A Beginners Guide to Writing Compelling Content for Bots

Using bots to help convert more clients is a daunting prospect for some marketers, because the idea of working with bots seems so foreign and new. But the truth is that bots have become a part of everyday life, largely thanks to Facebook messenger, Drift and similar applications. Marketers are using Facebook Messenger more often, but the average user isn’t bombarded with sales messages the way they are through email, leading them to be less resistant to opening messages. This means the payoff for marketing efforts in chat bots can be huge, with some marketers reporting a nearly 90 percent open rate.

The good news for marketers is that creating content for Facebook messenger campaigns is like creating content for a traditional email marketing campaign. Like any other content you put forward, chat bot content should be designed with the customer’s intent in mind. What point of the buyer’s journey are they at, and what pain points are they experiencing? Your content needs to solve the issue for them and help them move along in the buyer’s journey to the next stage.

Keep these tips in mind as write content for bots and launch your first campaigns.

Start with Straightforward Content

Some bots have limited abilities and can only assist with performing straightforward tasks, like placing an order or registering an inquiry. These bots have a simpler interface than those that answer more complex queries about customer service. Starting with one of these bots is a good way to ease yourself into using them as one of the tools in your arsenal. As you create content for this type of bot, mirror the responses you would give on a sales call or any other first interaction, and keep answers as simple as possible.

Don’t Stop with Just One

Once you have one chatbot up and running successfully, you can create more to serve various purposes. More complex bots can answer complex customer service questions and help customers resolve issues. Bots can be created to address pain points that plague customers at every part of the funnel. Prospective clients at the top of the funnel are likely to have general inquiries, while those in the middle might be more informed about your product or service and have more specific questions about features. With enough campaigns set up, you can get a whole sales funnel running through Facebook Messenger and you may be surprised at how many conversions it drives.

Some of the more advanced things you can do with Facebook Messenger as part of your sales funnel include:

• Offer content downloads and resources, like templates and white papers
• Bring back customers that have abandoned a purchase with coupons and promotional codes
• Set appointments and remind the other party before the appointment begins

Consult the Professionals

While Facebook Messenger is a great way to get your feet wet with bots, there’s plenty more you can do once you’re ready. Placing a sales bot on your site to answer questions, drive sales and engage visitors is a good way to engage with customers who aren’t ready to give you their email address. You can even push a conversation from your sales bot over to Facebook Messenger, where you can drop them into one of the campaigns you’ve already created.

If you do choose to place a sales bot on site and start getting a lot of customer interaction, you might need to investigate getting help. Consider using a bot management service like Drift or Bot Academy to keep your bots running but remember to do your due diligence. Every bot management service is different and offers distinct features. Some of the questions to ask you investigate and choose one include:

• Will you be able to change the template of your bots to customize them for your business needs?
• Can you pre-schedule the deployment and use of bots?
• What kind of reporting will you get on how well the bots are performing and whether they drive conversion?

Not every lead that interacts with your sales bot will convert, but their interaction with the bot will give you valuable information that helps you qualify them. With some testing and fine tuning, bots can become a real source of qualified leads and valuable traffic.

Editor’s note: This post was written by nDash community member, Melissa Samaroo. Melissa writes a variety of business articles and website copy on topics such as SEO, inbound content marketing and more. To learn more about Melissa, or to have her write for your brand, sign up for nDash today!