When it comes to implementing social chatbots, the choice of channels depends on several factors that businesses should carefully consider. Each channel has its own unique user base, features, and engagement patterns.
Ryan Dearlove Tweet
As the landscape of digital communication continues to evolve, businesses are seeking innovative ways to connect with their audiences.
Chat marketing has emerged as a powerful tool, offering a personalized and interactive approach to engage customers through messaging platforms. Ryan Dearlove, founder of Chit Chat, a leading agency in the world of conversational marketing, provides his valuable perspective on the rise of chat marketing and its implications for businesses.
We delve into the dynamic world of chat marketing, messaging automation, and click-to-message ads. With his deep expertise and insights, Ryan sheds light on how businesses can leverage these cutting-edge technologies to enhance customer engagement and drive impactful marketing campaigns.
Furthermore, Ryan discusses the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as ChatGPT, within social messaging chatbots. He explores how AI can revolutionize chatbot interactions, enabling businesses to deliver more sophisticated and personalized experiences to their customers.
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Table of Contents
Chat marketing has been gaining significant traction in recent years. How do you see this trend shaping the future of customer engagement?
Ryan: Chat marketing has indeed become a powerful tool for businesses to engage with their customers. It offers a more personalized and interactive experience, allowing companies to connect with their target audience in a conversational manner.
As technology continues to advance, we’re seeing the rise of messaging automation, which enables businesses to automate routine tasks, provide instant responses, and offer personalized recommendations. This trend is shaping the future of customer engagement by providing faster, more efficient, and customized experiences.
With the advancement of AI and natural language processing, how do you envision messaging automation evolving in the coming years?
Ryan: AI and natural language processing have already revolutionized messaging automation, but their potential is far from being fully realized. In the coming years perhaps even months, we can expect to see even more sophisticated chatbots and virtual assistants that can understand and respond to human language with greater accuracy.
These AI-powered systems will be able to handle more complex queries, provide nuanced and contextually relevant responses, and even mimic human-like conversation. We’re also likely to witness the integration of other emerging technologies, such as augmented reality, within messaging platforms to enhance customer experiences further.
Click-to-message ads have become a popular advertising format across various platforms. What advantages do you think they offer to businesses and advertisers?
Ryan: Click-to-message ads provide businesses and advertisers with a unique opportunity to engage directly with their target audience in a conversational manner. By enabling users to initiate a chat with a single click, these ads eliminate friction and make it easier for potential customers to connect with businesses instantly.
This not only improves customer experience but also increases the chances of conversion. Furthermore, click-to-message ads can be highly targeted, allowing businesses to reach specific audiences and tailor their messages based on individual preferences or demographics.
From your perspective, why should businesses consider prioritizing click-to-message ads over click-to-website ads? What advantages does this format offer?
Ryan: When considering the choice between click-to-message ads and click-to-website ads, businesses should take into account the unique advantages that click-to-message ads bring to the table.
Firstly, click-to-message ads provide businesses with a more direct and immediate channel of communication with potential customers. By simply clicking on the ad, users can initiate a conversation with the business through messaging platforms. This eliminates the need for users to navigate away to a separate website, streamlining the engagement process and reducing friction. This instant connection enhances the chances of capturing customer interest and driving conversions.
Secondly, click-to-message ads enable businesses to deliver a more personalized and tailored experience to their audience. Through messaging platforms, businesses can engage in real-time conversations, address specific queries, and provide personalized recommendations or offers. This level of interaction fosters a sense of personal connection and can significantly improve customer engagement and satisfaction. Click-to-message ads allow you to continue the interaction beyond the initial ad click, it’s only ad format that allows you to do this.
On the latest earnings call, Meta Inc revealed that click-to-message ads are one of the fastest growing ad formats and they expect messaging to be one of the key pillars of Meta going forward.
It’s worth noting that while click-to-website ads can be effective for driving traffic to a business’s website, they often require additional steps for users to engage further.
With click-to-message ads, the conversion process is streamlined and encourages immediate interaction, making it particularly effective for businesses that prioritize prompt customer engagement and lead generation.
