A Comprehensive Guide to Conversational Marketing: Benefits, Tools, Types, and Chatbots

Conversational marketing is a relatively new approach to digital marketing that seeks to engage customers in real-time and build meaningful relationships with them. It looks to create a two-way dialogue between the customer and the brand in order to communicate a personalized message. Conversational marketing has become an increasingly popular tool for businesses, as it allows them to quickly and effectively interact with their customers and potential customers.

This type of marketing allows brands to get to know their customers better, understand their needs and wants, and build more meaningful relationships with them. Businesses are able to provide better customer service, increase customer loyalty, and boost sales. It’s revolutionizing the way brands interact with their target audience and is paving the way for a more personal and engaging customer experience.

What is conversational marketing?

It’s marketing that happens in real time and engages customers in two-way dialogues. Conversational marketing is possible thanks to artificial intelligence that allows brands to create personalized and timely messages that resonate with customers. With this type of marketing, brands can create 1-on-1 relationships with their customers, understand their needs and offer them personalized services and solutions based on their preferences and needs. It’s different from traditional marketing because it is personal, timely, and highly targeted. Conversational marketing tools include live chat, artificial intelligence, and chatbots.

Benefits 

One of the key benefits of conversational marketing is its ability to generate leads. Chatbots can be programmed to ask qualifying questions and gather information about potential customers, which can be used to generate leads and build pipelines. Additionally, conversational tools can also be used to nurture leads and move them through the sales funnel, which can increases conversions and ultimately boosts revenue.

First-Party Data 

Conversational marketing also provides valuable data that can inform future marketing strategies. Chatbots collect valuable data on customer preferences and behavior, which help businesses improve their customer experience and make informed decisions about product development and marketing campaigns.

 More personalized experience

Brands can collect customer data and use it to provide more personalized experiences, like product recommendations. Customers appreciate brands that offer personalized services and value their preferences and needs.

Improved sales

With more engaged customers, businesses are able to boost their sales and sales conversions.

Improve SEO  

Chatbots can be programmed to provide relevant content and answer frequently asked questions, which can help to improve the user experience and increase engagement on the website. This can also help to improve the overall quality of the content on the website and make it more likely to rank well in search results.

Collect better reviews

Chatbots are a valuable tool for collecting customer reviews and feedback. By using conversational interfaces, chatbots can make it easy for customers to provide feedback and ratings in real time. This can help businesses quickly identify and address any issues or concerns, and also it can provide valuable insight into customer satisfaction.

Better customer service 

By providing real-time customer service and answering customers’ questions and queries, brands can increase customer satisfaction and retain customers.

Types of conversational marketing

AI-based marketing

AI-based marketing is a type of conversational marketing that uses artificial intelligence to engage customers and provide personalized and timely messages.

Text-based marketing 

Text-based marketing is a type of marketing that uses automated messages and SMS/text messages to engage customers and drive sales. Brands can use SMS autoresponders to broadcast timely offers or drive more business to a store.

Voice-based marketing 

Brands can use voice-based marketing to engage customers through phone calls and voice messages. Voice-based marketing can be especially useful for B2B companies because it allows them to communicate with their customers more effectively and efficiently.

Live Chat 

With live chat, brands can provide real-time customer service and support 24/7. Customers can communicate with a human agent through a live chat widget on the website or a dedicated live chat app.

Best tools for conversational marketing

– AI-based NLP chatbots – Natural Language Processing (NLP) chatbots are a powerful tool for conversational marketing. They are designed to understand and respond to human language, which makes them a more natural and intuitive way for businesses to communicate with customers. NLP chatbots can be programmed to understand and respond to a wide range of user inputs. They can also be used to understand customer intent and provide more accurate and relevant responses.

Integrating conversational chatbots with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a powerful way for businesses to improve their sales and customer service efforts. By connecting an NLP chatbot with a CRM system, businesses can gain a more complete view of customer interactions and use that information to inform their marketing strategies.

– Voice-enabled virtual assistants – Virtual assistants are AI-based tools that businesses can use to engage customers through phone calls and voice messages. Virtual assistants can be programmed to interact with customers and provide personalized messages based on their needs and preferences.

What are chatbots?

Chatbots are a valuable tool for marketers as they allow for personalized interactions with customers. By using first-party data, such as information gathered through a website or app, chatbots can tailor their responses and suggestions to the individual user. This can lead to increased engagement, sales, and customer loyalty.

Moreover, chatbots can also collect valuable data on customer preferences and behavior, which can inform future marketing strategies and help businesses to improve their customer experience. With chatbots, businesses can reach out to their customers in a more efficient, effective, and personal way.

Examples of conversational marketing in action 

Campaign-driven conversational marketing AI involves using chatbots and other conversational tools to engage with customers as part of a specific marketing campaign or promotion. Here are a few examples:

Contests: A brand might use a chatbot to run a contest on social media, where customers can enter by answering questions or performing certain tasks. The chatbot can be programmed to provide information on the contest, answer questions, and even provide real-time updates on the contest status.

Surveys: A business might use a chatbot to conduct surveys to gather customer feedback and gather insights on customer preferences and behavior. The chatbot can be programmed to ask qualifying questions and collect responses, which can be used to inform future marketing strategies.

Promotions: A business might use a chatbot to provide information on special promotions or discounts and assist customers with redeeming them. The chatbot can be integrated with the e-commerce platform to provide personalized product recommendations and assist with the checkout process.

Lead Generation: A company might use a chatbot as a lead generation tool by providing valuable information or offering a free trial or consultation. The chatbot can be programmed to ask qualifying questions, collect contact information, and even schedule appointments.

Event Promotion: A business or organization might use a chatbot to promote an event, provide details, and answer questions about the schedule, location, and registration process. The chatbot can also be programmed to send reminders, and updates and also provide information on how to get to the event location.

Conclusion

B2B marketers are increasingly using conversational AI to support their demand generation efforts. 
With the recent advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, it’s not hard to believe that brands and AI-based tools are becoming more intelligent. Marketers are using conversational AI marketing strategy to take their businesses to the next level. Learn how intelligent chat helps B2B marketers increase lead generation, and improve sales conversions. 

Contact Botco.ai today or email us at info@botco.ai to learn more about our AI cloud chat to scale your business and provide interactive touch points for users to easily connect and interact with your business.