Guest Experts

Use cases

<p>It’s undeniable that the invention of conversational bots behind businesses' DMs has made managing product requests and inquiries easier. Little wonder that 80% of companies have integrated chatbots into their communication systems, according to OUTGROW.</p>
<p>Although the apparent edge chatbots give businesses, only some use them. One of the major reasons is that many think they will have to break the bank to get one. But are they actually expensive?</p>
<p><strong>Short answer:</strong> No, they are not. So, don’t be afraid of overbearing charges. You can get quality subscription-based chatbots for almost nothing. But note that coding a chatbot from scratch costs between <a href="https://hyperise.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-develop-a-chatbot#:~:text=The%20chatbot%20development%20price%20may,only%20for%20a%20simple%20bot.">$5,000 to $150,000</a><a href="https://www.revechat.com/blog/chatbot-cost">.</a></p>
<p><strong>Long answer:</strong> Is right below, so keep reading.</p>
<h2><strong>How much does a chatbot cost?</strong></h2>
<figure><div><img alt="Untitled.png" src="/cms/static/blog/637f1538478d9cba7caa59d7_356fc5de5a2c81a55fbd5cdbeb9aa51cdaf7fd37e5715d1356d7c8bc5d5d16b3e0f07b8078a136df83e1f001b100bbe56ce1bcdec2c1ee8da7d6b9c2c054f33b9377766b3d4e07e002695e80aa51c8f8c43a0e0057fc9c95add60e8e763bf79ccd6bbf98.png" height="310" width="612" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAI0lEQVR4nGNg4NbUCozj0PFwLZrKwMCq8/nTf4/YhoWnXwMAVO4JZ1MxvdoAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1343097441/photo/businessman-holding-digital-chatbot-are-assistant-conversation-for-provide-access-to-data.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=nSvZsu7qmYPa1Rfsxf7xDQDghnVcfmLPc0ClQhG07WI=" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>Like every other innovation, chatbots are priced according to their features. To build your chatbot from scratch, you would need between $5,000 to $150,000 for the code-based development charge. Their prices are high, especially those generated using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning technologies. However, you can choose to subscribe to a software that offers this chat-automation solution too.</p>
<p>These subscription-based chatbots are less-expensive, as they only require modest recurring payments. They cost around $14.99 to $50 per month, and here are the primary factors that influence their pricing.</p>
<h2><strong>Factors affecting chatbot cost</strong></h2>
<p>You might plan on developing a chatbot for a specific business need or only to integrate one into your business communication platforms for generic purposes. Below are the factors that will largely determine how much you will have to spend.</p>
<h3><strong>1. Chatbot complexity</strong></h3>
<p>A large-scale business needs a chatbot system that is complex enough to handle all its customer support activities. In this case, the company might opt for from-scratch chatbots or pro-level chatbots, which offer premium features and more flows. For example, a distributing chatbot and responding to frequently asked questions (FAQs) are both chatbots but have different scopes.</p>
<p>A business that needs a distributing chatbot will have to pay more because in developing it, they had to integrate a payment gateway and an extra layer of security. For a simple FAQ chatbot, only a conversation pattern was needed. Features like full customization, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, unlimited active bots, etc., are of the essence for such businesses. Still, they just have to pay more to get them.</p>
<p>In this <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-platforms-customer-service">article,</a> we compared top-rated chatbot platforms based on their features, allowing you to know what features you need and which platforms offer them at the most affordable cost.</p>
<h3><strong>2. Chatbot type</strong></h3>
<p>Some chatbots only work with Instagram or Facebook Messenger, while others can work with both and more simultaneously. Therefore, expect to spend more if you choose a chatbot system or integration that can save you time on Whatsapp, Facebook, and Instagram. The reason is the central aspect affecting chatbot development costs.</p>
<p>A chatbot integrated into a business’s app or website is yet another type. For this chatbot, providing customer service and responding to FAQs are its most robust use cases. Such chatbots will cost more because of their extra integrations, which require chatbot setup and development, ongoing support and maintenance, and so on.</p>
<h3><strong>3. Strength of data analysis</strong></h3>
<p>While businesses are leaving their customer interaction duties to the bare hands of chatbot technology, try to keep a humane feeling behind all direct messages. AI chatbots take a handful of complex data analysis abilities to learn how to interact the human way.</p>
<p>Chatbots can learn human communication patterns from previous chats through a solid machine-learning system and implement them in subsequent ones. This improves efficiency and originality with prospective customers but does not come for free. A chatbot’s strength of data analysis directly influences the chatbot development cost. Subsequently, it affects the price businesses will have to pay for it.</p>
<h2><strong>How much does it cost to develop a chatbot?</strong></h2>
<figure><div><img alt="20944040.jpg" src="/cms/static/blog/637f15385b9b5e02c8bb4fb8_db88c12eb150a93c58d7d59551c8609f18995e2fec973b96a61901e06c6f651ceff9cac74b9078cd4afd5d0179d0ef3e2eded4190a8edc8779a2f976827e5fb3725cb590b6fbdbb4a55d42cf03a573a956e2c5229c960bf587cd79f0eb7715e7165f4640.jpeg" height="6061" width="7661" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAABcSAAAXEgFnn9JSAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/APf7/2N3tmNTf+/R1gD79P8wDT+ekrXJxuEA7vP/AA5SAABDm5/GzaIVj6IsPzoAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="http://<ahref="http://www.freepik.com">Designedbyvectorjuice/Freepik</a>" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>The chatbot development cost varies based on the developer and mode of development. There are three major players in chatbot development, and they are highlighted below alongside what it costs them to develop their chatbots.</p>
<h3><strong>1. Chatbot development companies</strong></h3>
<p>Chatbot development companies are AI-producing agencies that build and design chat automation software for businesses and companies. The standard chatbot development cost from stand-alone agencies ranges from $6,000 to $13,000. Factors like the company’s strength in the industry, quality, location or region of operations, the value of their chatbot solutions, etc., influence their cost.</p>
<h3><strong>2. Freelancers</strong></h3>
<p>Most freelancers charge according to their level of expertise, years of experience, and quality of service delivery. But the general range for freelance chatbot development is $1,000 to $5,000.</p>
<h3><strong>3. Subscription-based chatbot software</strong></h3>
<p>Not all business owners can afford to build their chat automation system from scratch via coding. That is why companies like <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Chatfuel</a> have long offered them a suitable alternative for their chat automation needs. The chatbot subscription plans by subscription-based chatbot development platforms typically range from $0 to $199 per month.</p>
<p>Chatfuel allows you to build chatbot systems according to your taste. For example, you can engage your customers in live chats, manage lead generation, collect and manage customers' data, re-engage your customers’ messages, segment your audience, and more.</p>
<p>All you need to do is register, subscribe to a monthly plan of your choice, and save more time to focus on the things that really matter. The great thing about subscription-based platforms is that they cost much less, and a platform like Chatfuel offers 50 free conversations to users.</p>
<h2><strong>Chatbot pricing models</strong></h2>
<p>To help you find a suitable platform to assess your business needs and get a suitable package, we analyzed the features that leading no-code chat automation providers cover and their estimated prices.</p>
<figure><div><img src="/cms/static/blog/637f16a6077c6b33dfd9f57c_Chart.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="973" width="1457" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAABYlAAAWJQFJUiTwAAAALklEQVR4nAXBgQAAAAgDsLNcI4Hz3OAGGWQSSixtqKqZkZQEku7O9u6CZBLb3f08fRDbmVyjNgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption>Some leading no-code chat automation providers' features and estimated prices.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>‍<strong>Start your own journey today</strong></h2>
<p>Chatfuel is an excellent alternative for your business chat automation needs, especially if you are a small business and can’t afford the from-scratch development based on coding.</p>
<p>You can easily create a chatbot for your business with several effective templates Chatfuel has built. All you have to do is browse through the industries on the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates">templates page</a> to find a fitting pick for your needs. You can also register <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">here</a> and get 50 conversations for free. So, what’s stopping you?</p>

Although the apparent edge chatbots give businesses, only some use them. But are they actually expensive? Let's dive deep and find out.

