Marketers are always looking out for the “next big thing” and it turns out one has been right under our noses all along: chat tools. These platforms have become the latest frontier for marketers, opening up creative new ways to engage customers and streamline workflows.
It’s commonplace for teams to use chat tools to increase their productivity and improve their collaboration efforts. But in recent years, more business messengers have entered the market, bringing AI-powered features into the mix. What was once a chat tools for team collaboration is now a powerful channel for data-driven marketing strategies.
Today, AI bots are transforming the way marketers interact with leads and customers. From Facebook Messenger to WhatsApp, chatbots are popping up in every corner of the digital world, offering everything from instant product recommendations to seamless customer support. Chat platforms have become an integral part of modern marketing, enabling real-time communication and automating key tasks.
According to Inc. magazine, 51% of customers expect business to be available 24/7, and chat tools offer a cost-effective method to meet that demand. Not only do they offer 24/7 support, but they do it in a way that customers prefer the most — 92% of customers report satisfaction after a live chat session. This is higher than phone calls, Twitter or email, according to Zendesk.
But marketing teams are using these tools for much more than just customer service. They’ve found innovative ways to use chat platforms to improve lead generation, increase engagement and drive conversions.
From seamless collaboration to creative customer engagement, chat tools aren’t just for internal communication anymore. They’ve evolved into powerful marketing channels. In this article, we’ll walk you through 5 innovative ways to use chat tools for marketing alongside a list of must-have tools for small businesses.
Seamless collaboration
Marketers today increasingly rely on visual communication, and chat tools offer the perfect blend of functionality to support this. If you’re building an ad with a remote design team, you can pop in some links to some inspiration, or attach a screenshot of a particular shade of purple that works well with your logo.
This is especially helpful for logo design, ensuring that everyone is aligned on the vision. Tools like Chanty, Slack, and Microsoft Teams make it easy to share links, images, and inspiration. Their visual-sharing features are essential for maintaining consistency in brand assets and aligning the entire team with the overall vision.
But it’s not just about the visuals! Chat tools have also been a real game-changer when it comes to improving cross-department collaboration, especially between marketing and sales teams. In fact, Hubspot discovered that there’s a $1 trillion price tag to organizations every year due to misalignment between sales and marketing teams.
Just let that sink in for a second!
What’s the problem? It turns out, it’s a lack of communication. When marketing teams constantly funnel leads towards sales teams—and sales teams don’t have the tools or knowledge to close the sale—the business is the real loser. The other side of this news is that aligning your teams can be tough, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
Adding a chat tool to your workflow allows marketing teams to quickly pass warm leads to sales teams where the lead can be nurtured and hopefully converted. Platforms like Chanty were born out of a clear need for better collaboration. Its developers, who previously ran a digital agency, knew they needed a tool to keep teams on the same page.
And the benefits of aligning sales and marketing are huge. According to HubSpot, calibrating sales and marketing teams can result in 38% more closed deals and 208% higher marketing revenue. Effective two-way communication helps sales, design, marketing teams, and others stay on message.
Use link tracking and chat to convert warm leads
One of the most effective ways for marketers to get on the chat bandwagon is by using a link tracking tool and chat together to actively convert warm leads.
Did you know you can personalize chat invites based on people’s clicks to get to your website? This warm-n-fuzzy method of opening the conversation attracts people’s attention and is much more effective than a generic greeting. Personalization gives your chat associate a jump start on what the customer may need to convert.
So if people came to your site via an ad for shoes, you can offer information on sizes. A personalized experience lets customers know that you care and optimizes their website experience.
Companies are turning interested prospects into paying customers faster than ever before by responding at the right moment, especially through AI-powered chatbots. This blend of link tracking and chat is the most effective way to improve engagement and nurture leads in a targeted and efficient way, significantly boosting ROI.
Creative engagement
Sometimes, people worry that technology is becoming too invasive. But it all depends on the perception of the customer. A recent campaign by Hellmann’s mayonnaise made use of the popular messaging platform, WhatsApp. Over 1 billion people in 180 countries use this workplace chat, making it the ideal way to reach customers regardless of their physical location.
