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Quick Read: Facebook Chatbots: What You Need to Know

By April 6, 2018August 24th, 2018Social Media Marketing

Facebook chatbots are all the rage in the online conversation about digital marketing. While it may seem unnecessary to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your marketing strategy, we think a chatbot could be the shot in the arm a lot of businesses need.

How to Build a Facebook Chatbot

How to Build a Facebook Chatbot

Before we get into what to keep in mind when building a chatbot, let’s touch on what chatbots are, and why they help a lot of business owners when it comes to their online presence.

Chatbots are any number of AI or rule-based communication services that mimic conversation to interact with customers. [There are a variety of platforms out there through which you can build a chatbot, but Facebook is one of the most common. And considering you live on Earth, you probably already have a Facebook account within which to set it up.]

NOTE: There is a lot of bot-building software out there. For a clear, step-by-step explanation of Facebook bots and how to build them, we recommend starting here.

Facebook Chatbots integrate with e-commerce and messaging, helping you do business and nurture customer relationships seamlessly, whether or not you’re on the clock. As we mentioned, chatbots can either be rule-based or work using AI.

Rule-Based Chatbots

You can probably guess that rule-based chatbots since they have to operate within a predetermined set of rules are less flexible than those that work using AI, which is by nature more intuitive.

Here’s why: rule-based chatbots can only respond to specific commands, while AI chatbots respond to customers based on a much more complex understanding of human speech and language. Because of the intense programming involved, AI chatbots are more of an investment. But it’s worth it for fewer glitches and a more seamless Customer Experience.

What Facebook Chatbots Can Do

  • Answer common customer questions quickly
  • Engage with customers around the clock
  • Help customers complete sales by delivering clickable links right to their chat window
  • Give you an edge over your competitors (since there’s a good chance you could still be one of the first on your block to use chatbots)
  • Generate Leads
  • Give you another, dynamic means to deliver targeted content

In general, this is something we always tell our clients: instead of trying to build a bot that can do it all right away, focus on making sure your bot does a few important things well.

Keep these things in mind when building your Facebook chatbot:

  • It needs a unique name that is easily found on Search and definitively connected to your brand.
  • Set up some automatic prompts to help guide your customers.
  • Make the “conversation” flow as naturally as possible.
  • Keep communique simple and concise.
  • Create a logical flow that offers customers the right options at the right time.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to create a solid chatbot that will take your digital marketing—and your Customer Experience—to the next level. The right tools, the right mindset, and a commitment to adapting and maintaining can help build your bot.  Bot-building got you stuck? Send us your questions!

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Zack Bowlby

Zack Bowlby is the Chief Executive Officer of ROI Amplified a full-service digital marketing agency located in Tampa, Florida. Before ROI Amplified, Zack worked in highly visible roles at companies such as The Clearwater Marine Aquarium (Home of Winter the Dolphin) and The National Football League (NFL). A Google Advertising expert, Zack has spent well over $40 million dollars in Google Ads in his career. In 2017, he started focusing on Marketing automation systems such as Marketo. Zack and ROI Amplified believe in data-driven solutions and complete transparency with their clients. If you’d like to amplify your marketing dollars consider partnering with ROI Amplified today! Get on Zack’s Schedule Today