When Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would allow companies to build bots in the Messenger application, it opened a door of multiple opportunities for businesses. The launch of the Messenger Platform represented a great way for companies to develop and extend their services. By integrating chatbots in social media, they created another way to communicate with their customers.
The impact that this news had on the business world was huge. Why? Messenger is one of the most popular applications, having a great number of active users. In July 2016, it had 1 billion active users worldwide. With its numbers still growing, businesses had access to potential and already-existing customers. It was a great reason for companies to move their attention towards chatbots and messaging applications.
However, this enthusiasm should not overcome the business reasons why companies are doing this. It has been seen that, although business trends are powerful, if you want to benefit from them to the maximum, you need to adapt them to your business objectives. Companies that decide to integrate Facebook Messenger chatbots in their business strategy need to answer the following question: “Is my target audience on Facebook?”. Then, they need to work on the purpose of the bot. Chatbots can be used to:
- place and cancel orders
- answer questions in real time
- offer support for products and services
Establishing details right from the beginning will make it easy for you as a business to create an efficient strategy to use your chatbot. Also, take into consideration the fact that you will need to let your customers know about the chatbot and how they can use it.
The benefits of Facebook Messenger Chatbots
Utility
The utility of the chatbots comes from the technology that it is used to create them. Facebook Messenger Chatbots are built using Facebook’s Wit.ai Bot Engine. This allows them to transform natural language into data. To put this in a simpler way, it means that they understand what customers are asking from them and learn from each interaction. They gather information about each person and use it for future conversations. In this way, they manage to adapt to customers and deliver experiences that satisfy their needs.
Also, these chatbots understand more than just simple predefined commands. They do not have a limited number of questions at which they can provide answers. Being designed to understand the language of customers means that they can answer a question that is formulated in different ways and it can detect grammar or vocabulary errors
Convenience
No one wants to have to install a new app for every business or service they want to interact with. Mark Zuckerberg
As it we mentioned above, bots can be used for different purposes. Imagine that you have a chatbot that answers to customers’ questions, places their orders and delivers them updated information about topics they are interested in. Now, imagine that for each of these actions, your customers would need to either contact a support representative, enter your website or visit your social media pages.
Having a chatbot that can perform one or more tasks can be very convenient for your customers. Facebook Messenger is an application that is used with pleasure by people. Combining the two of them can create great experiences for your customers and have a positive effect on your business.
Monitoring is a key element in this process. You will need to see if the bot encounters questions or requests it cannot answer or fulfill. In this situation, you will need to intervene and provide your customers the help they need. Last but not least, keep an eye on the experience people have with the chatbot. It will help you understand if you have any weak points and give you an idea of how to improve them.
We are gladly inviting you to share with us your latest customer support experiences!
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