CONVERSATIONAL MARKETING – GAME CHANGER IN CUSTOMER AKQUISITION

  • 5 mins read

While Inbound Marketing has long emphasized the importance of initiating a dialogue with potential customers rather than making communication one-sided, we are now entering the era of Inbound 2.0, which emphasizes two-way communication. When developing new strategies for engaging leads and customers, marketers and sales professionals are looking for tools that can genuinely allow them to communicate one-on-one with prospects and customers, a practice known as conversational marketing. Two critical questions to answer are how conversational marketing works and why you should consider employing it for your own company.

WHAT IS CONVERSATIONAL MARKETING, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

With the rapid evolution of technology, our communication and response time methods are also evolving quickly. We are constantly connected to friends and family through apps, and smartphones have changed our expectations for how quickly we receive responses. Because we live in an age of instant gratification, consumers expect answers to questions or information to be provided as rapidly and effortlessly as possible. Brands have had to adapt to service customers and potential customers in this manner, with quick communication now considered a hallmark of a positive user experience.

Thanks to conversational marketing, consumers can now engage with businesses in real-time, just as they do with their friends and family. It all started with people interacting with companies on social media, with brands being praised for responding to crises promptly. We have now entered the era of real-time communication. When it comes to business-to-business technology, companies must be readily available to assist website visitors in any way that they can.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THIS DAY AND AGE?

However, for some businesses, this can be a daunting task. The requirement for immediate response can be intimidating, but it can make the difference between securing a sale and permanently losing a potential customer. As discussed previously, customer experience is increasingly important to many consumers. The ability to communicate with a company before making a purchase is becoming increasingly important in this experience.

Availability and transparency with customers are essential, but they aren’t the only factors to consider. Conversational marketing is also advantageous for brands because it allows them to obtain real-time information about their customers and prospective customers. What are the characteristics of the people who participate in chat and messaging? Is it possible for you to find out what the most frequently asked questions are and to create content on your website to help answer them in the future? What are the most pressing concerns your prospects are experiencing, and how can you best assist them with products and services?

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER GETTING ON BOARD?

Growing businesses may not always be able to provide the capability of being available around the clock. Although it is unlikely that you will be able to employ service representatives to speak with customers around the clock, there are many new tools available to ensure that the lines of communication remain open.

Live chat is an excellent tool for engaging in conversational marketing with potential customers within business hours. It demonstrates to potential customers that a natural person can answer their questions and discuss their requirements. It can help your branding by putting a face to your company and demonstrating that you are concerned about solving problems for your prospects and customers.

Chatbots can step in to bridge the communication gap whenever a physical person is not available to engage with customers. You can write artificial intelligence messaging programs to answer specific questions your customers might ask. Because of their increasing popularity, the public’s willingness to use chatbots and comfort in seeing them as a viable alternative when a human is unavailable is also increasing. Leveraging instant engagement, rather than allowing a message to sit in an inbox until the next business day (or longer), will make a significant difference in the overall user experience of your brand.

Conversational marketing does not have to be a substantial new undertaking that is both expensive and time-consuming because of the variety of options available for engaging in conversational marketing. Additionally, it would help if you kept in mind that being prompt in responding will increase your conversion rates for leads to customers because you are fast and remain top of mind for them. A small investment in improving customer engagement can result in significant returns from new and even repeat customers. Technology and consumer behavior are constantly changing, and it is critical for businesses today to stay on top of the latest trends to remain competitive and successful.

The goal of inbound marketing has always been to put the customer’s needs first, which is becoming even more critical with the introduction of conversational marketing. In today’s world, engaging with your leads and existing customers and being accessible to them is a vital component of providing an excellent customer experience. Take advantage of the new tools available to communicate in real-time openly. You’ll find that conversational marketing is an influential and vital part of your marketing and sales strategy, as well.