Lead generation is “the action or process of identifying and cultivating potential customers for a business’s products or services.” In a market full of competitors, Businesses scramble to find their next customer. While traditional methods of lead generation like door-to-door, direct mails and networking are still prevalent, the poor conversion rate essentially makes it a Sisyphean task. This has led marketers seeking a different method, the answer to which is chatbots.

Chatbots have emerged as the next step in the quest for lead generation. They were developed to enhance and improve the customer experience and build connections with potential clients. Chatbots have already infiltrated into the customer service department of various companies across several industries. SmatSocial’s SmatBot itself is an AI driven chatbot.

Our automated helper will guide you through the company website, providing information regarding our services and answering your queries.

Significance of Chatbots

“Geeks want machines that do things without asking. But what makes good AI is good communication with the user,” Fred Brown, Founder and CEO of Next IT

Consumers today prefer communicating the smart social way via messages like iMessages, Whatsapp and WeChat over other forms of communication. Messaging is hassle-free and convenient and is the reason why there is growth in the number of consistent messaging app users. According to a Flurry Analytics Report (Flurry Analytics, 2015–2016 Year-Over-Year Time Spent Growth ), the mobile app time spent grows 69% year-over-year. The report also said that 394% of the time was spent on messaging and social apps, 43% on business and finance apps, 31% on shopping apps and 25% on sports apps.

Therefore, by putting a chatbot on your marketing table, you gain access to a significant number of potential customers. It simplifies the most time-consuming and least productive process and helps in customer conversion.

Benefits of Chatbots

Information Gathering 

Customer data enable businesses to take smart decisions. Chatbots can help you with that. They can be programmed to pose relevant questions to the users regarding the kind of services they are looking for in general, and other details like price and characteristics in particular. The work done by automated helpers saves their human counterparts a lot of time by gathering necessary information in advance.

Continued Content Delivery 

The answers provided by the users to the questions posed by the bots can be used by it to further ease the tasks of individuals on both sides of the spectrum. They follow up with any and all requests whenever they come in. Chatbots reduce wait time, thereby improving the chances of conversion of a lead.

Two-Way Communication 

While you use other platforms like social media and blogs to disseminate information and content about your brand, chatbots offer two-way communication. It is not only important to broadcast information, but is also necessary to have conversations with your customers. Chatbots accomplish this task superbly as they engage your customers while maintaining a personalised touch.

24×7 Service:

Bots are not limited by time, and users can avail their service whenever and wherever. They can be used in different time zones across the globe at the behest of the user. This instant and ongoing engagement with potential customers makes your brand reliable. This ensures staying connected with the user after initial contact and is a step towards their conversion to a client.

Swift Action:

Leads are easier to convert when they are followed up with quickly. Here, the speedy nature of chatbots is responsible for and beneficial towards lead generation and conversion.

Cost Effective:

Chatbots reduce your cost per lead by screening the leads with good potential of conversion. It brings forth serious clients who are genuinely interested in your brand.

Takeaway:

By making a chatbot a part of your marketing strategy, you can focus on the problems on the higher rungs of the ladder while the bot sorts out the ones on the lower rungs. Bringing in a chatbot will enable you to sift through already screened and targeted leads. You can focus on them and establish strong connections based on the preferences of each individual lead.

Chatbots offer personalised conversations with the users, thereby increasing the chance of conversion and consequently the growth of your company. They also decrease the amount of time spent on individual prospects, which maximises your time saved.

In light of these facts, it is recommended that you add a chatbot to your marketing strategy in order to automate the lead generation process.