Chatbot pricing: how much does it cost to build a chatbot?

<p>Businesses have had to fundamentally change their customer experience as more consumers have shifted online, a trend largely <a href="https://www.mytotalretail.com/article/covid-19-has-given-rise-to-mass-chatbot-adoption-in-the-retail-space">fueled by the pandemic</a>. Since March 2020, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot services have become increasingly popular for their 24/7 service and ability to answer queries without human involvement.</p>
<p>In this article, we will dive deep into the benefits of customer service chatbots and look at some examples. Let’s start with the basics.</p>
<h2>What is a customer service chatbot?</h2>
<p>A customer service chatbot employs conversational AI and machine learning to answer customer questions through a business messenger. For instance, when someone asks your brand, “What are your prices?”</p>
<p>The best and most knowledgeable customer service bot can quickly respond to consumers' common questions or guide them toward more resources or information on your website.</p>
<p>The additional benefit of such chatbots is that they decrease the volume of contact center inquiries. This frees customer care representatives to focus on more complex customer queries rather than repetitive responses that you can automate. For example, answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions.)</p>
<p>Additionally, there are other advantages to adopting customer care chatbots.</p>
<h2>Five major benefits of customer service chatbots</h2>
<p>Here are the five advantages of using AI chatbots that you’re most likely to see right away after implementing a chatbot.</p>
<h3>1. Instant resolutions</h3>
<p>Customers are frequently scared away if they have to wait long.</p>
<p>Not getting immediate responses is one of the top customer grievances and is also a key driver of customer churn, given that companies <a href="https://web.timetrade.com/files/content_resource/TT_Retail-Exec-Survey-Brief.pdf">lose 75%</a> of their customers due to waiting delays.</p>
<p>Using a FAQ chatbot and other interaction channels will enable you to respond quickly to customers. For instance, the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates/faq-chatbot-for-ecommerce">Chatfuel FAQ chatbot</a> acts as a generator, responding to frequently asked customer questions like your refund policy, shipping details, account settings, etc.</p>
<h3>2. Customer service around-the-clock</h3>
<p><a href="https://retailtouchpoints.com/features/news-briefs/43-of-consumers-expect-24-7-customer-service-from-e-tailers">43% of customers</a> want e-commerce and online shops to offer customer support at all times. Therefore, they would prefer a faster resolution speed. One key differentiator for keeping customers engaged is to respond quickly and resolve a problem in initial customer interactions.</p>
<p>For instance, a <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates/complaints-support-for-ecommerce-store">Chatfuel complaint support template</a> compiles and emails you all crucial information about any difficulty your customer might be experiencing, including finding your contact information, their order tracking number, and describing their issue. Users can start a Live Chat with you or your customer service manager if they need more specialized assistance.</p>
<h3>3. Minimizing customer support costs</h3>
<p>Without sacrificing the level of service, chatbots can assist in streamlining customer care duties. Thanks to bots, your company can cut costs associated with hiring additional support managers, giving them training, or keeping a strong infrastructure for assistance.</p>
<p>The use of a customer care chatbot can help manage multiple conversations at once and handle an increase in the number of customer requests while keeping costs in check.</p>
<p>Because of this, you should prepare to invest in AI automation for customer support to reduce expenses while providing excellent customer service.</p>
<h3>4. Gaining new customers with less stress</h3>
<p>AI-powered <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">chatbots</a> offer a personalized conversational marketing experience. They can address potential customers by name, provide information based on their choices, respond to their inquiries, and retain all the information for subsequent interaction.</p>
<p>With AI in charge, you won’t accidentally miss chats, and your customer support team’s emails won’t end up in spam. In addition, there won’t be any typos that can disappoint customers.</p>
<p>Check out our template for a <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates/rent-calculator">rent calculator</a> that prompts users with discovery questions and presents options based on their responses. You can export any captured data if needed.</p>
<h3>5. Consistent user experience</h3>
<p>Finally, customer support chatbots can provide your customers with a consistent, on-brand experience because you have complete control over the voice, tone, and terminology used in your bot’s responses.</p>
<p>The accuracy of chatbots only serves to strengthen this uniformity. Whether it’s your product, your price, or your customer service, your chatbot broadcasts your distinctive value proposition. Additionally, this is crucial since a well-defined brand voice makes it easier for your audience to recognize your brand on any platform.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="customer support bots.jpg" src="/cms/static/blog/6375efca597fea65d7024603_6451b5758f40878a1d280dc777f6a5fb1fb3d434114d08dec3c0e52dbb2e3346eff391d0eed3dc8ba411589df80b9ec58bc8ab87f13bb78b89742196f2053f10e615802d0df7005b857ae8e92eb21cad74436ee68a591a60d71e585ca9def2cc9268567f.jpeg" height="909" width="1893" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAJUlEQVR4nAEaAOX/AMTExB4AALLu/wBosQDfwJ//+fj09P//59C8+RDuee/ongAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div></figure>
<h2>Examples of customer support chatbots</h2>
<h3>Sephora</h3>
<p>One of the first in the sector to use chatbots was the French international retailer of personal care and beauty items, Sephora. The bot complements in-store services by helping consumers swiftly book cosmetic appointments, match foundation tones, and more. By reporting an 11% higher conversion rate for booking makeover appointments, Sephora has demonstrated that digital transformation is ground-breaking for delivering excellent customer service and a delightful shopping experience.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates/ecommerce-product-recommendations">product recommendation template</a> by Chatfuel is comparable to the one used by Sephora. With this template, your chatbot runs a product recommendation quiz, presents products by category, and answers questions. Customers can navigate within a bot: return to the main menu, browse your website, or get in touch with you or your service agent for assistance. This template guides people through the sales process and turns them into customers for your online store.</p>
<p>If you run an offline store, you can also use <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates/locating-nearby-stores">a template for “locating nearby stores”</a> to let customers select a city and the location of the nearest store, receive directions, or visit your website.</p>
<h3>HelloFresh</h3>
<p>For people who want to prepare meals from scratch, HelloFresh is a novel alternative. They send fresh ingredients to your house and instructions on preparing delectable meals as part of their subscription box service.</p>
<p>After HelloFresh began using the Chatfuel customer support chatbot, they got <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/hellofresh-reduces-support-wait-times-with-chatfuel-messenger-bot">impressive results</a>.</p>
<p>The average time it took HelloFresh to respond to consumer questions in 2018 was five hours. It decreased noticeably to one hour and 11 minutes in 2019. Even though they received 47% more messages on Messenger overall, that represents a 76% drop in response times.</p>
<h3>The Bonomi Assistant</h3>
<p>The Bonomi’s founders say that as the market shifted in favor of alternative lodging options like AirBnBs, the hotels no longer have a chance in the race for our digital attention. So to aid hotels in remaining competitive, they developed a solution. A customizable Facebook Messenger chatbot named <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/messenger-chatbot-to-help-hotels-through-covid-19">Bonomi Assistant</a> serves hotels of all sizes and brings excellent metrics.</p>
<p>The hotel customer service chatbot asks users about who they’ll be traveling with and what kinds of activities they enjoy. Then, it suggests hotels and vacation packages based on their requirements and preferences. The bot can also be integrated with a hotel’s current reservation system. The outcome is a seamless procedure that encourages more paid reservations. The booking process is quick and straightforward, and the hotel receives the full profit from the reservation along with the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>3,367 individuals expressed a desire to make a direct booking using the chatbot.</li>
<li>2,835 queries were resolved automatically.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Slack</h3>
<p>Slack is an enterprise software platform that enhances communication among teams and organizations of all sizes. Slack is widely used by businesses internally, so some companies take advantage of it by offering services like food deliveries. These chatbots are a development of the internal Slack bot, which can send messages and interact with users. Slack bot demand has yet to be observed, but there’s no doubt that the program’s characteristics present many options for organizations to <a href="https://api.slack.com/bot-users">develop practical customer service chatbots</a>.</p>
<h3>American Express</h3>
<p>The AmexBot from American Express, now accessible on Facebook Messenger and Amazon Alexa, has transformed how individuals conduct banking. User can check their balance and receive purchase notifications by connecting their card to their Facebook account. Thanks to its Natural Language Processing skills, the bot can handle real-time inquiries and FAQs. Additionally, users can use Alexa to make payments, hear when payments are due, and check membership benefits.</p>
<h2>Take advantage of a customer support chatbot</h2>
<p>AI is now a crucial component of user engagement strategies and fundamentally transforms how businesses offer customer assistance. Because AI chatbots deliver prompt responses and decrease the likelihood of two-way human agents intervention, you can save a lot of time.</p>
<p><a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Sign up</a> with Chatfuel today and get 50 conversations for free, and try out robust automated solutions for your business.</p>

