Mary Rybakova

Industries

Customer Stories

Customer support

Engagement

Entertainment

Facebook

Integrations

Re-engagement

<h2>The Brand</h2>
<p>Yash Bhansali and Vikram Kanodia met in high school. Now, they’ve founded a chatbot agency together called <a href="https://talkative.ai">Talkative.AI.</a> Their chat agency’s mission is “to use conversational AI to power ecommerce, create unique customer experiences, and empower brands.” And when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, they saw opportunities to help their clients weather the storm using AI chat bots. This is the story of one such consumer marketing client, a Mumbai bakery called Essange that specializes in stunning cakes and cupcakes.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb0a55deacf1_AI chatbot for bakery.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="1194" width="1618" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAABYlAAAWJQFJUiTwAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AE0mHHJgWNvf4Pv7+wAkAABkPUHPzdHV3eMAPjA0LwAAqpme////YFUS/ITogA0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Essange is known for their beautiful desserts.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Problem</h2>
<p>When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, lockdowns went into effect all around the world. Since gatherings and parties were prohibited, Essange experienced a sudden, major drop in business. “Regular orders slowed down,” explains Yash, “and many people started baking at home for themselves instead by following online video tutorials on YouTube, <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/instagram-messenger-boost-business">Instagram</a>, and Facebook.” To stay in business, the bakery’s owner knew she needed to pivot—and fast.</p>
<h2>The Solution</h2>
<p>Yash and Vikram knew that a robust AI chatbot would be the perfect solution to help this client keep her business afloat. Their Facebook chatbot agency had already built her a bot for <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">FAQ automation</a>, but they knew that now was the time to turn that into something even more powerful and engaging. “We decided to use this opportunity to create a unique, memorable experience for all her customers while generating a new source of income at the same time,” Vikram and Yash tell us.</p>
<p>Here’s how the <a href="https://m.me/essangedessertbar?ref=BakeAtHome">Bake at Home bot</a> works:</p>
<ol>
<li>Customers buy a DIY “bake at home” kit from the bakery, which includes everything they need to make their dessert of choice except for milk and eggs. 📦</li>
<li>The customer uses their phone to scan the QR code on the kit, and they’re directed to the Facebook chatbot that Yash and Vikram built. 🤖</li>
<li>The AI bot acts as a virtual baking assistant, guiding the customer through each step of the baking process with instructions and GIFs. 🗺️</li>
</ol>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb8182deacf2_Agency builds AI chatbot.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AKSkpKKjpGtra6qwsgBRS0YkHheTlJTa4OUA4uLir6+vvsLHztXaiTsWL9C/jV8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The AI chatbot for the bakery guides customers through instructions for baking their dessert.</figcaption></figure>
<p>“Not only does the chatbot make the baking experience super easy and fun,” Vikram explains, “but it also retargets the customer a few hours later to upsell other DIY baking kits.” The Messenger bot also invites users to tag the bakery in a photo of their completed creation on social media, which helps the business generate social proof.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbd847deacf3_Customer experience chatbot.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAL0lEQVR4nGP4//9/SnJyakbG////Gf7//29tbCTOzAHi/PjxY9XqdUsXL//x4wcA0xwY2GyHGk4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The bakery chatbot invites customers to share a photo of their creation on social media once they've finished it.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Yash and Vikram explain that they wanted to use a chatbot for something more than a marketing channel or a <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">customer service experience</a>. “The client said, <em>Can we make the bot part of the business?</em> And that’s when we figured out that there’s a tandem opportunity to actually make the bot part of the product she’s selling,” they share.</p>
<h2>The Recipe</h2>
<p>“We’ve found that good chatbots don’t need to be complex chatbots,” says Yash. “Some of the most effective bots are those that use only simple or basic features, but are designed to focus on business goals and providing the best customer service experience through smooth interactions.”</p>
