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

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!