AI is a crucial component of customer service. So let's dive deep into the benefits of using customer service chatbots for your business.

Customer service chatbot: what it is, benefits, examples

Industries

<p>The way we manage our money has changed in this digital age. The days of paper currency and jingling coins have been replaced by credit cards and apps.</p>
<p>How we bank has changed too, and there’s no looking back. For example, because of chatbots, banks are <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/bank-cost-savings-via-chatbots-reach-7-3bn-2023">projected</a> to save over 7 billion dollars next year.</p>
<p>Discover how chatbots have been the key to thriving in the mobile banking era.</p>
<h2><strong>AI in banking industry</strong></h2>
<p>Today, almost every industry has adapted to the digital world. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the preference for virtual customer care has made artificial intelligence (AI) necessary for business. In banking, this can mean that account holders have access to their funds despite any crisis or emergency.</p>
<p>People expect reliable customer service from the banks they trust with their money and assets. That shouldn’t change when they convert to digital. Using a mobile app or site should be just as easy or easier than banking face-to-face. Because of recent innovations, banks can now nurture relationships between themselves and their customers using AI technology.</p>
<p>Since problems don’t wait for business hours, AI-powered chatbots are an ideal solution for continual customer service. Let’s explore how.</p>
<h2><strong>Benefits of chatbots in banking and financial sector</strong></h2>
<p>Chatbots in banking lie at the cutting edge of fintech in 2022. More than just a virtual version of customer service, chatbots provide a truly human experience.</p>
<p>The best bots will anticipate the needs of each person using intuitive designs. This means banking institutions can increase customer satisfaction, protect against suspicious activity, and build a database of  feedback to improve digital banking.</p>
<p>At the forefront of benefits is cost saving. According to research published by Juniper, chatbots will help banks save $7.3 billion by 2023. But savings with a banking chatbot don’t stop there. In that same report, Juniper explains what those multibillion-dollar savings mean: “This represents time saved for banks in 2023 of 862 million hours, equivalent to nearly half a million working years.”</p>
<p>With money and time saved, finance companies can afford to invest more in customer engagement. Chatbots can increase this important factor by addressing these pain points:</p>
<ul>
<li>Long waits for customer service.</li>
<li>Solutions aren’t easily found on website.</li>
<li>Inconsistent advice from customer service agents.</li>
<li>Bank can’t keep up with new applications.</li>
</ul>
<p>With a chatbot, all of these pain points can be transformed into opportunities. Instead of ruining customer experience, the relationship between bank and user is improved. Banks now have the chance to fortify relationships with customers near and far.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="beautiful-dark-skinned-young-female-with-cheerful-expression-holds-smart-phone-credit-card-banks-online-makes-shopping-while-sits-against-cafe-interior.jpg" src="/cms/static/blog/6375d267041b210f2d2b0860_9dce18c30f1ca3afa8ac3545978cf8cd0bdb434e6cc701450102ae1caeef3fc2c64e37e0df99b07d19bc018e8f5e23015228aef2b3cf282b241ca6ef01e360a13f1411073287cfc72d0a1faad5b474c26f172589d8358d1b75b0048e44b5cc783d74fcbb.jpeg" height="1066" width="1600" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAMElEQVR4nGMwNxfXEGDQZmCY0dHKcOL80iMblyerCdfF+DL8//ljSkb82oqM6eX5AAQgD/6QE1MDAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/beautiful-dark-skinned-young-female-with-cheerful-expression-holds-smart-phone-credit-card-banks-online-makes-shopping-while-sits-against-cafe-interior_9591591.htm%23query%3Dbanking%26position%3D1%26from_view%3Dsearch%26track%3Dsph&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1668438876530287&usg=AOvVaw2-yySflovWl2QQAtYLbHoD">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<h2><strong>Ideas for chatbot in banking industry</strong></h2>
<p>Chatbots can also positively impact user experience. In the past, banks have traditionally been cold in terms of virtual interactions. With a chatbot, the banking sector can now customize how they service customers.</p>
<p>Check out these ideas for chatbot-assisted mobile banking.</p>
<h3><strong>Customer Care</strong></h3>
<p>For example, a person may visit the bank’s website without being greeted at all. Intuitively designed chatbots can add a touch of warmth to a moment like this.</p>
<p>A banking AI chatbot can sense a visitor and say something like, “Welcome! Need any help?” With natural language processing, customers are treated with the warmth they get from human agents.</p>
<h3><strong>Personalization</strong></h3>
<p>For a personalized experience, chatbots can be one of a bank’s strongest assets. A well-designed bot can keep track of mobile banking behaviors, patterns, and needs. Many finance companies offer a vast amount of products and services. Each one is beneficial but may not be relevant to every customer.</p>
<p>Users may feel overwhelmed by all these options. A chatbot helps guide the customer to the most appropriate service for them. They receive a custom banking experience based on their relevant needs without having to journey through irrelevant web pages of confusing information.</p>
<h3><strong>KYC Initiatives</strong></h3>
<p>Another way banks can use chatbots is by streamlining Know Your Customer (KYC) initiatives. Returning customers can skip doing tedious paperwork and get right to making secure transactions. And if responding to FAQs is an issue, chatbots can handle all questions in real-time.</p>
<p>With chatbot AI technology, you can implement all of these ideas for 24/7 use.</p>
<h2><strong>Bank chatbot examples</strong></h2>
<p>To get a feel for how your banking service can use a chatbot, check out some of these banking bot favorites.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://media.ally.com/2015-05-18-Ally-Bank-Introduces-Ally-Assist-SM-Customer-Voice-Interaction">Ally Assist</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Ally Banks chatbot came on the scene in 2015. This intuitive bot became popular with users due to its ease of use. Ally Assist can pay bills, transfer money, and get info on check account balance.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.citibank.com.sg/citibotfaq/faq.html">Citi Bot SG</a></li>
</ul>
<p>The Citi Bot SG chatbot allows users to interact with their bank via Facebook Messenger. This convenient tool integrates right into Facebook so customers can get info for their bank accounts without leaving the Messenger app. Now Citi users can connect with friends and their funds in a simple and easy way.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://promotions.bankofamerica.com/digitalbanking/mobilebanking/erica">Erica by Bank of America</a></li>
</ul>
<p>A full Virtual Financial Assistant, Erica helps customers get the most out of their money. Erica not only assists with simple tasks like transfers and requests but also offers strategies that put assets to work.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/solutions/ways-to-bank/chatbot">Clari by TD</a></li>
</ul>
<p>TD Clari is a chatbot integrated into the TD banking app. Clari offers 24/7 assistance and up-to-date transaction information. Using sharp AI, Clari also learns new skills over time to create a more helpful customer service experience.</p>
<h2><strong>How to create a chatbot for banking with Chatfuel</strong></h2>
<p>Setting up a chatbot for your bank is a lot easier than you may think. You can use <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates">free Chatfuel chatbot templates</a> or build your own automation.</p>
<p>There are three key steps in creating a basic chatbot:</p>
<p><strong>1. Sign up with Chatfuel</strong></p>
<p>After <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">registration</a>, we’ll ask you a few questions about your industry, business needs, and ad budget. Then, you’ll need to connect your socials to Chatfuel to let your automation interact with your customers. It’s safe — we’re an official Meta’s partner.</p>
<p><strong>2. Build your automation</strong></p>
<p>Starting with creating a flow for FAQs is a great first step. Your banking customers will always be curious, so make sure to have a bot that’s equipped to answer the most popular questions.</p>
<p><strong>3. Turn on your bot</strong></p>
<p>After adding your questions and any other content to your bot’s flow, you can set it live. Always keep your first bot simple and test it right in Dashboard. This way, you can easily fix any problems before your customers start interacting with your bot.</p>
<p>In the video below, you will learn how to build your first bot yourself.</p>
<figure><div><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xr8kmZ-oG_8?start=75" title="How to create a bot: Chatbot online builder for website / Facebook / Instagram automation"></iframe></div></figure>
<h2>Start your own journey today</h2>
<p>Creating your own chatbot may sound complicated. With Chatfuel, the bot-building process is streamlined, so the most complex parts are already handled. All you have to do is design your bot’s unique flow and turn it on. <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Register</a> today and get your first 50 conversations for free.</p>