<p>That’s why Chatfuel was the right fit for their project. “We feel that the Chatfuel team keeps the end-user in mind while designing the platform,” shares Vikram. “The end-user experience is our relentless focus with every chatbot, so using Chatfuel helps us create more value for our clients.”</p>
<p>Here are a few of the Chatfuel tools and features the Talkative team used to build this baking bot:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Artificial intelligence (AI)</strong>. “We leveraged Google’s NLP to understand user input and respond intelligently. This ensures a seamless, unrestricted, and natural user experience,” says Yash. To apply AI in the simplest way, you can <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/828883-keywords">set up AI rules</a>, which are pre-set messages your bot will send  in response to certain text inputs from users. Or, you can learn how to set up Dialogflow for a more robust user experience with AI. Either way, an AI chatbot can significantly improve the user experience, as it did for the Bake at Home Bot.</li>
<li><strong>Customer Chat Entry Point.</strong> Yash and Vikram used this plugin so that the chatbot would pop up and offer help to anyone who visits the bakery’s website. <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/add-a-messenger-chatbot-to-your-website">Adding a chatbot to a website</a> is an easy way for any brand to get new users.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb4e80deacf4_Chatbot for website.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="1390" width="2588" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAABYlAAAWJQFJUiTwAAAAI0lEQVR4nGP4//dnXW6Op6XFhXMXGK6eOqrAwNBWVtA+ZQkAuvMNJIfb5pwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The chatbot is ready to engage anyone who visits the bakery's website.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Facebook Ads Entry Points.</strong> This feature lets you easily set up <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/sponsored-messages-guide-to-reengaging-chatbot-subscribers">sponsored messages</a> and <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-click-to-messenger-ads-to-drive-traffic-to-your-bot">click-to-Messenger ads</a> for your bot, and Yash and Vikram took advantage. “Sponsored messages and click-to-Messenger ads on Facebook <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/use-instagram-ads-to-bring-users-to-your-dms-or-your-messenger-bot">and Instagram</a> were ‘baked’ into the branding and marketing strategy,” they tell us.</li>
</ul>
<p>Vikram and Yash shared that they also made use of <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/925465-media-assets">gallery cards</a>, images, GIFs, and sequences in the recipe tutorials. User attributes and <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/a-marketing-automation-love-story-chatfuel-zapier">Zapier CRM integrations</a> helped them with personalization and retargeting. All these features combined helped improve the customer experience for the bakery bot’s users.</p>
<h2>The Results</h2>
<p>The Bake at Home Bot performed extremely well, according to Yash and Vikram. “The chatbot achieved its design goals beyond expectation in terms of lead conversion, increased sales, brand building, and customer engagement,” they tell us.</p>
<p>“Our experience-oriented design <strong>acquired 250% more users in a month</strong> than the automated FAQs version was able to acquire in over a year,” shares Vikram. “User activity spiked to <strong>50x Active Users</strong> and 13x Reengaged Users. Plus, online-to-offline sales conversions also increased significantly, which helped our client jump-start her business amidst the COVID slowdown!”</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb4692deacf5_AI chatbot metrics.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="707" width="1600" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAI0lEQVR4nGN4/frN959/ymtbJ0yZwzB33qL4pAxtQ8vo+FQA1xANoh6FLuYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The virtual assistant version of the bakery's chatbot acquired 250% more users in a month than the FAQ version did in over a year.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>A chatbot can get your business sweet results 🍰</h2>
<p>The digital customer experience the Bake at Home Bot offers was a game changer for Essange Bakery, as it helped them expand their customer base, increase sales, and stand out from the competition. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with a free AI chatbot, get started with Chatfuel today. <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">Start with a free account</a> to get familiar with <a href="https://youtu.be/D4n6VLQHE5U">the basics of building a Chatfuel bot</a>, then <a href="https://chatfuel.com/pricing">upgrade to Pro</a> when you’re ready for unlimited users, priority support, and other perks.</p>

