An Introduction to Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing isn’t a new concept in brand communication, but how it’s done has evolved substantially. For example, instead of sounding conversational in one-way, broadcast marketing communication, brands today actually need to hold a conversation.
This post defines conversational marketing in 2021 terms and what to consider in your conversational marketing strategy.

What is Conversational Marketing in 2021?

Conversational marketing is as it sounds; it is a marketing communication strategy where brands engage in dialogue (conversation) with desired targets.  

These conversations are held in real-time, predominantly via chatbots. Any form of two-way communication is a conversational marketing tool that includes live chat, messaging apps, social media community management, email and phone calls.  

This dialogue-driven approach to marketing is built on customer-centricity. For this reason, it improves attraction, engagement and conversion in the customer journey and thus drives sales.  

The Move from Deposit to Dialogue (The Conversational Marketing Backstory)

Conversational marketing took a different form before chat rooms and “Instant messaging” became ubiquitous in 1997 (thanks to AOL Instant Messenger).

Brands could only use conversational language and tonality, but communication was just one-way.

Like a town crier, the brand would speak out loud, hoping someone would get the message. If a recipient wanted to respond, they’d have to pick up the phone or visit a branch, essentially carrying the burden to initiate the actual conversation.  

Stop Talking AT Your Customers—Chat WITH Them Instead

The chance to finally chat with prospects and customers in real-time is where conversational marketing took on its actual form. But old habits die hard. While many brands are using the correct channels, they are getting it horribly wrong.  

The problem is speaking TO people and not WITH them. If that’s you, then you’re not holding a conversation. 

The Conversational Marketing Framework

Good conversation is what warms your prospect’s hearts and encourages them down the sales funnel. But, of course, sales conversion is not the only use for conversational marketing (more on that here)

It helps to apply this framework:

1. Engage
2. Understand
3. Recommend

You want to invite a response, actively listen and then respond appropriately.

Now, this might sound unobtainable, “I don’t have the manpower for this!” But, there’s good news—you don’t need it. The beauty of conversational marketing is that it can be automated. Most of it, anyway. Besides responding to comments on social media posts or escalations, bots can do all the heavy lifting.

These days, people are well aware that they are chatting to bots, and they don’t mind, provided they have a frictionless experience in getting what they need.

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Applications for Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing can be helpful in several ways, depending on your business goals.

Pro Tip: Don’t use conversational marketing just because everyone else is doing it. Use it where it would make strategic sense to help you achieve your goals.

This list is by no means exhaustive but gives you an idea of the ways conversational marketing can be applied.

• Facebook messenger bot acts like a virtual assistant to answer queries and provide info instantly, 24/7. As a result, customers and prospects need not leave the platform.
• A homepage assistant can greet new website visitors and direct them to relevant content for a pleasant experience.
• WhatsApp bots are not only versatile but an ideal solution for self-help services.
• Replace landing pages with a bot for quick, on-page, lead qualification and data capture.
• Customer service bots on websites or within client portals are a great way to provide 24-hour support without employing additional staff.
• Triggered bots are programmed only to appear once an event (like clicking a button) takes place. So, for example, if someone scrolls to the bottom of an FAQ page, a virtual assistant can pop up to ask them what they are looking for. Or suppose someone clicks a CTA, like “book an appointment”. In that case, a programmed bot can immediately intervene to schedule the appointment (think of Google assistant or HubSpot’s free appointment & meeting scheduler).
• Learn and grow. A strategically implemented bot is the best way to gather invaluable customer feedback and business intelligence to refine your marketing—and business overall!

The Top Five Benefits of Conversational Marketing

In its essence, the vast benefits of conversational marketing can be distilled into:

1. 1. Automation: freeing up valuable time, human and financial resources.
   2. Improved Customer Experience: from sales to support, customers feel cared for and get what they want instantly.
   3. Shortened Sale Cycle: by feeding more qualified leads into your sales funnel faster, which leads to higher conversions.
   4. Improved Customer Retention: build solid relationships, increase cross- and up-sell opportunities, and resolve queries quickly. Every business wants to spend more time increasing Customer Lifetime Value and less time acquiring new customers.
   5. Significant Business Improvement: by applying value-rich insights gleaned from customer interaction and feedback—giving you a competitive edge.

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