Could you please explain what sponsored message ads are and how they differ from click-to-message ads?
Ryan: Sponsored message ads and click-to-message ads are distinct forms of messaging-based advertising, each with its own characteristics and purposes.
Sponsored message ads allow businesses to send targeted and personalized messages to users who have previously engaged with their business page inbox. These ads appear as messages within the user’s chat interface, enabling businesses to re-engage with their audience directly.
Sponsored message ads are particularly effective for nurturing existing customer relationships, delivering tailored updates, providing personalized recommendations, or encouraging conversions based on the user’s past interactions.
On the other hand, click-to-message ads feature a call-to-action button that prompts users to initiate a conversation with the business or advertiser by clicking on the ad. When clicked, users are redirected to a messaging platform where they can immediately start a conversation, interacting with either a chatbot or a human agent. Click-to-message ads focus on generating new leads and capturing user interest in real-time, offering a direct pathway for users to engage with a business and seek further information or assistance.
The key distinction between the two lies in the initiation point of the conversation. Sponsored message ads involve businesses reaching out proactively to users who have already interacted with their brand, leveraging previous engagements to deliver personalized messages.
Click-to-message ads, on the other hand, empower users to initiate the conversation by actively clicking on the ad, expressing their interest or intent.
Sponsored message ads excel in nurturing existing customer relationships and delivering tailored messages, while click-to-message ads are designed to capture new leads and facilitate real-time engagement. Both formats have their respective strengths and can be employed strategically based on the specific goals and target audience of a business.
With the introduction of recurring notifications in messaging platforms, some argue that sponsored messages might become somewhat redundant. What are your thoughts on this matter?
Ryan: The introduction of recurring notifications in messaging platforms does add another layer of engagement opportunities for businesses. However, sponsored messages continue to serve a distinct purpose and can complement recurring notifications in certain scenarios.
Recurring notifications allow businesses to send regular updates or reminders to users who have opted in to receive them, these can be sent for free. Sponsored messages do not require people to opt-in but of course these are paid ads. Recurring notifications can be valuable for providing ongoing information, such as product updates, news, or event reminders. They offer a consistent touchpoint to keep users informed and engaged over time.
On the other hand, sponsored messages allow businesses to reach out specifically to users who have shown prior interest or engagement with their brand but perhaps did not opt-in. Sponsored messages can deliver tailored content, recommendations, or offers based on the user’s previous interactions. They can be particularly effective for re-engaging with users who may have shown initial interest but haven’t taken further action.
Overuse or irrelevant messages can lead to user fatigue or opt-outs. Striking the right balance and employing a targeted and personalized approach are key to making sponsored messages and recurring notifications valuable additions to a comprehensive messaging strategy.
Some critics argue that chat marketing and messaging automation may lead to a loss of human touch in customer interactions. How would you respond to such concerns?
Ryan: I understand the concerns raised by critics, but I see chat marketing and messaging automation as complementary to human interactions, not replacements. These technologies are designed to streamline routine tasks and provide quick and efficient responses, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex and high-value interactions.
By leveraging chat marketing and messaging automation, businesses can scale their customer service efforts, improve response times, and deliver consistent experiences across various channels. Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance and using these tools to enhance human interactions rather than replacing them.
When businesses create social chatbots, they often face the decision of which channels to prioritize, such as Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp. From your perspective, which channels do you believe businesses should focus on when implementing social chatbots, and what factors should they consider in making this decision?
Ryan: When it comes to implementing social chatbots, the choice of channels depends on several factors that businesses should carefully consider. Each channel has its own unique user base, features, and engagement patterns.
Messenger, being one of the most widely used messaging platforms, offers a vast user base and extensive integration capabilities, currently it’s more robust from the development point of view. Messenger is an ideal choice for businesses looking to engage with a broad user base and take advantage of its robust functionality.
Instagram, with its visual focus and younger user demographic, presents an excellent opportunity for businesses with visually appealing products or services. By leveraging Instagram’s DM automation capabilities, businesses can enhance customer interactions, showcase their offerings through visual content, and tap into Instagram’s engaged user community. It’s one of the fastest growing marketing channels for chat marketing.