A marketing agency built an AI chatbot for this bakery to help them stay afloat and even grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bakery Uses AI Chatbot to Create New Revenue Stream During COVID-19 Shutdown

Platforms

Industry News

Instagram

<p><em>Missed an episode of Chatfuel School—the podcast where we cover hot topics in the world of bot-building and marketing? Don’t worry; we took notes for you.<em>🤓</em>The topic for October 20, 2020 was Instagram expert Jenn Herman’s top tips to help businesses decode the Instagram algorithm. Here’s the full episode on how to use Instagram for business.<em>👇</em>Keep scrolling for a recap of what you missed.</em></p>
<figure><iframe allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rJNxfbkCDOQ"></iframe></figure>
<p>If you’re new to social media marketing, or if you simply don’t have much time to spend on it, the word <em>algorithm</em> might send shivers up your spine. It might make social media platforms seem like complex, confusing tools for businesses. But in reality, you don’t need to understand every detail of how the algorithm works on a platform like Instagram to be successful marketing there. You really just need to know one key rule: <em>the Instagram algorithm looks out for and rewards content that engages users</em>.</p>
<p>That’s the main takeaway from <a href="https://www.jennstrends.com">Instagram expert Jenn Herman</a>’s appearance on our marketing podcast (video above). Keep reading for our five-minute recap of her strategies on <em>how</em> to create this content that engages users, plus a handful of other simple, easy-to-implement Instagram marketing tips. By the end of it, you’ll have all her best advice on how to make the Instagram algorithm work for your business.</p>
<p>👉<strong>BONUS:</strong> After that, we’ll talk about how new <a href="https://chatfuel.com/instagram">messaging tools for Instagram</a> are coming soon, and what Jenn and other marketing experts have to say about how those will make business success on Instagram <em>even easier</em>.</p>
<h2>How to show up in Instagram search results</h2>
<p>Jenn’s first tip for marketing on Instagram is a tweak you can make to your Instagram profile in seconds: changing your profile name (and possibly your handle as well). She shares that Instagram search only looks at your name field and your username/handle for keywords, not the rest of your bio. “So if you want to be found for a keyword, or something specifically relevant to your business, your brand, your niche, your solution, or your product, those words need to be in both the name and username,” she explains.</p>
<p>Take a look at Jenn’s own Instagram bio to see this tip in action. “If someone goes to Instagram and looks for my business name, my personal name, or an Instagram expert, they’re going to find me in search,” Jenn says.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb7d60deacd6_Instagram search results_instagram bio to find in search.png" loading="lazy" alt="Instagram search results" height="712" width="2068" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAABCAIAAAB2XpiaAAAACXBIWXMAABYlAAAWJQFJUiTwAAAAFUlEQVR4nGNIS0kSEhL09vR48+IFABhpBPqLE4E8AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p>So don’t waste time stuffing your bio full of keywords and hashtags; they won’t make a difference in Instagram search. Instead, use that space to explain what your business does and why prospects should choose you. Save the keywords for your name field and handle.</p>
<h2>What type of images to post on Instagram</h2>
<p>Now that you’ve got a search-optimized Instagram business account, what should you be posting to it? Jenn reminds us that your main goal in posting content to your Instagram feed should be to stop people mid-scroll—even if it’s no more than a temporary slowing of their pace. Instagram counts both of these as positives algorithmically. So Jenn’s number-one rule for what content to upload to Instagram is: <strong>Don’t post busy images</strong>.</p>
<p>“Have simple backgrounds, clear focal points, or a pop of color that draws attention to a specific place,” advises Jenn. Otherwise, users won’t stop to look at your content. “When they see a busy photo,” she continues, “their eyes can’t focus, and they’re most likely going to keep on scrolling. But if there’s a clear focal point, they’re more likely to slow down and pay attention.” And Instagram will reward that slowing down, stopping, and/or double-tapping with more visibility for your content overall.</p>
<p>You can see a clear example of this principle in the images below. 🍦The photo on the left is busy. There’s a lot going on in the background and too many possible points of focus. But the one on the right is crisp, clear, and immediately shows the eye where to go, making it a better choice for posting to an Instagram account.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb06e3deacd7_What type of images to post on Instagram.png" loading="lazy" alt="Images to post on Instagram" height="1300" width="2000" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMElEQVR4nGMoKs6dNL2zkEHFl4GfISc60ElfOYCBIYCBgeH/r2/nDuz+v2Pzv1XLAPziEDJ2zrJPAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The photo on the right is the better choice for posting to Instagram because it's not too busy and has a clear focal point.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Jenn adds that, if you’re going to use text in your images, keep it minimal. A few words is okay, but any more than that and your Instagram followers won’t take the time to stop and read. If you have more words to share than what can be read on an image at a glance, put them in the caption instead.</p>
<h2>When to post to Instagram</h2>
<p>Should brands on Instagram aim to post seven days a week? Definitely not, according to Jenn. “Posting every single day to your Instagram feed is too much,” she tells us. “When you post every day, you’re actually making your content compete with itself.” Why? Because your business’s average follower doesn’t open the Instagram app every day.</p>
<p>So let’s say you post an image every day starting on Sunday, but one of your Instagram followers doesn’t log in until Friday. In this case, the Instagram algorithm’s not going to show that user all six of your posts. It’s going to choose one or two it thinks are most important, and not display the rest in their feed. As a result, your followers may miss important information from you, and your images will all receive lower reach than if you had just posted twice.</p>
