The Problem With Messenger Bots

Have you ever had a positive experience with a chatbot? They're a staple of all of our least favourite brands – banks, airlines, insurance companies and global e-commerce giants. They have become synonymous with bad customer experience, so why are companies still using them?

If you've ever used a platform that creates chatbot 'conversation flows' you'll have noticed they're endlessly complicated, and that's because you're trying to recreate human behaviour using flowcharts and spreadsheets. Even firms with seemingly infinite marketing budgets have failed to do this – the technology literally does not exist for these experiences to work in a cohesive way.

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It's plausible that a customer's first interaction with your brand – a culmination of all your marketing efforts – will be them reaching out to you with a simple question via Facebook, and your bot is patiently waiting in the wings to f*ck that up entirely. Yes, having a real human being on the other end is a cost, but so is that $10,000 Facebook ad campaign that brought the user there in the first place. Why draw the line at decent customer service?

Driving customers to Facebook Messenger is a risky strategy in more ways than one. Yes, they may opt-in to receive updates from you but that's only via Messenger itself. That data doesn't belong to you, it belongs to Facebook. And if there's one thing we can learn from Donald Trump, audiences you do not own can be taken away at the will of those that do.

Read this next: What can the events industry learn from Donald Trump's social media exile?

Collecting your own first-party data like phone numbers and email addresses means you're able to connect with those customers on any platform including Facebook & Instagram using custom audiences as well as direct channels like email and SMS. And with public trust in the social media giants dwindling, those channels are enjoying a renaissance.

As an event promoter, if you’re not using SMS marketing, you’re missing out on a big opportunity. Here's why:

1. Very high open rates
   SMS messages have a whopping 98% open rate on average. This is because they are opened quickly and can be consumed more easily on the run.
2. Future proof your ticket sales
   With paid advertising increasing in cost and news feeds on the way out, you need to ensure you a channel to sell tickets for years to come. Build your own audience with an SMS database, among others, so you’re not over reliant on paid advertising.
3. Highly targeted
   When you use the right SMS platform you can easily target your messages, ensuring they're relevant and personalised to the recipient.
4. Fans prefer SMS when it’s done right
   The last thing you want to do is come across as ‘spammy’. However, when SMS marketing is done in the right way, it can actually become a fan's preferred way to receive communications from you.
5. It's cost effective
   Sending SMS messages is extremely cost effective. The cost varies from country to country, but can be as low as half a cent per message.

Read this next: 11 Ways Events Can Use SMS Marketing

SMS marketing has made a comeback, and it’s here to stay. It’s being used really well by a lot of music festivals & concerts globally. If you're not already onboard, now is the time to start building your SMS database.

Audience Republic helps event promoters around the world to take control of their data and sell more tickets. Our messaging platform allows you to reach your customers wherever they are; email, SMS and Facebook Messenger. To learn more, request a demo today.