
Like with any new technology, levels of engagement are extremely high. Chatbots have seen unprecedented open rates, positioning them as the number 1 messaging and marketing tool ever created! By having users interact with your bot you are able to create a customer database allowing you to market to that audience.
Email marketing averages an open rate of 19% with a click through rate of 2.4%
Chatbots average an open rate of 96% with a click through rate of 56%. I think its very clear that chatbots have the potential to skyrocket conversion rates.
Final thoughts
With so many business owners looking for process automation to save time and money, chatbots offer an efficient, effective solution. However, the power of chatbots in terms of marketing is like nothing we have ever seen before. Could you imagine if you began building your email list when email was first introduced, you would be laughing all the way to the bank today. Chatbots offer a technologically updated version of email allowing you to build a customer list with ease, opening many lines of communication with your audience. Send emails, Whatsapp messages, Facebook messages, sms, and more. With an average open rate of 96% and a click through rate of 56%, you can only imagine what this means in terms of conversions.