Hellmann’s asked customers in Brazil to send a picture of the contents of their fridge through the platform. Their chefs then sent back suggestions on what they could make with the ingredients. Intrusive? Apparently not, customers who used the ‘WhatsCook’ service didn’t think so and 13,000 customers reported a stellar 99.5 percent approval rating for the service. Since then, it was rolled out to Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.
So what’s the difference between being engaging and intrusive? Engagement happens when you provide value to your customers, rather than choosing to benefit just your brand.
Marketing with Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger has 900 million active users every month and Facebook chatbots have been gaining attention over the last few years due to their continued ability to expand into micro-targeted audiences.
Forward-thinking brands have been using it to communicate with customers on Facebook and offer a personalized experience. Far from the pathetic non-human chatbots you’ve seen in movies, today’s chatbots can be warm, personable and quite close to sounding human. These conversational agents utilize natural language processing to parse text from users and determine how to respond.
Leading brands like Disney have used it to create an immersive experience. Their Zootopia chatbot engaged younger audiences by allowing them to solve crimes with their favorite fictional characters.
Similarly, just this month, cable and satellite channel WGN America created a detective story chatbot to promote the premiere of its new series “Bellevue.”
While some are predicting the end of chatbots, Facebook anticipates that more brands will get on board. Head of the Messenger at Facebook, David Marcus, wrote a blog post earlier this month saying that messaging as a marketing channel is no longer a case of if but when. “People expect to find businesses with some sort of messaging experience,” he said.
Grab leads or redirect wanderers
No one likes a dead end, and most 404 pages might as well include a massive sign stating “Your search ends here.” Fortunately, this is another great time to trigger a helpful chatbot and encourage your wandering visitors back to where they want to be.
A positive trigger experience is when someone has been on your site for a set period of time. You know they’re relatively interested or they wouldn’t still be hanging out. Try hitting them up with the offer of assistance, and maybe a discount code if they sign up for your mailing list.
Chatbots don’t always have to be high-level human imitators either. At Intercom, they’ve been experimenting with their bots and deliberately decided to design a bot that didn’t encourage conversation. Instead, it is just there when needed, when there was no humans around. Testing it they found that people didn’t consider it rude or unhelpful. Instead, they understood that it was automated and didn’t expect it to do the job they want a human to do.
When marketers think outside the box, chat tools can be used in creative and effective ways that will wow your customers. These powerful and innovative tools are creating a new level of excitement in the marketing community. From redirecting customers away from a 404 to drawing your team into deeper conversation, chat features are a great asset that marketers should take advantage of.
The Importance of Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
Collaboration is key to maximizing the impact of these marketing tools. By using platforms that enhance communication between team members, companies can facilitate the sharing of ideas and strategies, which will foster creativity and ensure that marketing efforts are cohesive and effective. This collaborative approach allows companies to leverage the strengths of their team, ultimately improving their overall marketing strategy.
In addition, tracking tools provide invaluable insight into the performance of different marketing channels. By analyzing this data, small businesses can fine-tune their strategies and allocate resources more effectively, maximizing their return on investment. This data-driven approach enables businesses to develop targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience.
By reaching potential customers where they spend time online, small businesses can create tailored marketing initiatives that not only drive traffic but also convert casual visitors into loyal fans.
Creative engagement is vital in today’s visual-driven world. Businesses that can produce eye-catching graphics and promotional materials quickly stand out in a crowded market, making their messaging more memorable.
As consumer habits evolve, it is essential to embrace trends such as social media marketing and personalized communications. These approaches allow businesses to engage with customers in real-time, increasing loyalty and building lasting relationships.
In summary, marketing tools are essential for small businesses navigating today’s dynamic landscape. They foster collaboration, inspire creativity, and enable informed decision-making. By leveraging marketing tools, small businesses can optimize their strategies, connect with their audiences, and drive sustainable growth despite the challenges they face.
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