Discover how chatbots have been the key to thriving in the mobile banking era and how to build your own chatbot code-free.

Benefits of chatbots for banking: examples and use cases

Platforms

What Instagram advertising is, types costs, creating and automating ads to reduce costs, save time, and increase conversion and sales.

How to run ads on Instagram in 2022

<p>In 2022, Instagram has become a powerful tool for business communication. Using features like Instagram direct messages can help you get more opportunities to connect with the audience and motivate them to do the target action.</p>
<p>Let’s look closely at the Instagram messenger and its features for your business.</p>
<h2><strong>What is Instagram messenger</strong></h2>
<p>This robust social media platform has many ways of keeping people engaged. One of those features is Instagram Messenger (or direct message, DM for short). Private messaging on Instagram allows users not just to message and share photos and videos but to have an all-in-one experience while never leaving the app.</p>
<p>With Messenger for Instagram, your business can now give attention to each Instagram user.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_02.png" src="/cms/static/blog/6352536338acb185640acc89_7c3c08b38dff85d383172e30612534362c034cb22d50e865c97a5850e0dcfbc321049787d9f9b3cb60aed5b5cba84c2d86a688d970997ffec3d4c924d3d3f76ab4392b5ae49f3a70e3b02b77544d26d4dc6dc3b74b0c9ef57de488684226efd7b4420338.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGNgYGDYu2nDt29/GRgYGGZL8d29dvHrv/9ADgCM1wtCcPPj+gAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://about.fb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IG_Upsell_HomescreenMSGR_2UP.png?resize=890%2C850" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<h2>‍<strong>Instagram messaging features</strong></h2>
<p>Instagram’s Messenger is full of exciting ways to interact. You can share posts, gifs, pictures, videos, host a video chat and even have a group conversation. Leveraging your Instagram messenger is a fun and easy way to build rapport with your customers.</p>
<p>For example, suppose a customer is unsure how to use a product. In that case, you can send instructional pics or videos directly to the customer via Messenger. Then you can help users find which product is best for them.</p>
<p>Plus, with messaging on Instagram, you can send payment requests right from the DM.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_02.png" src="/cms/static/blog/635253635b890518747b82fe_fa289c237abf8912b215b373c60599b68ae4bca84f589a786f05bf0e9933d2721e5a448876f6d7246b32bc5e32a1f6e1c4c81ede67be2bbdf3ff9b5cc3d86e20f6b3a5ef097e42341d694d213da9fc9ac2704635ea49ca8d8f9116e712fcb6b7c4baccb6.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAHUlEQVR4nGNgYGD48OL16+cfGSDg79//X778B7IAkgwLZ3ZQGnsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2022/07/buy-products-on-instagram-in-chat/" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>Now businesses can answer questions, confirm purchase details, and request payment without leaving Instagram messenger. You can also process payments while in the app with <a href="https://pay.facebook.com/messenger">Meta Pay</a>.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_02.png" src="/cms/static/blog/6352536375ad4b514e408f87_7cd8c4fabe86554cac42d387a1d32a3e831d9da376423fc5b40e6f81f85b49f570557ade23ad952449bfacc6d941bc6243cf6dc85b8526a20d73b617067defac77736bf0c16402c0824980837abab2711a7632c6a5fc974879d1ab12da5cd2582a5c0d7c.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGP4////wV2nVq7czMDAwPC/peXC5TsnL90DcgDSvg5HXa3BQAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2022/07/buy-products-on-instagram-in-chat/" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>All of this is possible by users sending a chat on Instagram to your inbox.</p>
<h2><strong>How to set up Instagram direct messaging</strong></h2>
<p>Setting up an Instagram messenger chat is super easy. Because it comes integrated into the app, all you have to do is log in.</p>
<p>When you open your Instagram app, look at the top right of your feed above your stories. You should see a quotation bubble with a bolt in the middle. Clicking on that message icon will take you to your Messenger inbox where you can send a post or receive messages from users.</p>
<p>Now let’s explore how Instagram messenger can benefit your business. We’ll also show you how to use your messenger features best to keep customers coming back to your Instagram account.</p>
<h2><strong>How businesses use Instagram messenger</strong></h2>
<p>That’s why skincare beauty brand Arts&Fact decided to let <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/low-cost-hypothesis-testing">chatbots</a> do the hard work for them.</p>
<figure><div><img src="/cms/static/blog/6357a5cdb8fbc7d360027e07_ccopy 9ef34.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="688" width="2073" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAABCAIAAAB2XpiaAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAFklEQVR4nGO4/uTNvr4GfQapX5f/AwAy2AeJCu87xgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption>Arts'Fact's products.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Mary, a Product Manager of Arts&Fact, shares the issues that the team had with responding to customer questions in DMs:</p>
<p>“We get lots of very similar questions: 'Is it better to buy serum or cream? ', 'What products are good to use in the winter? ', 'Are your products safe for my skin? '”</p>
<p>Mary and her team wanted to launch a promo that offered a skin consultation. It was important for the skincare line to keep customers on Instagram.</p>
<p>To do so, Mary designed a bot that would respond to important message requests, for example — when customers send an 'I want a consultation' comment. This is called an <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/5571042-entry-points">Entry Point</a>: a simple way to bring users into your bot’s flow.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="EP 08.47.00.gif" src="/cms/static/blog/63586857d1730b7abf56a229_7fa767498c155bfa7745f3409e350928fef2b473350e60052b5e9001920bc0052322d721c338dd628db0867abcb06a2467f293ebf1fc13cda3fba4432ce16863cfaee33a5ab38e07e935d7c8c5bd5e9297605048aa30646c4d68f579fc8cbaff4d35c5f6.gif" height="666" width="1920" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption>Activating Comments Autoreply Entry Point in Chatfuel.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Art&Found started sending an Instagram DM to their potential customers, which included a survey where potential customers could answer a few questions. Then they could schedule their appointment right in their inbox.</p>
<p>Mary concludes, “The setup process wasn’t as difficult as I thought.”</p>
<p>With a chatbot, Arts&Fact could secure 100 applicants within 2 hours and attract many more customers to their Instagram feed. Even better, 86 of those 100 leads turned into paying customers. That’s an 86% conversion rate.</p>
<h2><strong>Let bots boost your business</strong></h2>
<p>Increasing engagement and sales using Messenger on Instagram has never been easier.</p>
<p>With Chatfuel’s <a href="https://chatfuel.com/templates">free chatbot templates</a>, setting up your own automated conversations is easy. After picking your template, all you have to do is customize it.</p>
<p>‍<a href="https://chatfuel.com">Sign up</a> with Chatfuel and get your first 50 conversations for free.</p>

