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Is Your Brand Developing A ChatBot Strategy?

Marketers and Customer Service professionals are now paying a lot of attention to

ChatBots. Whereas the web, mobile marketing and smartphone apps were at one

point the net big thing!, ChatBots are now becoming a pervasive part of a brand"s

digital toolkit.

Bots!, as they"re known, are being talked about as the net evolution of messaging

interaction between brands and consumers. #he ecitement, of course, is the fact

that Bots have the potential of driving a real$time, one$to$one interaction that is

highly intelligent and conversational. #hus, this messaging channel has the

potential to lead to a new form of conversational commerce!, where brands can

elevate their ability to engage with consumers on a more personal level. %n order to

successfully eecute on this, Bots will need to have intelligence on the person

they"re conversing with as well as su&cient capabilities to assist that person with

the task they need to complete ' otherwise Bots will (uickly turn into the net

version of the hated )oice *esponse systems that are blockers to customer service

at many companies.

Messaging applications are becoming a signi+cant strategy for brands simply

because its how consumers are communicating today. -ccording to an article in #he

conomist, over /.0 billion people have installed at least one messaging app on

their smartphone, and messaging has replaced phone calls as the communication

medium of choice for millennials. Because of the penetration into consumers" daily

lives, these platforms now provide an outstanding medium through which brands

can reach their customers.

While Bots hold ama1ing potential, this interaction channel remains in its infancy.Companies considering the development of Bots don"t yet know the true

rami+cations and response from consumers who may be weary of talking to a

computer! on an individual level. #he big (uestion is how to cut through the hype

to ensure that the Bots developed for your brand eceed the epectations of your

customers to provide an eperience that surprises and delights them.

%f your brand is planning a bot strategy, here are some important considerations to

keep in mind2

Conversational Commerce Is Now

Conversational commerce has been very much in the news lately. Messaging

platforms, -rti+cial %ntelligence, and )irtual -ssistants 3all of which are critical

components to a successful Bot play4 have been widely discussed, particularly at

the recent 5oogle %67conference. What"s more, 8acebookannounced that they are

opening up their platform to commercial messaging 3via bots4 and provided

numerous tools to enable brands to develop their own entries. Both of these

http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2016/05/18/report-google-is-jumping-into-the-chat-bot-business/#20c841635e5bhttp://techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/facebook-chatbot-analytics/http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/facebook-chatbot-analytics/http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2016/05/18/report-google-is-jumping-into-the-chat-bot-business/#20c841635e5b

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announcements have created lots of bu11 and new ecitement. But let"s not forget

that there can also be plays that are simpler and more direct ' such as *eply9es,

who recently raised :/.0 million after announcing that they sold over :; million in

vinyl records via tet message. #he larger contet here is that by adding contet

and enabling direct and timely action, messaging! becomes the evolution of brand$

consumer engagement in the persona of Bots.

The Medium Shapes the Message

%ts important for brands to understand the components of driving successful

engagement via messaging. Successful e

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=ue to the compliance restrictions, most Bot engagement will begin with the

customer initiating contact. Because of this, marketers need to have a strategy in

place to turn that initial reactive contact into a positive eperience that etracts

permission for ongoing pushed interaction. Marketers must learn to predict how

these interactions take shape and focus on serving the customers needs +rst, as

opposed to the brands needs, otherwise, consumers will (uickly opt out of theprogram. #his means that the conversation strategy should be up front with

consumers on what they can epect from the bot ' be that advertising, customer

service, or information delivery. Do matter which path the Bot takes, a successful

conversation will enhance the relationship with the brand, ultimately leading to

increased engagement.

$hat is Your Bot%s &Brand's( )ersonality?

#he purpose of the Bot is to have a uni(ue conversation with each customer. -nd

since the Bot is essentially representing your brand, you must determine how you

want to be perceived by the customer. ersonality and capability is key here. Willyour Bot be very technical 3consumer electronics discussion4, or perhaps +lled with

outdoor wittiness 3travel and vacation discussion4G Marketers should be prepared to

design the right interaction into their Bot to enhance the personality so that it

represents the brand accordingly.

Measurement $ill Determine Success

Hike any successful customer facing strategy, measurement is critical. %s your Bot

creating engagementG Fow are customers responding, and what are their actionsG

When do customer engage most with your BotG What are the outcomesG -nd how

do they interact with your brand immediately following their Bot eperienceG

Bot$driven engagement represents a great opportunity for brands and marketers to

enhance their messaging and mobile strategies. While they are not designed to fully

replace communication strategies for brands, they represent the net iteration of

businesses can bring technology. #he right Bot strategy will enhance the brand and

strengthen its relationship with customers and stakeholders which ultimately drives

revenue.

A*out The Author+Brian Feikes is )ice resident of roduct at @Cinteractive.

#hrough mobile marketing services, @C deepens and etends the connection

between customers and brands, driving increased loyalty, brand awareness, andresults. Heveraging @C"s epertise connecting mobile to business results and its

SwitchbladeI platform"s multichannel capabilitiesJincluding SMS and MMS

messaging, mobile coupons, mobile wallet, mobile web, location based services and

moreJmarketers can deliver timely, relevant engagement at the customers"

moment of need. 8or more information please visit www.@c.com.

http://www.3c.com/http://www.3c.com/

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