WhatsApp is a popular choice for businesses aiming to reach a wide international audience. It offers secure messaging and features like end-to-end encryption, enabling businesses to provide a secure and trusted communication channel with their customers. When deciding which channels to focus on, businesses should consider their target audience demographics, regional reach, and customer preferences.
Conducting market research and analyzing user behavior can help businesses understand which channels align best with their target customers’ preferences and habits. It’s important to note that businesses can also explore multi-channel strategies to maximize their reach and engagement. By integrating chatbot capabilities across multiple channels, businesses can ensure a broader presence and cater to diverse user preferences.
With the evolving privacy landscape and increasing restrictions on third-party cookies, how do you see businesses adapting and leveraging the power of first-party cookies for effective targeting and personalized experiences?
Ryan: First-party cookies are becoming increasingly vital in the face of changing privacy regulations. Businesses need to adapt and embrace the power of first-party cookies to ensure they can still deliver targeted and personalized experiences to their customers.
By leveraging first-party cookies, businesses can directly collect and utilize data from their own websites or applications such as social messaging chatbots, enabling them to better understand their customers’ preferences and behavior.
The shift towards first-party cookies presents an opportunity for businesses to build stronger customer relationships through targeted and personalized experiences. By embracing this change, adapting their strategies, and respecting user privacy, businesses can continue to thrive in the evolving digital landscape.
Chat marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to build customer lists. How do you see chat marketing in terms of building customer lists compared to traditional email marketing? Are there any unique advantages or considerations that businesses should keep in mind?
Ryan: When it comes to building customer lists, both chat marketing and email marketing have their own strengths and considerations. Chat marketing offers some unique advantages over traditional email marketing in terms of list building.
One advantage of chat marketing is its ability to capture customer information in a more interactive and conversational manner. Through chatbots or live chat, businesses can engage with customers directly, providing personalized recommendations, answering queries, and collecting information simultaneously. This real-time interaction allows for immediate data capture, enabling businesses to build their customer lists more efficiently.
Another advantage is the higher engagement and open rates often seen in chat marketing. Compared to emails, which can sometimes get lost in overflowing inboxes or be marked as spam, chat messages have a higher likelihood of being seen and engaged with. This provides businesses with a better opportunity to establish a connection and capture relevant customer information.
However, it’s important to note that chat marketing and email marketing can complement each other. Rather than viewing them as mutually exclusive, businesses can integrate both strategies to maximize their list-building efforts. For instance, businesses can use chat marketing to capture initial customer information and then leverage email marketing to nurture those leads further.
As we witness the rise of AI technologies like ChatGPT, how do you see these being integrated in social messaging chatbots beyond the usual benefits of AI such as automated customer support and real-time analysis?
Ryan: The integration of AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, within social messaging chatbots opens up exciting possibilities for creative marketing campaigns. AI can be leveraged to engage and captivate audiences in innovative ways beyond the usual benefits it brings to chatbot interactions.
One area where AI can enhance creative marketing campaigns is in personalized content generation. AI-powered chatbots can analyze user data, preferences, and behaviors to generate highly targeted and personalized content. This includes tailoring marketing messages, product recommendations, and offers based on individual user profiles.
By delivering customized content through chatbot interactions, businesses can create a more personalized and engaging experience for their audience, increasing the likelihood of conversions and brand loyalty.
What advice would you give to businesses looking to leverage chat marketing and messaging automation effectively?
Ryan: My advice to businesses would be to start with a laser focus and iterate. Begin by identifying specific pain points or use cases where chat marketing and messaging automation can bring the most value. Additionally, ensure that your automated responses are personalized and reflect your brand’s voice and values, at Chit Chat when we onboard new clients we always start with a brand persona document.
Lastly, actively collect feedback from your customers and iterate on your strategies based on their input. Remember, chat marketing and messaging automation are not one-size-fits-all solutions, so it’s crucial to tailor them to your specific business needs and customer preferences.
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