May the Force of the Chatbot be with you

Marketing speaks to people. But what if marketing could talk to people?

Google just announced Adlingo Ads Builder, a new tool that helps advertisers to turn ads into personalized conversations with artificial intelligence on a large scale, through Chatbots.

After nearly 20 years of Display advertising, here's a new way to boost growth through chatbots.

But how do they work and how do they adapt to your needs?

Brands need to make meaningful connections at a time when customers are most engaged. That is, when they are ready to talk, chatbots help advertisers connect with their customers and deliver the right information, right when the user requests it.

What are chatbots?

A chatbot is a computer program that allows human beings to interact with technology using a variety of input methods (voice, text, gestures, touch, etc.) and is usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

For many years, chabots were used only in customer service environments, but now other use cases are being added within companies to improve customer experience and business efficiency.

How do chatbots work?

At the core of chatbot technology is something called natural language processing, or NLP. This is the same technology behind the voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants such as Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Google Now.

Chatbots work by running the text you type through an algorithm to discover what you want before responding with an answer based on your keywords.

They read and process the text given to them by the user. Then, they develop an answer based on a complex series of algorithms that try to understand what the user interprets, what he meant, and/or what he wants. The bot then chooses from a selection of appropriate responses to transmit to the user.

They can be used for just about everything: booking a train ticket, ordering takeout, getting help with delivering clothes, and much more. And they can be found on most existing messaging sites, such as Facebook Messenger, KIK, Line, YouTube or Instagram, and social commerce or e-commerce platforms.

There are different levels of intelligence when it comes to chatbots:

1. Smart chatbots

These are the chatbots that they use artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate. Users can write or speak freely on the platform, and the bot responds accordingly.

They understand questions and commands (to a certain extent) and over time, the more the AI chatbot is used, the more 'intelligent' it becomes.

However, this knowledge is usually limited to a certain area (i.e., they cannot answer completely unrelated questions).

2. Scripted chatbots

These are chatbots that follow a predetermined route.

They usually only respond to specific commands or require users to answer multiple-choice questions to move on to the next stage of the conversation.

For example, they will have canned answers to frequently asked questions such as “what is your return policy”, responding with a small advertisement explaining the windows and the return policy.

Their reach is limited and they can only respond with specific answers to predetermined questions.

3. Chatbots for lead generation

Using a chatbot for lead generation is currently one of the best ways to convert visitors to your website into leads.

The Chatbot for generating leads allows you to capture visitors to a website, provide answers to questions, increase motivation and convert visitors into leads so that you can close the sale with just a phone call. Studies show that websites that use a Chatbot for lead generation achieve conversions for 50% of potential customers who start a conversation with the chat.

4. Using chatbots to stimulate conversions

Because your potential customer is researching what product to buy, it makes sense to build a chatbot that helps answer the big questions that prevent a customer from converting.

For example, somewhere in the conversation, your chatbot may offer a downloadable guide. Customers just need to provide their email address, and possibly their name, and the guide will be sent to them.

If your chatbot has already provided value to the consumer, your seller can take advantage of that positive interaction when they approach to discuss the sale.

5. Chatbot dating

The obvious thing here is dating setup robots. If you're involved in a heavy appointment industry (beauty salons, dental offices, etc.), you can take advantage of the chatbot as a method for current customers to book places on your calendar.

Simply opening a dialogue with your customers through Facebook Messenger will allow you to proactively communicate with them to see how they are doing, request reviews/comments and carry out “refer a friend” promotions.

The main causes and circumstances that motivate users to use chatbots are different:

Performance

Chatbots provide assistance or access to information quickly and efficiently.

Accessibility at any time

Chatbots reduce this waiting time, as they can provide answers to users immediately, during working hours or even at 3 in the morning 24/7 365 days a year.

In addition, by providing instant support, they can increase the likelihood of a sale if customers have any questions about a product.

Time savings

With chatbots, you don't have to walk around. They can give users answers to your questions or complete the request in a short time. This means that more people are being helped more quickly and efficiently.

Curio

The novelty of chatbots only arouses curiosity. People want to explore their abilities and try something they haven't tried before.

Entertainment

Chatbots keep people entertained by giving them fun advice, and bots help kill time when users have nothing to do.

Proactive rather than passive interaction

By starting the conversation when a customer enters the site, you create an immediate feeling that your service is at a good level. In addition, you encourage your customers to clarify any questions they may have, which in turn favors a successful sale because you generate trust from the start in your products and company.

Automating repetitive work

Automating repetitive tasks and responses frees up time so that your executives can solve the most complex problems completely and with faster response times.

Saving money

While chatbots require an initial investment, they will save a company a lot of money in the long run. As the system is automated, it reduces personnel costs: robots never get tired or need vacations. In addition, they can handle thousands of queries at a time.

Reduction of errors

There's no human error with chatbots, as there are no humans involved. Once properly programmed, they will always give users the right answers. This eliminates the concern that things will go wrong and keeps customer relationships smooth.

There are no “bad days”

Sometimes people get out of bed on the wrong side. That's just life. But not with chatbots. With them, you are guaranteed 365 days of courtesy and, in some cases, light jokes.

This puts customers at ease and makes their experience more satisfying.

Building trust

Only in Spain, 85% of telephone users they prefer messaging apps over text messages as their primary means of communication. This type of communication is more reliable and appealing to users, and they are more likely to buy from a business they can send messages to.

Low maintenance costs

Once a chatbot is installed, the maintenance cost is relatively low. In addition, it is possible to make subsequent changes to increase its effectiveness and create a better experience. They can also be adapted to meet the needs of different types of customers or new company offers.

Conclusion

We have seen how chatbots offer several benefits, loyalty and constant and proactive support 24/7. Reliability, assertive authenticity and constant consideration of users are the fundamental factors of this type of artificial intelligence.

Offering customer support when they enter the website or the App, regardless of the day or time, gives the customer the necessary confidence in their transaction because they can confirm any questions they may have and, at the same time, have all the necessary information to make an informed decision.

Last but not least, especially considering the period we are living in, is the Healthbot, the combination of chabot in health.
This type of personalized interaction with the medical chatbot helps to book an appointment, guide diagnoses, answer questions about possible symptoms of coronavirus and provide emergency medical help.

And you, what do you think? Will you test chatbots in your digital strategies?

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