So, what’s with the buzz regarding chatbots? The bot breakthrough largely came about back in 2016 when Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of Facebook’s Messenger platform – a service that enables businesses of all sizes to build custom bots in Messenger. To understand what the buzz is all about, we have to first know what bots are, as well as what they do.

What is a bot? “Bot” is a term used to describe any software that automates a task. Chatbots in particular are used to automate conversation. But it doesn’t stop there, as bots are far more than that. The bots built on Facebook Messenger not only understand conversational language, they become smarter with each interaction.

A conversational and smart bot sounds great, but what are the inherent benefits to individuals as well as marketers?

1.) Improves Customer Service: You are able to provide potential customers with an immediate response to their questions, therefore reducing the chances of them turning to an alternative supplier. In addition, by getting a bot to request information from customers, you are pre-qualifying them instead of spending human hours on getting the details.

2.) Build Brand Awareness: You can engage in brand awareness directly as part of your bot conversation. By letting people know about a recent or upcoming event your business has been a part of or an interesting project you’ve been working on, you are more likely to capture your audience’s attention.

The buzz about bots is for good reason. Have you incorporated one or more bots in your business communication? How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments!