Conversational Marketing Platform: Benefits, Features, and Examples
Overview:
Conversational Marketing Platform (CMP) is an AI-powered platform that allows businesses to engage with customers in a personalized yet automated way. CMPs are designed to create a seamless conversational experience across multiple communication channels, including messaging apps, chatbots, and social media platforms. This article will discuss the advantages of using CMPs in marketing, the essential features of these platforms, and five popular examples of CMP software products.
Who uses CMP software?
Businesses of all sizes and industries can benefit from using conversational marketing platforms. CMP software is particularly useful for companies that want to streamline customer communications across multiple channels and create personalized interactions with customers. CMPs are also ideal for businesses that seek to automate lead qualification or customer support.
Benefits of CMP software:
Personalized interactions: CMP software allows businesses to create tailored interactions with customers based on their needs, interests, and behaviors. By using data to learn about customers’ preferences, businesses can deliver targeted marketing messages that are more likely to resonate with their audience.
Improved customer experience: CMPs enable businesses to provide a seamless customer experience by creating a chat-like interface that is easy to use and navigate. This not only saves customers time but also helps to build trust and engagement with the brand.
Increased efficiency: CMPs automate routine tasks such as lead qualification, which frees up marketing and sales teams to focus on higher-priority tasks. CMPs can also integrate with other marketing tools, such as CRM systems, which ensures that customer data is consistent across all channels.
Features of CMP software:
Multi-channel communication: CMPs enable businesses to communicate with customers through a variety of channels, including messaging apps, chatbots, and social media platforms.
Chatbots: CMPs often include chatbots that can handle routine customer inquiries, provide personalized product recommendations, and even complete transactions.
Natural language processing (NLP): NLP allows CMPs to interpret and respond to customer requests in a conversational way, which helps to create a more natural and engaging conversation.
Analytics: CMP software often includes advanced analytics features that enable businesses to monitor customer interactions, track metrics such as engagement rates and conversion rates, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Examples of CMP software:
1. Intercom: Intercom is a CMP software that enables businesses to chat with customers, automate lead qualification, and provide targeted messaging based on customer behavior. Its distinguishing feature is its ability to create custom chatbots, which enable businesses to provide personalized product recommendations and even complete transactions.
2. Drift: Drift is another popular CMP software that offers a real-time chat interface, chatbots, and a suite of customer analytics features. Drift stands out by integrating with other marketing tools, including Salesforce and Marketo, which streamlines data transfer and ensures data consistency.
3. ManyChat: ManyChat is a CMP software that specializes in Facebook Messenger chatbots. ManyChat enables businesses to quickly and easily set up chatbots that handle routine customer inquiries, provide information about products, and even complete transactions.
4. ActiveChat: ActiveChat is a CMP software that provides advanced NLP capabilities, enabling businesses to create intelligent chatbots that respond to customer requests in a conversational way. ActiveChat also offers a visual chatbot builder that does not require coding experience.
5. Zendesk Chat: Zendesk Chat is a CMP software that provides a real-time chat interface as well as chatbots and co-browsing features. Its standout feature is its integration with Zendesk Support, which enables businesses to create seamless customer experiences across multiple communication channels.
Drawbacks and Limitations of CMP software:
Performance: CMPs can struggle to keep up with the demands of a large volume of customer interactions, resulting in slower response times or glitches in the chatbot’s performance.
Customization: While some CMPs offer customization options, the level of customization can be limited and may not meet all of a business’s unique needs.
Cost: CMP software can vary greatly in price, and some may be too expensive for small businesses or startups.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, businesses can benefit greatly from using conversational marketing platforms to improve customer experience and streamline customer communications. CMP software enables businesses to create personalized, automated interactions with customers across multiple channels, saving time and increasing efficiency. While there are drawbacks and limitations to CMP software, the benefits of using these platforms far outweigh the potential downsides. When choosing a CMP software, businesses should consider the features of the software, how to use it, its drawbacks, and the pricing structure before making a decision.