They don’t snatch coffee breaks, ask for salary bumps, or grab quick naps between budget meetings. How do you find and hire such a rare gem? You don’t. You design it.
The it is known as a chatbot – that ubiquitous assistant currently expanding the possibilities of digital marketing. For a salary of $0, the bot gets a whole lot done whenever it’s on duty. What a deal!
So what exactly does a chatbot do while earning nothing? Its functions generally fall into four categories. They are as follows:
Customer Care – While a bot doesn’t lug groceries, it can provide considerable customer assistance. Generally, this is accomplished by making probing inquiries and offering incisive suggestions about products and services. The cooperative user’s response kicks off an interactive conversation that, if all goes according to plan, is both friendly and productive to both sides.
Travel Help – Do you need to book a flight? Set up an appointment? Reserve a hotel room? Chatbots are excellent schedulers. Just tell it where you’re going and when you need to go there. This assistant will handle the rest.
Info Sharing – Inquisitive users can get many questions answered by presenting them to a chatbot. Their knowledge is surprisingly deep and diverse. Depending on the website, bots can provide info on topics ranging from weather conditions and news events to product updates. Yes, bots are know-it-alls -- but they’re humble about it.
Diversions – Not many bots appear at the local improv. Nevertheless, they’re anything but drab. In fact, a certain type of chatbot, through proper training, is extremely skilled in the art of entertaining repartee. Users who need a lift can avail themselves of a special breed of joke-telling and story-relating chatbots, whose sole purpose is to amuse without restraint.
Digital marketers should be aware that, if it suits their purposes, some of these categories can overlap. When updating a product, for instance, the updating bot can slip in a little joke to lighten the mood. Always in good taste, of course.
If you have questions or comments about chatbots or any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.