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9 Ways to Use Facebook Chatbots to Grow Your Business

Posted: 05 Oct 2020 07:41 AM PDT

By Larry Kim

When Facebook allowed the use of bots in Facebook Messenger in 2016, it opened the door to popularizing chatbot marketing. There are now more than 400,000 Facebook chatbots used by businesses to generate leads, close sales, recruit talent, and more.

Chatbots save companies time and money through automation, and help make businesses more efficient in their marketing and customer service. You too can harness this power to transform your business from a lowly donkey with no reach to a majestic unicorn with great capabilities. Here’s how to kick-start the process.

Goal #1: Generate and nurture leads

1. Grow your contact list to generate leads

When people respond to messages from your chatbot, they automatically get added to your contact list, becoming a lead. How to do this? Use a Facebook auto-responder to message people who comment on your Facebook posts. Or use Click-to-Messenger ads, which also increase your brand visibility, so that those who hit your call-to-action get sent to your chat.

2. Have personalized messaging

One good thing about chat is that users can see who they're talking to, so communication is clear. You can improve on chat by sending personalized content to users that’s based on their interests. This can be done through your chatbot, which can see what users like by looking at their social media profiles and buying history.

Once you have this “insider knowledge,” you can segment your audience, thus allowing for more targeted chat marketing efforts. You can also give patrons of your brand VIP treatment and special offers.

3. Qualify your leads

With a chatbot, you can screen users who may be inquiring about your business by asking questions and engaging them in two-way conversations to determine whether or not they are indeed interested in your products and services. Once you have information on users’ needs and preferences, it becomes easier to market to them, and also makes it easier for your customer service team to help them.

Goal #2: Improve customer retention

4. Offer promotions, exclusive invitations, and special offers to loyal customers

Your chatbot can send promotional messages and offers in a timely manner to users who have just bought or who are just about to buy something from you. Rewarding customers when they buy products from you helps instill brand loyalty. Also, if you have a rewards program, a chatbot can track who your most loyal customers are and give them updates on new promotions and special offers.

5. Have a more engaging checkout and offer add-ons and upsells

Going off the previous tip, since a chatbot can be used for direct orders, it can also make recommendations to customers. Upsell similar relevant products and bundles by offering discounts on items that will add value to customer purchases. Also give customers updates to new offers they may like according to their buying history.

6. Get customer feedback

Find out how your customers feel about you by having your chatbot ask them for reviews and feedback. It can be as simple as having customers rate your products and services on a five-star scale, or asking them to answer simple multiple-choice questions. Surveys can be sent out easily through your chatbot, making them a part of your drip campaign or a conclusion to a customer’s buying journey.

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Goal #3: Automate for better efficiency

7. Automate order updates, event reminders, and appointment scheduling

Event sign-ups, order updates, and reminders are all tasks that can be easily handled by a chatbot. Customers who don't want the hassle of having to contact customer service can also get answers to questions by simply asking your chatbot what they want. You also can continue conversations with customers by providing them with recommendations or special offers, all through the chatbot.

8. Fix support bottlenecks and be available 24/7 with answers to FAQs

Relying on email and phone for customer support can be sketchy since telephones and emails have to be manned 24 hours a day. However, chat support powered by a chatbot can be reached at any time of the day, even in the wee hours of the night. With a good chatbot, you can fix support bottlenecks with round-the-clock availability and quick response times right in Facebook Messenger.

Most common inquiries can be answered with smart FAQs, thanks to dialogue features on the chatbot that direct users to the help they need. If there are inquiries that need to be elevated to human customer support, live chat takeover allows your team to come in to assist.

9. Repurpose and drip content for increased reach

If you have evergreen content you wish to breathe new life into, you can repurpose it and add it to your drip campaign for more reach. Consider content that will provide additional value, such as guides, explainers, and FAQs about your products and services. Your chatbot can help push that content to your contact list with little to no effort with automated messaging sequences.

Getting started with your chatbot

There are so many things you can do with a Facebook Messenger chatbot—generate and qualify leads, boost traffic and conversions in your website, build relationships with your drip campaign—giving you the flexibility and versatility to grow your business. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just try out one or two ideas at first and see where they take you; then do more later on.

With some work, you can mold a chatbot to suit your brand's needs and then you’ll be on your way to transforming your business from a donkey to a unicorn.

