The Human Touch to Marketing

How can I use conversational marketing in my business? And why is it so important? Well, if you're wondering about the novel concept of conversational marketing, then you're in the right place.

In this article, we will cover the following: 

• What conversational marketing is
• Benefits of conversational marketing 
• Best practises for conversational marketing 
• And how marketing is changing 

Without any ado, let's dive in! 

So, what is conversational marketing? 

As its name suggests, conversational marketing is a highly personalised and dialogue-driven approach to engaging with customers through various channels. It is a customer-centric approach to marketing online, where you have a one-to-one level of interaction with consumers. 

Instead of generalised communication, conversational marketing uses engagement tools such as chatbots, text messaging apps, or live chat to facilitate personalised communication.
 

Why use conversational marketing? 

Customer experience is the new selling - consumers value their experience with your brand even more than costs. Consequently, personalising your marketing campaigns is no longer an option, but a requirement and customers' expectation. It is now a standard in the industry. 

Marketers need to approach customers in a way that addresses their individual needs. And that's where conversational marketing comes in handy. Conversational marketing has been a go-to solution for improving customer experience, to drive engagement, meet customers' expectations and make more conversions. Below are more reasons/benefits of using conversational marketing in your business: 

• Improves customer experience
• Better lead generation
• It can be automated for 24/7 customer support
• Shortens your sales cycle 
• Fosters brand-customer relationship 
• Gain valuable data for improving customers' satisfaction

To make the most out of conversational marketing, consider the following tips: 

1. Personalise your sales process 

Nothing is more important for effective conversational marketing than personalisation. Today's consumers like it when they see relevant, valuable, and timely information. Hence, personalising your conversation throughout the customer's journey based on their behaviours and actions is essential for successful conversational marketing. 

In return, you will strengthen customers' relationships with your brand and increase your chances of having more repeat business. So, foster one-on-one interaction through personalisation at every step of your customer's journey. 

2. Prioritise customer experience 

It is not news that customers are one of your most valuable assets – the business can't run without its customers. For this reason, you should put more time and resources into attracting and keeping your customers. Understanding your audience and their needs will help you optimise and improve your customer experience, thereby driving the much-needed customer engagement. 

When your customer base is well engaged, you can collect data and insights necessary to step up your customer experience and overall marketing strategy. So, in short, focus on user/customer experience to drive engagement for business impact. 

3. Integrate with other forms of digital marketing 

Conversational marketing uses chatbots, messaging apps, and other digital communication tools to engage with customers. This enables improved data collection and better analytics. For example, on your website, you can gain valuable customer information based on their on-site behaviour and actions. 

The point is, you need to capitalise on this data and integrate conversational marketing with other forms of marketing such as email and social media. Utilise such data to your advantage by creating personalised, relevant, and meaningful campaigns to generate and convert more leads. 

4. Add human touch to your chatbots 

In the wake of automation solutions, traditional marketing practises like reaching out to consumers have been simplified, thanks to new technologies. Chatbots, for instance, are now a common marketing technology used by businesses of all kinds to engage with their customers. However, what most people don't understand is that these technologies cannot totally replace human effort/input. 

Instead, they only resemble human interaction and aim to be user-friendly. If you want customers to be more willing to engage with your chatbots, adding human touch as much as possible is paramount. In other words, humanise your chatbots, so they not only create convenience but also become enjoyable, natural, and above all satisfying to the customers. 

5. Track, measure and refine your approach 

To get the most out of your strategy, you will have to monitor, evaluate outcomes, and make adjustments regularly. This is especially necessary if you're just starting out on a conversational marketing approach. Since customers have different preferences, let's say in channels of communication, after launching your chatbot, it should all be about experimenting before identifying your best approach to conversational marketing.  

Remember, integrating a new approach to your marketing requires time and effort. Therefore, analyse the process frequently, collect customers' feedback, and refine your strategy accordingly. 

How has marketing changed? 

The evolution of technology has greatly influenced how businesses promote their products and services, connect, and interact with consumers. For instance, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), have resulted in AI-powered marketing tools, such as chatbots. 

Again, the introduction of blockchain technology has influenced how marketers collect and use consumers' data. Data security and transparency are now legal standards in the marketing space. And that is not to mention the disclosure requirement on native ads and sponsored posts on social platforms. 

One thing is certain; marketing will continue to evolve according to technological advancements and changes in consumer preference and taste. That being said, here are the latest marketing techniques trending in the industry: 

• Personalisation at scale: Today, it's all about customer-centric approaches and providing individualised experiences to customers. With the help of analytics, you need to provide unique and relevant experiences tailored to specific customers' needs and problems. 
• Automation: Marketing automation solutions are on the rise. From automated social and email marketing campaigns to the use of technologies such as AI and chatbots in customer engagement, automated approaches will continue to reign supreme. 
• User-generated content: UGC in the form of videos and images is currently used in nearly every facet of marketing. People love what is associated with them. They also trust recommendations from their network more than promotions coming directly from businesses. 
• Geo-targeting campaigns: Brands are increasingly using technologies such as geofencing to send customers promotions based on their locations. When blended with retargeting, location-based marketing has delivered results for many businesses. 

At the end of the day, almost all the latest trends and opportunities in marketing require a personalised and dialogue-driven approach to maximise their outcomes. Consequently, if you can effectively integrate conversational marketing into your digital strategy, you will be a step ahead in strategic planning for your business, leading to a higher return on investment.