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How to Implement A Chatbot Strategy

 

Chatbots can help your business drive local engagement and ultimately increase your return on investment (ROI). Developing and implementing an effective chatbot strategy can seem daunting at first, but there is a clear path to follow to implement a chatbot strategy effectively to improve your chatbot marketing

 

1. Find a Chatbot That Can Be Leveraged Across Search and Social Channels 

 

First, your multi-location business must find a chatbot that can be used across both search and social channels. While a chatbot for your website is excellent, wouldn’t it be helpful to have a solution leveraged on Facebook, Google, and more? With 2.91 billion monthly active users on Facebook and over one billion monthly active users on Google, having a chatbot that can connect with your target audience through these channels is essential. There are also chatbot solutions that can communicate with your target audience through SMS, so if you’re not able to chat via search or social channels, you also have the option to connect through texting. Having your chatbot solution on the most crucial search and social channels increases your chances of being seen by and connecting with your target audience. 

 

2. Customize Your Chatbot Across Locations 

 

While it’s essential to have a chatbot solution that can integrate with Facebook Messenger, Google’s Business Messages, and SMS, it’s also vital to localize the content found on your chatbot solution. If your business’s goal is to attract and retain new customers, you must ensure that the information found on the chatbot is relevant. For instance, your chatbot solution can ask questions upfront to understand the user’s intent. Are they looking for a specific product or service, or do they have a question about your local business’s hours of operation? This is important to understand upfront so that your chatbot doesn’t ask irrelevant questions.

 

Similarly, suppose the chatbot finds out that a user is looking for a specific product or service. In that case, it may be a good idea to program the chatbot to ask about budget or include other qualifying questions so you can provide them with results that best fit their needs. The more localized a chatbot conversation is, the better experience the user will have.

 

 It’s also important to note that while you can localize content based on users’ needs, you can also localize content based on each business location. If a specific business location has an upcoming promotion or reduced hours due to a local event, your business can communicate these changes in a chatbot specific to the areas impacted. 

 

3. Use Your Chatbot to Collect Leads 

 

As mentioned previously, lead capture is a necessity when it comes to a chatbot solution. If your chatbot solution isn’t collecting information about the user, think of all the opportunities you could be missing out on. Many chatbot solutions allow you to add form fills throughout the conversation that can help collect leads. For instance, you could ask for the user’s name and email address at the beginning of an exchange in case the chat gets disconnected. In the same light, your chatbot solution could provide an opportunity for the user to rate their experience or leave a review at the end of the conversation, again providing the opportunity to collect information about the user. 

 

While collecting information about the users is essential, providing the opportunity for the user to book an appointment or schedule a reservation is critical. If users can schedule an appointment without leaving the conversation, they’ll be more likely to do so. If they have to leave the chat, go to your business’s website, and request an appointment or book a reservation, there’s a much higher chance you’ll lose them along the way. 

 

It’s time to level up your localized marketing efforts with a winning chatbot solution. Now that you have the information needed to do so, what are you waiting for? Get started implementing your business’s new chatbot strategy today! Learn how SOCi is here to help.

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