In the past, chatbots have suffered from a bad reputation, often being associated with excessive spam and virus filled messaging. But things have now started to change, with a growing number of brands making the most of artificial intelligence and using chatbots to monetise their services.
But what is it about this new generation of chatbots that makes them so efficient and how can they be used to help businesses who are looking to amplify brand awareness?
The Power of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has improved dramatically over the years, leading to many new pathways for customer interaction. Facial recognition is one of the most popular, with brands like Apple being able to recognise selfies and putting them into separate folders.
Translation tools are another effective form of artificial intelligence, and can be used with chatbots to translate languages instantly.
How chatbots can benefit small businesses
Chatbots can benefit small businesses by streamlining common features on a company website, therefore saving time and money. Chatbots can work alongside a sales team and increase ecommerce revenue by being the first point of contact for customers.
For example, a clothes retailer can have a chatbot that helps customers narrow down their search if they are looking for a specific type of item. This process is cumulative as the chatbot will remember former preferences and make recommendations based on a previous sale.
A chatbot can also offer immediate customer support by providing a platform for users to ask questions and have them answered quickly. An advantage of this is a business will be able to control the voice of their brand by ensuring the bot always delivers the right message.
Another benefit is that chatbots can be tailored to menial tasks, such as compiling customer data or receiving and filling out basic forms. As these tasks are repetitive you’ll be able to train a chatbot to handle them and save precious time.
Chatbots as the way forward
A strong example of a useful chatbot is Healthtap, which was recently introduced in partnership with Facebook. The bot is free and has a compiled list of 10,000 physicians in the US and can be used to get quick answers about illnesses. A user can type in their symptoms and the bot will display a series of articles that pertain to what has been described. There is also an option for specific follow-up questions to be asked.
Dominos have also introduced a chatbot called ‘Dom’ that allows customers to order their pizza instantly. All they have to do is create an Easy Order account, link it to their Facebook page and type ‘pizza’ into messenger. Their order will then be placed.
Chatbots are also proving to be effective in raising awareness, like in the case of the collaboration between jewellery brand Lokai and Charity: Water. The two companies have developed a bot called ‘Walk with Yeshi’ that allows users to connect with the experience of a rural Ethiopian girl who spends two and half hours each day walking to find water.
A convenient future
Thanks to a combination of built in functions and adaptability, the new generation of chatbots are capable of analysing user input and meeting customer demand. Experimentation is key to brands improving customer experience via messengers, and chatbots are proving to be an influential component. By mixing a personalised touch with the efficiency of artificial intelligence, businesses can use chatbots to increase revenue and build brand awareness.