At their recent F8 conference, Facebook introduced their Bots for Messenger platform, a new way for businesses to have their own, interactive, automated response tools for Facebook Messenger.
The idea is relatively simple – you set up a bot service to respond to users on your behalf. So, for example, if you run a restaurant and you know the most commonly asked question is ‘what time are you open today?’, you can create a bot that’ll provide that info via message, quickly and without you having to interact.
These bots can enable significant time savings for business owners, and with almost a billion people now using Messenger every month, it also works in line with the way people are looking to communicate, helping businesses move in trend with user behaviour patterns.
The script for the messenger bot is all important. It can be a simple, “hello, there is no-one in the office at the moment, please leave a message for us so we can answer your questions as soon as we return.” However, this kind of message would be vastly underutilising the power of a messenger (or chat) bot. A more in-depth conversation in which you can programme automated responses to their enquiries is preferable.
Messenger bots have a staggering 80% open rate, compared to email, which has around 22%. This means more conversions for you and enables the gathering of more information about the person contacting you.
You can install messenger bot on your website also. It engenders a more personal and instant response than the usual “Contact Us” page. It can also act as a sales tool, promoting your business and eliciting instant responses to questions you would like to ask. Also, it can act as a 24-hour appointment service, with a confirmation being made once the appointment is checked, or you can contact them to arrange an alternative time or date.
The possibilities for messenger bot are endless. We do suggest that you contact a company capable of installing messenger bots and making full use of their capabilities. The questions you ask are all important, don’t underestimate the power of these bots.