<p>So how often <em>should</em> you post to Instagram? “Three to five times a week is usually enough for most businesses,” Jenn explains. However, she shares that she only posts to @jenns_trends twice a mont. “If I don’t have high-quality content that’s relevant to my audience,” says Jenn, “I’m not posting to the feed.” And that’s the bottom line of marketing with Instagram: Post when you have something to say—something valuable or entertaining or otherwise useful for your followers. Don’t burn yourself out trying to post more than that for your Instagram marketing strategy just because you think you’re supposed to.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>“[Posting to Instagram] three to five times a week is usually enough for most businesses.”</em> –Jenn Herman, Instagram expert</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>How to design captivating Instagram Stories</h2>
<p>Now you know what kind of content to post to your Instagram feed and when—but what about Instagram Stories? These pieces of content only stay visible on your profile for 24 hours (unless you <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/813938898787367">add them to your highlights</a>), so there’s a bit less pressure to create something picture-perfect. (Think of the photos and videos you post to your feed as your stage performance, and Stories as the behind-the-scenes peek.) Instead, Jenn recommends focusing on generating active engagement there. And what’s the best way to get audiences to engage with your Stories? According to Jenn: <a href="https://help.instagram.com/151273688993748"><strong>stickers</strong></a>.</p>
<p>There are lots of different types of stickers you can add to your Instagram Stories. Jenn recommends the ones that get viewers to tap right on your Story to engage with it, like polls, questions, and quizzes. It could be a simple question (<em>Are you decorating for the holidays?</em> is one example Jenn gives), or a quiz that teachers users something. Whatever you choose, your goal is to “get people to interact,” says Jenn. “That drives engagement, and engagement keeps your content ranking higher.”</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb6b1edeacd8_How to design captivating Instagram Stories.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAL0lEQVR4nGOQVLNiEdd2sLP19PRkUNSy5JNU5+VgV1NVZXj77tPHz980VZRtrS0BnZkKfA1cibsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Examples of two Instagram Stories that use stickers (poll on the left, quiz on the right) to generate user engagement.</figcaption></figure>
<p>And to help get your Stories seen by more people, Jenn urges brands on Instagram to use hashtags in them. She recommends adding the hashtag sticker with one broad or general hashtag (like an industry, topic, or geographical area: #science, #socialmedia, #sandiego, for example). “Stories are only available for 24 hours, so the chances that someone’s looking for something super niche-specific in that time frame: not likely,” explains Jenn. “You have a greater chance of showing up in those search results with a broader hashtag,” she says, despite the fact that there’s generally more competition for those.</p>
<h2>The next big thing for brands on Instagram</h2>
<p>In case you haven’t heard, <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2020/10/19/messenger-api-to-support-Instagram">Facebook announced</a> in October 2020 that it’s about to get a lot easier for brands to have one-on-one conversations with prospects and customers at scale, via Instagram messaging. Here at Chatfuel, we’re building tools to make this new functionality as powerful and easy-to-use as possible, so you can <a href="https://chatfuel.com/instagram">automate Instagram messaging</a> for your business. Here’s what Jenn has to say about this exciting new development in Instagram marketing:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I’m excited! We’ve known this was an eventual end goal, and it’s good to see this coming to fruition. I look forward to seeing how more businesses can be creative and unique with their use of automated messaging to better serve their customers, build their audiences, and drive sales. From simple customer service needs to contests and more, this is going to open so much more opportunity for businesses on Instagram. If you’re not yet familiar with Messenger marketing and chatbots, now is a good time to do some research, find the <a href="https://chatfuel.com">experts in the industry</a> to help you learn, and to ultimately start experimenting with these features.”</p>
<p>“I look forward to seeing how more businesses can be creative and unique with their use of automated messaging to better serve their customers, build their audiences, and drive sales.” –Jenn Herman, Instagram expert</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We also chatted with <a href="https://www.marismith.com">social media marketing expert <strong>Mari Smith</strong></a> to get her take on this news. “The ability to reach your audience—whether B2B or B2C—in the inbox of their choice is phenomenal.” More from Mari:</p>
<figure><iframe allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3OjJL3ZsdYk"></iframe></figure>
<p>Agency owner Harry Bankov of <a href="https://www.marketingharry.com">Brave Social Media Marketing</a> also shared some exciting ideas about how this development will change the future of the industry:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“This update will allow social media marketing professionals such as myself to bring the ‘social’ element back to social media: Creating stronger relationships with our existing community, streamlining our onboarding processes for clients, and expanding our online communities. I’m grateful for this amazing opportunity, as it has the potential to change Instagram.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And finally, digital marketing expert Amanda Robinson of <a href="https://thedigitalgal.com">The Digital Gal</a> gives more context on the Instagram automation announcement, and how it’ll help businesses to “expand the user experience and have better conversations when it comes to <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">customer service,</a> business transactions, and shopping.” 👇</p>
<figure><iframe allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jxH9NbYYdnE"></iframe></figure>
<h2>Instagram made easy</h2>
<p>Thanks to Jenn’s expert tips and the coming of automation tools for Instagram messaging, it’s never been easier to level up your business’s Instagram presence. Don’t forget to sign up to <a href="https://chatfuel.com/instagram">get notified when we launch</a> our Instagram automation tools. Until then, learn how to <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/use-instagram-ads-to-bring-users-to-your-dms-or-your-messenger-bot">set up ads to bring Instagram users to your DMs</a> or Facebook bot.</p>
<p>To <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/top-9-reasons-your-business-needs-a-chatbot">start automating conversations</a> with prospects and customers on Facebook Messenger today, <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">sign up for a free Chatfuel account</a>. Interested in more digital marketing content like this? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/chatfuel">Subscribe to our YouTube channel</a> to get notified when we drop more videos.</p>

