Do you remember when chatbots were seen as the technology of the future? Well, we’re in the future now, and concerns surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are more prevalent today. Although chatbots have performed remarkably well in customer support and online order processing, how can we overcome the challenges that still persist in the realm of inbound marketing?
A chatbot is an Artificial Intelligence tool that simulates and processes real conversations (written or spoken), allowing people to interact with machines as if they were human beings. The applications of chatbots can range from something as basic as answering a simple question with a single line of text to something as sophisticated as digital assistants that provide progressively higher levels of personalization as they collect and process user data.
In 2022, we came to the conclusion that the definition of a chatbot isn’t entirely compatible with what AI-powered virtual assistants—such as Alexa and Siri—represent, as they are extremely good at “guessing” and delivering what a user is looking for.
Chatbots are only good at executing simple decision trees and helping website visitors find information more quickly through text messages that may or may not lead to a conversion via a form. And this is the main reason why marketers’ new favorite term has evolved into “Conversational UI” (in Portuguese, Interface de Utilizador Conversacional).
Although the most sophisticated chatbots—typically powered by AI and machine learning—are still largely out of reach for most small and medium-sized businesses, there are ways to tap into their potential using popular marketing automation software. For example, HubSpot offers a free chatbot builder that allows you to scale first-level interactions with website visitors, qualify leads, schedule meetings, and even provide 24/7 customer support.
The ability to communicate with potential customers through a conversation that begins in a digital environment is essential to providing a superior user experience. Chatbots are increasingly becoming consumers’ first point of contact with a brand, offering them the self-service experiences they seek.
According to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on trends in the customer experience, nearly 79% of respondents say that communicating with a real person is among their preferred ways to get answers to questions about a product or service. Despite this, the majority of customers—especially younger generations—ultimately choose self-service options for the same purpose (94%).
Therefore, and assuming they shouldn’t be used in isolation, we’re sharing three ways to make chatbots the perfect marketing and sales tool for your business goals:
Chatbots are ideal for reducing the workload of customer support teams and handling simple, repetitive tasks, such as resetting passwords, collecting feedback through surveys, or other tasks that benefit greatly from automation. The key is to offer them as a complementary tool that facilitates human assistance and helps make interpersonal interactions more relevant through recommendations based on users’ digital behavior. Even if the initial approach is based on a robotic interface, that doesn’t mean the human touch can’t be the centerpiece of the dialogue.
If you’re thinking of implementing a chatbot in 2023, make sure the tool you use for this purpose has customizable analytics features (allowing you, for example, to use specific communication channels and analyze metrics related to business development and popular user intent). This way, by analyzing the history of interactions, a brand can easily determine which user requests can (and should) be handled by a chatbot. In addition, it’s also important to integrate a real-time translation mechanism, since users feel more comfortable communicating in their native language.
Don’t make the mistake of viewing chatbots as a self-sufficient solution that you simply implement and then consider “done.” Investment in this type of technology must be supported by a human effort toward continuous optimization. Having someone responsible for refining the chatbot’s intelligence, functionality, and originality is key to delivering more than just an average experience. The human touch, enhanced by algorithms that generate knowledge representation models, will certainly ensure that your chatbot becomes increasingly intelligent, and that each interaction leads to an even better one.
Need help implementing a conversational flow that makes a real impact on your business growth? YouLead is the ideal partner to help automate your chatbot marketing strategy.