What is a Facebook Messenger Bot?
Are you interested in Facebook Messenger Bots but unsure how to use them, or even set them up? It’s worth starting by understanding the purpose of a bot. In simple terms, a messenger bot is an automated messaging software which uses artificial intelligence to have a conversation with the user. It’s far cheaper than using a mobile app, so more cost-efficient for your business. What’s more, since Facebook Messenger Bots are fairly new, you won’t have a lot of competition.
In many ways, bots are similar to email marketing because they can help you build a subscriber list and, in turn, generate leads. What sets bots apart from email marketing, is that they can be configured to automatically answer basic questions. As a result, you will save time. However, it’s important to note that bots aren’t as intelligent as they seem and can’t answer absolutely everything. Regardless, they are interactive, which makes them stand out as a useful tool.
When sending emails, you normally distribute the same long email to your mail list. Messenger bots, on the other hand, can be customised to learn more about each potential customer and ask relevant follow-up questions. As a result, you are not spamming people with information that may not actually interest them; instead, you tailor the experience to their requirements.
Setting Up a Messenger Bot
Before you set up your bot, be sure to understand why you actually want one. Think about a business problem that you’d like to use the bot to solve, particularly problems that don’t actually require a human being to deal with. For example, you may have a list of frequently asked questions that the bot can easily answer. Deal with one problem at a time, especially if you’re a beginner, because otherwise you could end up creating something far too complex that just confuses the user.
We also recommend considering how your messenger bots can integrate with other tools for a more advanced user experience. Be sure to test different platforms when building your bot because once you’ve chosen a platform it will be difficult to move to another. There are many options, including ManyChat, Chatfuel and Conversable, to name but a few.
Our developers can help build your bot, and help integrate into your overall marketing campaign. Give us a call if you have any questions!