Get this Instagram expert's top tips to help your businesses decode the Instagram algorithm. Plus, new messaging tools are coming soon.

The 5-Minute Guide to Mastering the Instagram Algorithm

Non-profit

<h2>The Brand</h2>
<p>Direct Relief is an international <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/9-reasons-your-nonprofit-needs-a-chatbot">nonprofit organization</a> that was founded by William Zimdin, a US immigrant from Estonia. In 1945, Zimdin was starting a nonprofit by sending thousands of relief parcels with food, clothes, and medicine from the US to relatives and friends in Europe, who were rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of World War II. In 1948 he made his project official, registering it as a California-based non profit organization.</p>
<p>Since then, <a href="https://www.directrelief.org">Direct Relief</a> has worked to help people around the world recover from everything from disease outbreaks to natural disasters. They continue to follow Zimdin’s tradition of “direct and targeted assistance provided in a manner that respects and involves all people served” to this day. 💙</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb62eddeacc0_history-directrelief.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="History of Direct Relief" height="720" width="1280" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAC4jAAAuIwF4pT92AAAAIklEQVR4nGP49+9fdHS0ubl5amoqw5QpU4qLi81MzRgYGACcSwmWxEzWwQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Direct Relief's operations in their early days</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Problem</h2>
<p>When people need assistance from nonprofits like Direct Relief, they usually need it immediately—whether it’s food and water after a hurricane or crucial healthcare after an earthquake. Fast response times are absolutely critical to this nonprofit business’s operations as human lives are often on the line. But when disasters struck in the past, the volume of these messages was often more than Direct Relief’s small social media team could handle in a timely manner.</p>
<p>Over the course of the 2017 hurricane season, for example, they received hundreds of messages on Facebook Messenger from people around the globe. Some were wondering how they could rally support for those in impacted communities. Others needed urgent information on how to receive medical assistance. At first, the only solution the Direct Relief team could come up with to handle all the messages was bringing on more people—either temporary staff or training volunteers. And then they discovered chatbots. 🤖</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb39b1deacc1_Direct Relief volunteers aid a community heavily impacted by a hurricane.jpg" loading="lazy" alt="Nonprofit chatbot of Direct Relief" height="720" width="1280" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAJUlEQVR4nAEaAOX/AP/+5PT06cu6qu7++QCvrq6DfnY0LSQABgT4RA7YbtC6GAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Direct Relief volunteers aid a community heavily impacted by a hurricane.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Solution</h2>
<p>The Direct Relief team started looking for solutions to the problem of their overflowing Messenger inbox. “As we were weighing options,” explains Tony Morain, Direct Relief’s VP of Communications, “we reached out to our contacts at Facebook for recommendations. They told us about Chatfuel. We signed up and saw how easy it was to create a working chatbot,” he continues, “one that was smart enough to respond to people’s needs and guide them to the resources they requested.” In just a few hours, a team of two people at the Direct Relief non profit organization built <a href="http://m.me/directrelief">a Facebook Messenger chatbot</a> that was ready for launch.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbcf95deacc2_Chatbot Helps Nonprofit Respond Immediately to Emergency Requests_.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMElEQVR4nGNgME5lcCxmEHZgMMxg2Pfq/+kv/xceu3vz/38GBqUgBnl/BodChsg+AB82DzMwn43XAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p>At first, the chatbot for this non profit organization focused on <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">answering FAQs</a> about their emergency response efforts, and providing information about volunteering, receiving help, and donating. But “the bot has evolved since then,” Tony says. “It now converses in <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-a-multilingual-chatbot">a number of languages</a> and routes inquiries to the right internal teams for follow up.”</p>
<p>Though the team has made improvements over time, the Facebook chatbot’s core purpose remains the same: “to help people at scale,” confirms Tony. To make sure the bot is achieving this goal, he explains that its conversations are regularly reviewed by staff members, and that users are also given a <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/849315-live-chat">live chat</a> option if they prefer. Tony adds that, when it comes to how to market a nonprofit, Direct Relief doesn’t spend much on advertising. “That makes it all the more important to maintain relationships with the people who do support the organization, and the chatbot is critical in that regard.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“It’s important to maintain relationships with the people who do support the organization, and the chatbot is critical in that regard.” — Tony Morain, VP of Communications at Direct Relief</p>
</blockquote>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbd491deacaf_CTA button #2.png" loading="lazy" alt="nonprofit chatbot for nonprofit organizations " height="281" width="1283" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAABCAIAAAB2XpiaAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAFUlEQVR4nGNwnHOMgddAvXnVqr//AR5ZBdsVGgq6AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<h2>The Recipe</h2>