Instagram has many ways of keeping people engaged. See how you can use DMs to give one-on-one attention to each customer on Instagram.

What is Instagram messenger and how it could boost your business

<p>Instagram has been instrumental in the success of businesses over the years. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/instagramforbusiness">90%</a> of people on Instagram follow at least one business, making it perfect for growing a community and deepening connections with current and future customers.</p>
<p>However, the average engagement on an Instagram business account post is a measly <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/#Instagram_business_statistics">0.83%</a>. Hence the need for better engaging content styles to boost engagement. Instagram polls are a go-to solution here.</p>
<p>And in this article, you will learn creative and effective ways to create them.</p>
<h2><strong>Types of polls you can use in Instagram stories</strong></h2>
<p>You want to make more sales through engagements, but you don’t know how to? No worries. Just select the poll type below to make it handy.</p>
<p><strong>1. Emoji reaction poll.</strong> This poll allows your audience to react to your story queries on an emoji slider. No matter your industry, this is an effective way to harvest your audience’s opinions.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_06.png" src="/cms/static/blog/634576fc6c53701a7db7a4f3_343c8a3ea2e48e500d3d57da29683855d20915edd071a8abf830af3b64892ebf540f5c3db52bf7f5f7561ab15a924539b4ab2c172056eadf64282dd0635d16287a1566cba377e65190cb13e574af37b3aa9f81a524726f52d54dc13fb85d74e06c85356f.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGNYtSrk+JHF79++ZWBgYFgxKe3E0WX///4FcgC6+Q1suV0ePwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.popsugar.com/news/How-Use-Instagram-Emoji-Slider" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>2. Sticker poll.</strong> Using the sticker poll, you give your audience two response options to whatever question you ask, and they only need to tap the sticker icon to respond.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_06 (1).png" src="/cms/static/blog/634576f7b794e49a9b6c9cad_1d85c21c6967ede69c5a815bed96b8797fabcbaf7be9b7a9dd540c544e7a6a9c60d726f10e4e90053225bd25998992146c08f3d542521eb06ce575eafad2b8bd8e4631f40c22e12befce81dbefdf0b577f42b5da041fca638b4aeb3a3abfec7d5d2129a1.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGOQY2WI7fBobwzPsixj0FNi2Pd+zf/fF2vt0wFsiApgi6E3xAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://blog.shuttlerock.com/5-examples-of-effective-instagram-polling-ads" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>3. The question poll.</strong> On this Instagram poll, your audience can type in their responses directly in an answer box. We recommend using short poll questions for better engagement.</p>
<figure><div><img alt="Screen_05-1.png" src="/cms/static/blog/634576f780a17c32d71d88c7_c2f68900c8fae2bac1f7e55cbbfb6d89648aba4cdbde0b4bcfddacc6e10f06db2da9949a88c279a105bad739b78209753db97da87bbdc54b7cd843fe9dd82b4d3267e5906e5dca7075db306907a960695af481486fb95bc823dd04bedb07177158f48f85.png" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAHUlEQVR4nGNgYGA4cOv/iWt/GSDg5f//5578B7IAiX8KzceYh+oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></div><figcaption><a href="https://www.instagram.com/blucafeng/?hl=en" target="_blank">Source</a></figcaption></figure>
<h2><strong>How to create Instagram stories polls</strong></h2>
<p>Now that you know the types of Instagram polls you can create, I’m guessing your next question is how to create a poll. So let’s get into it.</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Click the “your story” icon.</strong> As you do with Instagram stories, tap the icon to open the option bank.</li>
<li><strong>Choose the sticker option.</strong> Tap the sticker feature and scroll until you see the poll sticker.</li>
<li><strong>Type in your question.</strong> Instagram polls are to get your audience’s opinion about a particular thing, so type away.</li>
<li><strong>Position your poll sticker.</strong> If you wish to use a picture or video and don’t want the content covered, simply change the sticker’s position or resize it.</li>
<li><strong>Fill in your answers.</strong> You can use the default 'yes/no' or different responses for your poll answers: text, emojis, or both.</li>
<li><strong>Publish your poll.</strong> Click the 'your story' or the 'send to' option to post your poll. Viola! You are done.</li>
</ol>
<h2><strong>How to view the results of your Instagram polls</strong></h2>
<ol>
<li>Open your Instagram stories.</li>
<li>Click the poll post.</li>
<li>Tap on the 'seen by A' option.</li>
</ol>
<p>This will show you who viewed your poll, their responses, and even those that viewed it without responding.</p>
<h2><strong>Four ways to use Instagram polls</strong></h2>
<p>Be it a small business or a midsize venture, here are some creative ways to use an Instagram poll for marketing your business.</p>
<ol>
<li>Engage your audience. You could ask for their stance on a social cause.</li>
<li>Gain traction for a new product or service launch.</li>
<li>Harvest information about your audience’s needs through question polls.</li>
<li>Create interest in your upcoming events and product updates.</li>
</ol>
<h2><strong>Instagram poll ideas</strong></h2>
<p>Coming up with creative ideas can be a mental strain, so we gathered some of the best-performing polls and examples of how to use them.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Quizzes</strong>
You can make a poll like this: “In what city did our last event take place?” with answers like:
A. London
B. Lagos
C. Madrid
D. Paris</li>
<li><strong>This or That.</strong> For example: “This or That, Burger or Pizza?”</li>
<li><strong>Would you rather?</strong> An interesting example is, “Would you rather Binge-watch movies at home OR go to a cinema for it?”</li>
<li><strong>Never have I?</strong> For example, “Never have I ever eaten on a mountain before? Add yours below. "</li>
<li><strong>On a scale of 1-10.</strong> The emoji slider poll example fits right here. “On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love parties?”</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Converting Instagram engagements to sales</strong></h3>
<p>While getting engagements is essential, the most vital aspect is conversion/sales. However, that will be impossible without adequate follow-ups like responding to DMs or collecting customer feedback. Of course, this is time-consuming for a business owner, but we have a solution.</p>
<p>By integrating <a href="https://chatfuel.com">Chatfuel</a> into your business account, you can make automated marketing communications in social media like:</p>
<ol>
<li>Responding to comments under your Instagram posts, DMs, and story mentions.</li>
<li>Manage common customer questions and automate your responses.</li>
<li>Giving out promo codes and recommending products or services.</li>
<li>Boosting Instagram ads.</li>
<li>Collecting customer feedback and info.</li>
<li>Booking appointments and calls.</li>
<li>Exporting data and more.</li>
</ol>
<h3><strong>Conclusion</strong></h3>
<p>By following the Instagram poll strategies listed above, you will surely get a spike in your Instagram engagements. And by <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com/sign-up">signing up</a> for our no-code chatbot-building platform, you will finally be able to scale more smoothly without worrying about missing new leads and market research.</p>
<p>‍</p>

