How to Create a Facebook Messenger Bot for Your Business
In the age of social media, communication between consumers and businesses is becoming more streamlined. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have redefined the meaning of customer service to a whole new level by making it easier for people to get in touch with their favorite brands. This has prompted businesses to find the right means to communicate back to their customers, and the soonest the response the better.
Chatbots, in particular, are gaining popularity as both a marketing and customer service tool. In fact, studies show that 57% of consumers are interested in getting real-time, instant answers from chatbots. Chatbots, or messenger bots, are programmable software that use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate a variety of tasks, particularly conversing with customers based on set keywords and cues.
Facebook is among the leading social media platforms that have adopted AI to their Messenger app, and both consumers and marketers are showing keen interest in utilizing it. In fact, statistics show that more than 100,000 chatbots help out people through Facebook Messenger every day.
Benefits of a Facebook Messenger Bot
With over 1.3 billion active users on Facebook Messenger, it is no doubt the reason why businesses are turning to Facebook Messenger bots for various marketing needs. A huge user base translates to bigger opportunities for brands to engage with their customers who are using the platform.
A Facebook Messenger bot also enables businesses to streamline marketing tasks and simplify customer service. Chatbots offer a convenient way for people to interact with your business in order to get directions, set appointments, ask commonly asked questions, or even send money to friends and family—just to mention a few—all directly done from the Facebook Messenger app itself.
Tips on Creating a Facebook Messenger Bot for Your Business
There are two ways to create a Facebook Messenger bot: first, from the Facebook Messenger platform itself, and second, using third-party chatbot-builder tools.
1. Facebook Messenger Chatbot Builder
The Facebook Messenger platform allows you to develop your own bot. However, it’s well-suited for experienced software developers, as the process is more complicated and requires intermediate- to advance-level coding skills. While building a chatbot from the platform itself isn’t ideal for beginners, it’s still worth checking out, especially considering that this feature is offered for free.
To know more, check out Facebook Messenger’s wide range of resources and documentation for developers.
2. Third-Party Chatbot Builder Tools
For non-developers, third-party chatbot builder tools such as Chatfuel, Botsify, Conversable, and OnSequel are good options. These tools allow you to build a chatbot without the need for coding experience. While most of these options come with a price, most of the third-party tools have a free trial option.
Depending on the tool you choose, the steps in creating a Facebook Messenger chatbot vary. However, to give you an idea, the typical steps are as follows:
- Choose a chatbot builder and set up an account.
- Connect your business’ Facebook page to the chatbot builder.
- Choose a pre-defined template to edit, or create a blank chatbot template from scratch
- Edit the content of your bot by adding blocks—this can be a welcome message, text card, image, quick reply, or plugin.
- Add keyword triggers to your bot. For example, directions, appointment, pricing, stop, unsubscribe, and hello.
- Save your settings and test it on Facebook Messenger.
In conclusion
The key to a successful Facebook Messenger bot does not only lie in the building of a workable chatbot. It’s essential to first assess your target audience’s needs and then design your bot based on your findings. Additionally, ensure that your bot’s tone of voice is as human and as conversational as possible—your chatbot must reflect your brand’s voice and tone.
If you want to know more about Facebook Messenger marketing, or if you need help with your software development needs, including building a chatbot for your business, give us a call at 888-420-5115, or send us an email to [email protected].
Tags: artificial intelligence, chatbots, customer service, facebook, messenger