<p>The Direct Relief team focused on these Chatfuel tools and features to build their nonprofit chatbot:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Templates</strong>. Before they sat down to actually build their Facebook chatbot, the Direct Relief team explored Chatfuel’s bot templates “to understand the platform and learn about what’s possible,” says Tony. Templates are a great way to get familiar with the structure of a well-built chatbot before you dive into the actual building process yourself. <em>Find templates for Automation → Blocks-tab bots by clicking the <strong>Choose from templates button</strong> when you first log in to Chatfuel. Templates for Automation→Flows-tab bots take the form of links. A collection of these is coming soon. (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel">Join our Facebook community</a> for updates.)</em></li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb7cb2deacc3_nonprofit template for chatbots.png" loading="lazy" alt="Nonprofit template for nonprofit organizations " height="562" width="1202" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAAAI0lEQVR4nGNg4JTa+/z/9P3XGASlGTiEmA/8+z/50lcGHikAhjYKeazVmUkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Templates and shared flows can help you get familiar with the basic structure of a well-built chatbot. The one shown here is for bots built in the <em>Automation → Blocks</em> tab.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Artificial intelligence (AI)</strong>. If a user sends the bot a custom text message (instead of choosing a button or quick reply), artificial intelligence allows it to still respond accurately. To build their AI chatbot, the Direct Relief team used the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/json-api-examples">JSON API</a> to integrate Dialogflow (a conversational AI). As Tony explains, the artificial intelligence helps “expand the bot’s contextual understanding and responsiveness.”</li>
<li><a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/849315-live-chat"><strong>Live chat</strong></a>. Users who interact with this charity’s Facebook chatbot have the option to pause the bot’s responses and connect with a live agent instead. This functionality is helpful if the chatbot isn’t able to answer the user’s question, or if the user simply prefers speaking with a human agent.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb1db4deacc4_livechat Facebook chatbot.png" loading="lazy" alt="Live chat in chatbot " height="1068" width="1616" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAABYlAAAWJQFJUiTwAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AOfo6fPy8vTy8fXy8QDu7e3W1dXKy9HN1d4A+vj4BgMCJSsy0+XuXQobikXaz6AAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Google Site Search plugin</strong> and <strong>RSS Import plugin</strong>. These plugins allow Messenger chatbots to pull information from websites and instantly display it in Messenger for users. The Direct Relief bot gets information from the Direct Relief website and others to share emergency updates with users as needed.</li>
</ul>
<h2>The Results</h2>
<p>Thanks to their Facebook Messenger chatbot, Direct Relief is now able to receive and respond to requests for help more quickly than ever before. <strong>Their response time went from several days to under a minute.</strong> As a result, the people they serve are able to get the resources and aid they need as quickly as possible. To date, the Direct Relief nonprofit chatbot has responded to <strong>over 10,000 user messages.</strong></p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb974fdeacce_Direct Relief Chatbot Case Study Results.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIUlEQVR4nGNg0G9mEEyrPfp/4s3/DCCOWOaV//8v/f8PAIOBDKcWd+icAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p>The chatbot also assists Direct Relief with their nonprofit marketing. For one, the bot helps facilitate nonprofit fundraising by engaging those who want to donate and directing them to the right place. Plus, the chatbot saves the Direct Relief team “<strong>dozens of hours each week</strong>—time that can be reinvested in our mission to serve those in need,” says Tony.</p>
<p>Tony shares a specific example of how the chatbot for Direct Relief helped an organization quickly get the supplies they needed to provide aid to others. 👇</p>
<figure><iframe allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V3aPGnw9GSM"></iframe></figure>
<h2>Changing the world one chatbot at a time 💙</h2>
<p>The Direct Relief chatbot can get users the often crucial and even life-saving information they need immediately. As a result, it empowers the organization to accomplish their mission even more effectively.</p>
<p>Could your nonprofit also benefit from quicker response times, more donations and volunteers, and the other perks of a Messenger bot? Check out <a href="https://youtu.be/D4n6VLQHE5U">this video tutorial</a> to see just how easy it is to build a no-code chatbot with Chatfuel. (After all, the function of Chatfuel is to make bot-building accessible to all!)</p>
<p>👉Then, <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com"><strong>sign up for your free account</strong></a>—no credit card, contracts, or previous experience required. When you’re ready to upgrade for more users and priority service, apply for Bots for Good. It’s our 1:1 matching program where we give approved 501c3 nonprofits double the chatbot users for free.</p>
<p><em>Building a chatbot to help with COVID-19 information or relief efforts? Learn about our free COVID-19 chatbot template for non profit charities.</em></p>