90% of people on Instagram follow at least one business. Learn how to use Instagram polls as a better engaging content go-to solution.

Instagram polls: what they are, types, and how to create them

<p>Media companies always seek ways to engage their audience by creating compelling and interactive stories. As a result, Messenger has become one of the fastest-growing channels regarding engagement.</p>
<p>Read on to learn how a media company leveraged Messenger chatbots to lower cost per acquisition to $0, increase app installs by 40%, boost organic engagement by 30%, and earn 194% ROI.</p>
<h2>Chatbots' potential and the problems they can solve in the media industry</h2>
<p>Earlier this year, one of India’s leading news and media outlets approached <a href="https://codeyetechnologies.co">CodEye Technologies</a>, a Messenger marketing agency in Delhi, India, to help them find ways to engage and <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/customer-re-engagement-chatbot">re-engage</a> with their readers in the digital age.</p>
<p>The media company knew they needed to use social media and messaging apps to recapture the attention of their target audience. The CodEye team was confident they could <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/6-tips-chatbot-for-business">build a chatbot</a> to help their business.</p>
<p>“Early adopters are increasingly moving to bots to stay connected with their customers, ” shares CodEye co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/swayamdhawan">Swayam Dhawan</a>. “The power of real-time push notifications for sharing media articles and snippets can’t be handled any better than via bot, ” he adds. Dhawan immediately saw the potential of chatbot technology in the media industry, and their customer’s four main problems automation can solve:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Failure to retarget ad traffic.</strong> The media company wasn’t taking advantage of the warm leads they got from users who had engaged with ads but didn’t convert;</li>
<li><strong>Not enough app installs.</strong> Their mobile news app has excellent speed and UX, yet they were getting just 20-30 app installs for every $100 they put into Facebook ads. “Depending on the traffic source, they were spending an average of $5 to acquire one app download, ” says Dhawan;</li>
<li><strong>Low engagement.</strong> As a leading news and media outlet in India, the company has a solid reader base and a fairly strong social media following, but they have a very low engagement with their readers, with a measly 2% on their Facebook Page;</li>
<li><strong>Tied up team with manual, repetitive tasks.</strong> The media company struggles to streamline the tasks of their customer service team as their process of communicating with their customers was extremely inefficient and repetitive.</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>A Messenger chatbot in the campaign plan</strong></h2>
<p>The first order of business was to fix the retargeting issue to gain valuable prospects at a low cost. They began by building a Facebook Messenger chatbot in <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Chatfuel</a>, which became the key to eventually overcoming all four of the brand’s main challenges.</p>
<p>“Getting app installs was okay, but what about the traffic they acquired that didn’t install the app? That was the issue we needed to fix first, ” says Dhawan.</p>
<p>The Messenger chatbot CodEye created was built using custom PHP and Javascript code to direct users to the mobile app on both Android and iOS phones. It shows teasers for top news stories and information with multiple news categories, live sports scores, and a news-search function.</p>
<p>The chatbot also imports the latest headlines via RSS feeds and offers surveys and quiz funnels for engagement and data collection. When a user clicks on a headline to read a story or taps Read More, they’re redirected to the mobile app (if installed) or to the App Store to install the app.</p>
<p>Using Facebook Ads Manager, they ran two simple campaigns to get a solid user base for their bot, which then grew exponentially, thanks to the highly effective <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/1575719-how-to-create-facebook-and-instagram-ads">Facebook ad campaigns</a> they ran next.</p>
<h2>The Chatfuel automation helps CodEye achieve their customer goals</h2>
<p>The CodEye team mainly used four tools and features in Chatfuel to achieve results for their customer.</p>
<h3><strong>Bot links</strong></h3>
<p>Bot links send a user to a specific part of your bot instead of <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/welcome-message-best-practices">Welcome Message</a>. The CodEye team <a href="https://youtu.be/99FWocWnmCo">shared a bot link</a> in their customer’s Instagram and Facebook Stories. Instead of opening the bot’s Welcome Message, the bot link directed users to an engaging message relevant to the Story’s content.</p>
<h3><strong>Reengage messages</strong></h3>
<p>The team then sent <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/955973-reengage-tab">reengage messages</a> to the new bot users, telling them about a refer-and-win program. CodEye used Tambola, a popular game in India, to incentivize users to share the offer with their friends. This brought them many warm leads.</p>
<h3><strong>Lookalike audiences</strong></h3>
<p>Gaining access to the new bot users’ Facebook IDs in the process, the team was able to create a lookalike audience for Facebook ads. They made custom audiences to target users similar to those who:</p>
<ul>
<li>previously installed the app;</li>
<li>had clicked the Send Message button on the customer’s Facebook Page;</li>
<li>had liked or taken any other actions on the page earlier.</li>
</ul>
<p>Eventually, their bot had enough users that the referral funnel gave them a steady stream of warm, new traffic.</p>
<h3><strong>User attributes</strong></h3>
<p>CodEye’s kept interacting with their chatbot users through regular campaigns and different funnels to keep the engagement numbers healthy. For example, with <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/5573554-attributes">user attributes</a>, they kept track of which type of content each user was most interested in to send them more of it.</p>
<h2><strong>The result: increased ROI and organic engagement</strong></h2>
<p>Thanks to their Chatfuel bot, the CodEye team was able to solve all four problems their customer initially faced and bring impressive results:</p>
<ul>
<li>The power of retargeting allowed the media company to gain <strong>194,000</strong> bot users by spending only $1,000 on ads;</li>
<li>Their cost per acquisition went <strong>from $20 to $0</strong> once there were enough users for the referral funnel to do all the work;</li>
<li>Since CodEye fixed the retargeting issue, the media company gets <strong>25,000+</strong> app installs per month, a 40% increase from before;</li>
<li>At the time of this writing, CodEye had gained <strong>200,842</strong> total app downloads for their customer;</li>
<li>A few months after implementing a chatbot, the media company enjoyed a 30% boost in organic engagement on its Facebook Page;</li>
<li>In addition, the CodEye team set up a feature to <a href="https://youtu.be/A499Eeq9Lq8">automate FAQs</a> about selling ad space, so the bot now handles about 90% of the repetitive tasks and questions on the topic.</li>
</ul>
<p>Swayam Dhawan’s advice for others looking to build better funnels to improve results for their business:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“First, do not make it overcomplicated. Second, understand your target audience. Then create a plan to engage them, and use a chatbot to minimize ad costs. If you can get that right, everything else will take care of itself.”</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Grow your business with Chatfuel</h2>
<p>The results CodEye achieved with a bot are within reach for businesses across all industries. You can also build a chatbot with Chatfuel — no special knowledge or coding skills are required. <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Sign up</a> for a free account today.</p>

