In this post, I will look at messenger bots used to set up your Facebook Messenger for use in your business.
While Facebook has some bots you can use, you can get more functionality, and perhaps better results, using third-party chat bot tools. I personally like the ones that require no coding or programming skills.
Here is a sample of some of the bot systems available.
Manychat is easy to set up and use. Its clean interface, tutorials, and built-in bot tester, you can quickly get your bots up and running. You can start with the free version – it is limited to 2 bots but will give you the feel for the process. The pro version allows unlimited bots, access to a lot more tools and the pricing is on a sliding scale based on the number of subscribers – currently starting at $15 per 1000 subscribers. because of the additional functionality.
Chatfuel is another great bot building tool that integrates with a variety of services including Google, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and a whole lot more. It too has a free and paid Pro version. For some, Chatfuel may seem a bit intimidating but it’s not as hard to use as it first seems. It too has a built-in bot tester so you can test things before you open it to the public.
These two bot builders are currently the most widely used and recommended tools. There are many others available and more coming online all the time.
When choosing a platform, keep in mind not only your current needs but future needs as your bot visitor list grows.
Best Practices for Using Messenger Bots
Using Facebook Messenger bots is pretty straightforward. However, there are things you can do to get the best results from your efforts.
One goal or purpose. Each bot you set up hould focus on what your customer needs and how they can benefit from what you are giving them.
Map the buyers journey. You need to consider the steps your viewers will take in order to reach the goal you set for them. Ask yourself, who are you trying to push into your messenger sequence? What are their needs?
Think like the customer. This is essential if you want your visitors to follow through. When setting up your bots, consider what questions customers might ask. Generate a list of these questions and sub-questions so you map out everything you may need to address in order for them to make a decision.
Write like you always do. Just because you’re using artificial intelligence, doesn’t mean your messages have to sound like it. Write your messages in the same way you write your other content so it feels like you are helping them personally.
Be engaging. Your messages should be casual and engaging as if you’re talking to a friend or family member. Allowing them to respond every two to three message you send will keep the conversation flowing.
Keep it short. As a large portion of viewers read your messages on their phones,ask simple questions that people can respond to with few words or a click of a button.
Test and tweak. Like all parts of your business, you’ll need to monitor how customers are using it and what may or may not need to be tweaked. Perhaps your customers would prefer fewer steps, menu options, different layouts, different wording, voice, or tone. Test a few to see which works best for your viewers.
Provide value. As with all other types of marketing, you want to provide as much value as possible when engaging with your audience and going the extra mile for viewers.
Add a contact button to your site. Using one of the embeddable widgets, you can add a button to your website, which tells visitors to send you a message. This allows people to join your messenger list right from your website or blog post.
Quickly respond to live messages. There are time when you will have to answer your customer liver. When you have questions outside of the automated sequence or when a bot escalates a customer to speak with you live, answer these as quickly as possible.
Facebook Messenger bots can be create for any online business but especially for us small fry who just can’t be everywhere at once. These bots enable you to leverage technology to automate your business and market in a way you could never do by yourself manually.
In order to get ahead of the competition, you have to learn how to work smarter, not harder and these bots help you do just that.
In my next post, I show you something to help with your messenger bot efforts.