The Messenger chatbot for this non profit organization helps get life-saving aid to people in need.

Chatbot Helps Nonprofit Respond Immediately to Emergency Requests

E-commerce

<h2>The Brand</h2>
<p>Bonomi is a Budapest-based startup founded by marketing professionals with a passion <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-travel-industry">for travel</a>. With the industry shifting towards alternative accommodations like AirBnbs, “we realized that hotels no longer stand a chance in the race for our digital attention,” say the founders. That’s why they created a solution to help hotels stay competitive. It’s called <a href="https://bonomi.io/en/#subscribe-modal">Bonomi Assistant,</a> a customizable Facebook Messenger chatbot that acts as a virtual assistant for hotel brands of all sizes. It’s “a future-proof solution designed to enhance the guest experience by making hotels available inside popular messaging channels” like Facebook Messenger, the Bonomi team tells us.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb7b2fdeabe1_Startup-Builds-Messenger-Chatbot-to-Help-Hotels-Through-COVID-19-_3-1.png" alt="" height="512" width="1092" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAI0lEQVR4nGOQ0LFRtfFqbWyd0NLJwMAts3HP6f+ffyUkZAEAcfoKyTY3iCgAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The Bonomi virtual assistant is a Facebook Messenger chatbot for hotels.</figcaption></figure>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s “a future-proof solution designed to enhance the guest experience by making hotels available inside popular messaging channels.” –Bonomi founders</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The Problem</h2>
<p>The founders of Bonomi recognized that hotels around the world today face two main challenges:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Competition 🏆</strong> Traditional hotels now have to compete with other accommodation alternatives. AirBnb, for example, now has over <a href="https://www.alltherooms.com/analytics/airbnb-ipo-going-public-revenues-business-model-statistics/#:~:text=As%20of%20writing%2C%20Airbnb%20has,and%20around%206.1%20million%20listings.)">6.1 million</a>  listings worldwide. AirBnb stays are typically cheaper than hotels, and direct communication with hosts makes booking them quick and seamless. As a result, <a href="https://skift.com/2018/11/14/airbnbs-growth-is-slowing-amid-increasing-competition-from-booking-and-expedia">47% of respondents</a> in a 2018 survey said they have replaced a hotel stay with an AirBnb—a number that has likely risen in the last two years. To stay competitive, hotels need new marketing tactics that will help them attract guests, convey value, and provide better customer service.</li>
<li><strong>COVID-19</strong> 😷 Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has <a href="https://youtu.be/FQ4y0avqqtc">turned the travel industry upside down</a>. In the US alone, <a href="https://www.ahla.com/covid-19s-impact-hotel-industry">six out of ten hotel rooms</a> sit empty in July 2020. US hotels have already lost more than <a href="https://www.ahla.com/covid-19s-impact-hotel-industry">$40 billion</a> in room revenue this year, and the numbers don’t look much better in most other countries. And even though travel is slowly starting to pick up again in some places, guests are cautious and hesitant. They have new questions about things like safety and cleanliness that need answers before booking. And once they arrive, a low-risk, contactless experience is extremely important.</li>
</ul>
<h2>The Solution</h2>
<p>The founders of Bonomi built a tool to help hotel owners stand up to these key challenges. Chatbot technology stood out as the ideal form for this tool to take. “After trying out and building a few chatbots, we were convinced that they are a natural extension of the mobile-first customer experience design we’ve been aiming for since 2013.”</p>
<p>So the Bonomi Assistant is a virtual assistant in the form of a Messenger chatbot. The hotel chatbot’s framework lives in Chatfuel, and can be copied, customized, and <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/3882031-chatfuel-for-agencies-and-creators#:~:text=We%20also%20offer%20an%20Enterprise%20plan">white-labeled</a> by the Bonomi team for any hotel client. (Bonomi has a demo version of the hotel chatbot so you can see how it works. <a href="https://www.messenger.com/t/bonomi.io">Chat with it here</a>.)</p>
