What are Facebook Messenger bots or Facebook chatbots?
Chatbots are basically automated instant messaging software that automatically responds to user queries.
However, when we talk about Facebook Messenger bots, we are referring exclusively to chatbots that are in Facebook Messenger. This means that he has conversations with some of the 1.3 billion people who use Facebook Messenger every month.
If you are on Facebook, you may already have an automated start message in Messenger. With a messenger bot, you can now automate all communication with your target group.
In general, you benefit from one major advantage when using Facebook Messenger bots.
The barrier to entry for you and your target group is extremely low. Facebook Messenger is the third most used app in the world and is used by 68 percent of all app users.
It is not only used for group chats with friends and family. According to a recent Nielsen survey, most people rank instant messaging (IM) second when it comes to communicating with a company. Users exchange two billion messages with companies via Facebook Messenger every month. Compared to the rest of the mobile app market, where 71 percent of all users delete an app within 90 days.
Here are six added values that a chatbot in Facebook Messenger can bring you:
1. reach your target group directly
2. save time and money in customer service
3. recognize qualified prospects
4. process e-commerce transactions
5. contact the customer again
6. Facebook advertising is cost-effective and specific
1. reach your target group directly
According to Headliner Labs, people are 3.5 times more likely to open a Facebook message than a marketing email. Since customers can also respond (usually by simply tapping/clicking a call-to-action button), the probability of receiving a response is also significantly higher.
In addition, Facebook Messenger offers sponsored ads that can be sent to any user who has ever been in contact with your page. This means that you already have a “recipient list”. You can use these ads in combination with your chatbot to get in touch with customers who are willing to buy.
2. save time and money in customer service
Your customers expect you to be available every day and around the clock, which is what they are used to from other companies and communication media. What’s more, nobody likes wasting time in a queue. Your customers usually ask the same questions over and over again.
Think about how much time you spend helping people track a shipment, informing them of your returns policy or making appointments with you. And now imagine how a chatbot that answers these questions automatically could help you. And best of all, you can concentrate on the tasks that a messenger chatbot can’t do for you.
3. recognize qualified prospects
When greeting potential customers, your bot can find out a lot about their needs and ask a few basic questions (e.g. “How much do you want to spend?”). Qualified leads can then be forwarded directly to your sales team and others may initially receive automatically generated information from the chatbot.
4. process e-commerce transactions
With the right script, bots can also do the selling for you. And because this all happens without a customer having to leave the comfort of Facebook Messenger, abandonment rates are much lower than in a traditional display website visit funnel.
Dialogue-oriented sales also offers scope for personalized upselling by having the bot make suggestions. This ranges from “Your flight doesn’t leave until 4 pm. Would you like to check out of your hotel room later?” to “French fries on the side?”
5. contact the customer again
Bots can also memorize information and they can even use the stored details to make the conversation more personal, specific and successful.
A Facebook Messenger bot can contact customers personally and offer them relevant content at the right time. Remind a customer of the sweater that is still in her shopping cart or that she sent flowers to her mother for her birthday at the same time a year ago. Compared to other advertising measures, Facebook chatbots are generally much more cost-effective.
6. Facebook advertising is cost-effective and specific
Compared to Google Ads or LinkedIn ads, the costs of Facebook Ads are usually very low. In addition, the targeting settings on Facebook can be set extremely specifically.
You can therefore place ads for your messenger bot very easily, cheaply and in a targeted manner and engage the leads who click on the ad directly in a conversation.
And of course I also have a Facebook page incl. Messenger bot. You can find both here.