A media company uses Messenger chatbots to lower cost per acquisition to $0, increase app installs by 40%, and earn 194% ROI.

Media company earns 194% ROI with a Messenger chatbot

Features

<p>AI chatbots are slowly becoming more commonplace in customer support. And it’s not hard to see why: they’re fast, efficient, and 24/7. In fact, <a href="https://www.tidio.com/blog/chatbot-statistics">more than 62% of consumers</a> prefer using a customer support chatbot rather than waiting for human agents to answer their questions.</p>
<p>But not all AI chatbots are built the same. If you want your chatbot to be successful, you need to choose the right platform that will allow you to create a more intelligent and engaging bot. Let’s look at the basics of AI, its top benefits in business, and how Chatfuel is taking the lead in changing customer support for the better.</p>
<h2>What is AI?</h2>
<p>In a nutshell, AI or artificial intelligence is the ability to program systems or machines to make them behave like humans. It is essentially machine learning, where the machines are “learning” how to do things that would normally require a human. But when and how did this technology come to life?</p>
<h3>How it all started</h3>
<p>In 1956, the term “artificial intelligence” was coined by <a href="https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence">John McCarthy</a>, a legendary computer scientist at Stanford University and is now referred to as the father of AI. He defined AI as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.” The field of AI research was officially born at a conference held at Dartmouth College. But according to <a href="http://jmc.stanford.edu/artificial-intelligence/what-is-ai/index.html">McCarthy</a>, the English mathematician Alan Turing may have originated the idea of AI when he gave a lecture on it in 1947.</p>
<p>Fast-forward to the late 1990s, the supercomputer 'Deep Blue' was developed by IBM and defeated the reigning world chess champion. Today, we enjoy AI technologies in many aspects of our lives, from route-finding apps that suggest the fastest way to get somewhere to more complex applications like speech recognition and language translation.</p>
<h2>5 benefits of AI in business</h2>
<p>As AI technology matures, its potential benefits for businesses become more visible. As a result, more and more companies are starting to understand how AI can be used to their advantage. Let’s dive in and explore the five key benefits of AI for your business.</p>
<h3>1. Increase productivity and efficiency</h3>
<p>One of the most apparent benefits of AI is its ability to automate tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming for humans. This not only frees up employees to focus on other tasks but also increases efficiency and productivity company-wide.</p>
<p>A good example of this is customer service. Rather than having someone sit on the phone all day answering basic questions, AI chatbots can be used to handle the initial customer queries. This not only saves time but also reduces the need for human resources.</p>
<h3>2. Improve employee retention</h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://projectcor.com/blog/how-to-avoid-employee-turnover-with-artificial-intelligence">SHRM</a>, employee turnover rates in 2020 varied from 13% to 30% across all industries. And they were significantly higher in the service sector.</p>
<p>More than ever, businesses are looking for ways to improve employee retention rates and keep their best talent. AI can help with this by automating repetitive and mundane tasks, which gives employees more time to focus on their work-life balance. Besides increased productivity, automation can lead to happier employees who are more likely to be satisfied with their work situation and less likely to leave for greener pastures.</p>
<h3>3. Enhance customer service and satisfaction</h3>
<p>AI can improve customer service in many ways, from providing quick and accurate responses to common questions using chatbots to routing customers to the best support agent. <a href="https://www.chatbot.com/blog/chatbot-statistics">Over 70% of internet users</a> prefer to use chatbots when searching for answers to simple questions. This can help businesses enhance customer service and satisfaction levels by avoiding the long wait times often associated with traditional customer service.</p>
<p>This is where <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Chatfuel</a> comes in to make things easier for your business. Chatfuel is one of the leading no-code chatbot platforms that can help harness the power of automation in your industry. Trusted by over 7 million companies since 2015, it provides an easy-to-use builder to create chatbots for websites, Messenger, and Instagram.</p>
<h3>4. Boost sales</h3>
<p>Most businesses struggle with marketing and sales, explicitly finding new customers and selling more to existing ones. With the help of AI, you can automate your marketing and sales processes, such as lead generation and follow-ups.</p>
<p>For example, chatbots can qualify leads, book appointments, send personalized marketing messages, and make customer recommendations. AI can also help businesses keep track of customer sentiment and feedback, which can improve your service, engage return customers, and drive up sales.</p>
<h3>5. Create better business decisions</h3>
<p>As AI gets more intelligent, it can help you make better business decisions by providing accurate data and insights. This is because AI can quickly process large amounts of data and identify patterns that humans may not be able to see. By analyzing customer data and preferences, AI can help you understand what your customers want and need. This allows you to create better products and services to solve their problems.</p>
<p>AI can also help you identify new business opportunities and make better decisions about where to invest your resources, whether in product development or marketing campaigns.</p>
<h2>Create smarter AI chatbots with Chatfuel</h2>
<p>Chatfuel is the leading no-code chatbot platform that allows business owners to create AI chatbots on their websites, Messenger, and Instagram. For example, this <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/beauty-startup-sells-more-with-messenger-bot">beauty startup</a> used Chatfuel’s features and integrations in their bot and got impressive results:</p>
<ul>
<li>increased monthly sales by 40%,</li>
<li>reduced the cost per conversation by more than 50%,</li>
<li>achieved a 10x return on ad spend (ROAS),</li>
<li>increased their average order value by 10%.</li>
</ul>
<p>You can “teach” your Chatfuel chatbot to recognize more user messages by adding more keywords and using different keyword settings: Similar to, Contains, or Matches. It gives your bot a better understanding of the user’s input and ensures you can respond correctly.</p>
<p>Ready to automate your customer support and marketing campaigns? <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Sign up</a> today to get started for free.</p>
<figure><div><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gpcdWAQyRMs" title="7 lesser known AI chatbot tools you must try for business in 2022 | Chatfuel"></iframe></div></figure>