RELATED: 6 Customer Service Blind Spots Your Company May Be Missing

About the Author

Post by: Larry Kim

Larry Kim is the CEO of MobileMonkey, the world’s best Facebook Messenger marketing platform and free chatbot builder. He’s also founder of WordStream, Inc., the leading provider of Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and keyword tools used by over a million marketers worldwide. The company employs over 300 people and manages billions of dollars of ad spend on behalf of tens of thousands of customers. WordStream was acquired by Gannett for $150 million. Larry is ranked the #8 most popular author on Medium and is a contributor to CNBC and Inc. His key interests include chatbot marketing, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, entrepreneurship, and startups. He has also received Marketer of the Year awards from Search Engine Land, US Search Awards, and PPC Hero.

Company: MobileMonkey
Website: www.mobilemonkey.com
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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10 Daily Habits of Great Leaders

Posted: 05 Oct 2020 07:22 AM PDT

Have you ever noticed that many great leaders—in politics, in business, and even in your social circles—tend to emanate many of the same qualities? It's not that they all have the same personality or the same style of leadership; in fact, they may all have very different approaches to leadership. Instead, they tend to present themselves with confidence and patience, and they always seem focused on getting the best performance out of people.

There are many possible explanations for this, including an oft debated hypothesis that great leaders have their genetics to thank. But one of the most fascinating ideas is that great leadership is commonly a by-product of good habits.

So what habits do all these great leaders share?

The daily habits of great leaders

These are some of the most common daily habits of great leaders:

1. Morning routines

Most great leaders start their mornings the same way (or at least with similar patterns) every day. For some, that means getting up early for a hot shower; for others, it means sleeping in slightly and cooking a full breakfast. Different approaches work for different people. What's important is there's something consistent that you enjoy (and that provides you with energy throughout the day).

2. Prioritization/planning

Great leaders are also effective at setting priorities and making plans for the day. They don't mindlessly sort through emails, and they don't let their employees or circumstances dictate their approach. Instead, they learn to recognize the most important things to do, and they create a plan to do them.

3. Exercise

It shouldn't surprise you to learn that many successful people make it a point to physically exercise on a daily basis. Exercise is great for your health, helping you stay productive. But more than that, exercise relieves you of stress, improves your feelings of energy, and helps you stay disciplined and focused.

4. Meditation

Meditation is another common daily habit you'll find among great leaders. With regular meditation, you'll be able to efficiently clear your distracting thoughts, improve your emotional regulation, and increase your focus. This skill is indispensable when you need to clear your mind after a difficult situation.

5. Reading

Reading is the best way to learn new information and get exposure to different modes of thinking. For a leader to reach their full potential, they need to commit to reading on a daily basis. The sources are up to you—books, magazines, industry blogs, and opinion columns are all great sources.

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6. Conversations with the team

Leaders often define their success based on the accomplishments of their team, so it makes sense that great leaders regularly communicate with their team members. They make it a point to reach out regularly and get a sense of how people are feeling.

7. Active listening

Along similar lines, great leaders practice active listening. They aren't exclusively focused on relaying instructions and dominating the conversation; they give their employees and team members plenty of space and time to express themselves. They also take the thoughts and feelings of others seriously, and try to address them however they can.

8. Reframing

Successful people tend to be experts at reframing their perceptions on a daily basis. They see business risks as opportunities, rather than oppressive challenges. They see tight deadlines as motivating factors, rather than harsh limitations. Even if they're stressed from being stuck in traffic, they can find something positive to think about, like having the time to finish their favorite podcast.

9. Improving something

Great leaders are always improving, both themselves and the people and environments that surround them. They typically make it a point to improve at least one thing every day, whether that's investing in a new productivity tool, helping someone improve their working approach, or changing their environment to foster higher productivity. There's no room for complacency if you want to achieve excellence.

10. Gratitude

At the same time, great leaders aren't constantly pushing for advancement. They take the time to express and practice gratitude as well. Regularly expressing gratitude about your available resources and overall situation can make you feel more positive and less stressed. It's also a fantastic way to let your team members know you appreciate them.

Changing your daily habits

Changing your daily habits can be challenging, especially if you've been committed to a certain way of doing things for years (or decades). But if you're interested in becoming a better leader or a more well-rounded person, it's important to weed out your bad habits and gradually incorporate some new, good ones.

The best way to do this is with baby steps—don't try to change your entire outlook, or your entire daily routine all at once. Instead, focus on one thing at a time to correct, and commit to correcting it consistently.

RELATED: 3 Leadership Lessons Wonder Woman Can Teach Female Entrepreneurs

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