If you compare the mobile chat apps, Facebook Messenger is in second place with around 1.3 billion active users worldwide. At the same time, Facebook is still the most popular social media network. In America, for example, 79 percent of Americans have a profile, making Facebook marketing a must-have for social media marketing teams.
The same applies to Swiss marketers: Facebook should not be neglected, especially in B2C marketing.
In the following, I will mainly look at the topic of Facebook and chatbots and discuss the advantages and some use cases of messenger bots.
First of all, what I consider to be the 5 most important benefits of using a Facebook chatbot for your marketing.
24/7 customer service
Facebook chatbots are available around the clock and send almost instant responses to user queries. Even if a chatbot is only responsible for answering FAQs, it relieves your customer service employees and gives them more time to deal with demanding inquiries.
Important: Facebook rates companies according to how quickly they respond and therefore you will quickly achieve good ratings with a chatbot in Facebook Messenger.
Automated e-commerce
Chatbots are ideal for getting in touch with potential customers, advising them and then selling them something directly via Facebook Messenger.
A recent study conducted by DigitasLBi found that 37 percent of Americans are willing to buy via chatbots – the average purchase is 55 US dollars. Clear CTAs and a seamless checkout shopping cart increase customer confidence when purchasing. As America is always slightly ahead of the Swiss market, I suspect that the figures for the Swiss market will look similar in the coming months.
Targeted leads
Leads are an important part of any marketing strategy, especially in B2B marketing.
All your current followers or users who have engaged with your business page at any given time are now part of your subscriber list on Facebook.
What does this mean for your company? Both current customers and customers in your area can use Messenger to search for relevant offers, voucher codes, blog content and more.
Facebook chatbots are the deliverers of these messages. Since customers open a Facebook message much more frequently compared to emails, you can expect higher engagement rates.
Data and analyses
The use of a Facebook chatbot offers the opportunity to store huge amounts of data from customer conversations. You can use this data to continuously expand and improve your marketing activities.
Personalized chat experiences
People are more open to using chatbots than ever before – and it’s not just because of the added efficiency. Some of the most powerful Facebook chatbots today offer their users a personalized brand experience.
Facebook chatbot examples
In the following, I present 5 chatbots where sales, marketing or customer service are very well supported by a chatbot.
Whole Foods
Jeff Jenkins, Global Executive of Digital Strategy and Marketing at Whole Foods, explained that the “expectation economy” is alive and well and that consumers want to receive relevant content from brands they follow. This feeling served as the basis for Whole Foods’ Facebook chatbot, which was launched in 2016.
Some other neat features of Whole Foods’ chatbot include processing emojis, linking to customer rewards, saving recipes for later, and allowing users to sign up and receive coupons.
Sephora
One of the world’s leading cosmetics brands has found a new way to serve customers and increase engagement with the easy-to-use Facebook chatbot.
This chatbot was called the Sephora Assistant and gained popularity after Sephora ran a targeted Facebook campaign for US women between the ages of 18 and 49. When the ad was clicked, the bot opened in Messenger and guided users through the dialog.
The results? An 11 percent higher booking rate for in-store make-up appointments. By using a user’s GPS location to connect them to the nearest store, the booking sequence has also been shortened by five steps. The chatbot is now considered one of Facebook’s top performers.
Wall Street Journal
Having to search Google to find the latest and most relevant news that is relevant to you can be time consuming. The Wall Street Journal decided that a Facebook chatbot that sends its users appropriate messages is the easiest way to efficiently and quickly provide users with the right content.
Clear CTAs allow users to customize what content should be sent to them via the chatbot. The longer the user engages with the chatbot, the more customized their newsfeed becomes. This is the power of AI.
4th Pizza Hut
Let’s face it, our smartphones are full of apps that are rarely used on a regular basis. If you don’t want to download another app just to order a pizza, you can use Facebook Messenger and place your next order via the Pizza Hut chatbot.
The Pizza Hut chatbot collects transaction data for an even faster checkout experience next time. It also uses this data to suggest new items or promotions, giving franchisees up-selling opportunities.
5. mastercard
Mastercard, one of the leading financial services providers, has recognized the widespread use of chatbots and decided to implement its own Facebook Messenger for banks and merchants.
For merchants, Mastercard enables customers with the Masterpass payment service to carry out transactions via the chatbot.
Mastercard has also given customers the opportunity to communicate with their banks via the chatbot. For example, users can check their bank accounts, view their purchase history and even ask the chatbot to monitor their spending habits.
And now I’m curious to know which Facebook chatbot you want to inspire your customers with?