Learn how AI chatbots are helping improve customer support and speed up replies to common questions.

AI and its benefits for your business

<p>Chatbots have taken bold strides in the tech space. This journey started from the early stages when language programs proved machines like Parry and Eliza to the tech marvel Alexa. The industry has advanced the concept of human-AI communication and made sure customer interaction runs smoothly. It removed the delay caused by human management and increased business performance by 88%, leading to increased customer satisfaction.</p>
<p>This article has the correct information for building the chatbot you need. So without further ado, let’s begin.</p>
<h2>Importance of chatbots</h2>
<p>Chatbots are an indispensable piece of technology for the following reasons:</p>
<h3>Your company introduction</h3>
<p>The chatbot is the first point of interaction between customers and your business. It’s also a touchpoint more effective than email or phone calls, with <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/stories/chatbot-marketing-future">Hubspot</a> recording 47% of users open to making purchases via a bot. Your chatbot’s personality introduces your brand identity and what you offer to clients. A good example is chatbot Vroni from the travel brand, Dachstein Salzkammergut. Its name and profile picture selection indicate the bot’s receptive personality, which reflects the brand’s identity.</p>
<figure><img alt="image.png" src="/cms/static/blog/630742d1ad3e9525ce27ed4f_e5d41f69e696f4104c10cb06025c7d798231080e405c92303b06afbd83947ce343279832428bf34adcd3d753a27e0856554b67a4c5248b9f1460a30b29122102e461898720a6ebac65d3202d54248032a56d3c4064904e37122653ea8af387e18f4c3ffc.png" height="634" width="1331" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAA7DAAAOwwHHb6hkAAAAIklEQVR4nGMIDJFva6u2dTT+/+8fg6OvZmt7EQsvw63HhwCFYwq9IwEKPwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p>Chatbot Vroni offers help to Dachstein Salzkammergut customers.</p>
<h3>Constant availability</h3>
<p>Traditional customer service ends the moment your physical staff leaves the office. This work closure doesn’t stop the customers from having queries and sending messages at odd hours. With a chatbot, you get the assurance of being permanently online to address those issues.</p>
<h3>Gaining insight into customer behavior</h3>
<p>Customer inquiries and questions help you understand their preferences. Chatbots are the perfect way to get this information with the volume of queries they receive. You can also build your bot with specific responses so it can steer customers to give helpful information.</p>
<h2>How to build and improve your chatbot</h2>
<p>Getting a chatbot and ensuring it performs perfectly are two sides of the same automation coin. To make sure things go smoothly, use these tips:</p>
<h3>1. Stick to your brand’s tone of voice or create one</h3>
<p>Tone consistency is the best way to improve brand awareness and trust with your customers. For example, brands like Old Spice have harnessed a recognizable humorous tone for communicating with customers. You can <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/craft-a-brand-voice-that-converts">create your brand tone</a> for your chatbot by defining your values and target audience. Then, you can improve the chatbot by creating a style guide for new content over time.</p>
<h3>2.  Utilize the default answer feature</h3>
<p>Default answers are the automated response your bot gives to a question it can’t recognize. A good example could be “Sorry, I didn’t catch that” or “Could you repeat that?”. When building your chatbot, ensure the <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/4413516-default-answers">default answers</a> are engaged to give users a sense of direction. You can also boost bot performance by coding critical responses that can make users ask better questions about what they want.</p>
<p>For the default answer feature to work, inform the customer that they’re chatting with a bot. This transparency builds trust for your brand while ensuring your customers have multiple choices.</p>
<h3>3. Personalize user experience with user attributes</h3>
<p>Every customer wants to feel special when communicating with your brand. It shows that your company cares and is not just out to turn a profit.</p>
<p>User attributes are the information given to each user, making it easier to identify them. In this case, you can address customers by their first name to give them a memorable experience. You can go further by using other attributes like <em>last seen</em> to convince users they’ve been away for too long.</p>
<h3>4. Use keywords and AI</h3>
<p>Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a machine to perform tasks that would have required human knowledge and experience. For example, AI allows your bot to simulate a discussion with a user as naturally as possible. You can use this conversational technology on different platforms such as websites, mobile apps, messaging applications, and the telephone.</p>
<p>You can use <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/828883-keywords">keywords</a> to trigger your chatbot. You can open the user input section and add the keyword. When the user types in that word, the chatbot becomes active. The conversation will proceed in a way that benefits your business.</p>
<p>You can add more keywords later to prepare for new customer responses. This action will widen the scope of items you can suggest to customers for purchase and answer their most pressing questions.</p>
<h3>5. Build different conversational flows for different users</h3>
<p>To build the perfect bot, you need a flow builder. A flow is a path the user takes from the Entry Point through a set of steps to the final action, e.g., a purchase. With different flows for different users, you can attend to unrelated requests at the same time. To create user flows, you need to understand the users' needs and identify the different Entry Points. For example, customers can engage with your Instagram story, which is the Story Reply Entry Point.</p>
<p>When building your user flow, we recommend you understand what you’re trying to achieve. This clarity would serve as an outline for your objectives. All flows are listed on the left, while content appears on the right. You can improve the flow elements (blocks, plugins, and connectors) by connecting all of them to avoid dead ends in the conversation.</p>
<h3>6. Add typing animation</h3>
<p>The typing animation will determine how smooth the conversation with the user will be. It also makes the user feel comfortable, like conversing with a fellow human being. A good example is the “typing” and “recording audio” on messengers. You can set the animation speed to give the user time to read the information. Then, if you wish, you can change the speed to fit the user’s response time.</p>
<h2>Get your automation with Chatfuel today</h2>
<p>With these tips, you can create and improve your Chatfuel bot to communicate with customers naturally. So <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">sign up</a> today and get your 50 free conversations.</p>

Useful tips on how to improve a chatbot with default answers, user attributes and more.