<p>The Bonomi Assistant can help hotels achieve the following goals:</p>
<p><strong>Attract new customers</strong> 👋 Chatbots can provide a personalized conversational marketing experience. They can greet prospective guests by name, tailor information to their preferences, <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">answer their questions</a>, and remember all the data for the next conversation. The Bonomi Assistant’s demo feature shows this capability in action. The bot for a fictional hotel asks the user who they’ll be traveling with and what types of activities they like. It then recommends rooms and packages that match their needs and interests. The bot can integrate with a hotel’s existing software for booking, too. The result: a frictionless process that leads to more paid reservations.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb13c9deabe6_Startup-Builds-Messenger-Chatbot-to-Help-Hotels-Through-COVID-19-_2.png" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMElEQVR4nGNg4LVhkPJgEHViUA5haN9+e8GZN5P2Pzj9/T8Dg5gzg4o/g5Qrg2Y4AOpyDIihCAH4AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The demo chatbot for Bonomi shows how it can make personalized recommendations for prospective guests to encourage them to book.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Upsell additional services</strong> 🥂 Once a guest is ready to make a booking, the hotel chatbot can suggest add-ons they might be interested in. It’s a completely automated way for hotels to generate more revenue through things like airport transfers, tour packages, and room upgrades.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbe7d4deabe2_Startup-Builds-Messenger-Chatbot-to-Help-Hotels-Through-COVID-19-_1.png" alt="" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMElEQVR4nGNgEHFikHJnkPJhMEhhWH/3/47H/3t2377+/z8DQ2Q/Q85sBrdyhtz5AA4LD4aUpy2EAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>These screenshots show a Bonomi client using the bot to upsell airport transfers to guests.</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Provide a contactless guest experience</strong> 💬 Before COVID-19, attentive in-person customer service from hotel staff was a good thing. But during a global pandemic, contactless is the new gold standard. Hotels can use the Bonomi Assistant to automatically answer most questions guests may have during their stay. This feature helps keep guests and staff at a safe distance, since guests won’t have to approach the front desk for every question or concern. It also gives the staff more time to focus on other tasks.</p>
<p><strong>Follow up with prospects and customers</strong> 🗓️ After a user has chatted with a hotel chatbot once, their basic information and conversation history are saved there. This benefits the hotel in two ways:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>More bookings</strong>. If a user starts the booking process but doesn’t finish, the Facebook chatbot can send them reminder messages <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/5627483-types-of-reengage-messages#h_b8201a2718">within the next 24 hours</a>. If the guest simply got distracted, these follow-ups can bring them back. If they abandoned the process because they had a question, the bot can answer it and move them along the funnel.</li>
<li><strong>Repeat business</strong>. Hotels can pay to contact past chatbot users again later, too. They can send a <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/sponsored-messages-guide-to-reengaging-chatbot-subscribers">sponsored message</a> letting former guests know about deals and promotions. The users can get more information and <a href="https://youtu.be/9jGuWa1sgAw">book right in the bot.</a> That means more repeat business for the hotel, all on autopilot.</li>
</ol>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb3034deabe4_Startup-Builds-Chatbots-to-Help-Hotels-Survive-COVID-19-and-Compete-With-AirBnb--2.png" alt="" height="1168" width="2080" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGNYPKWdIW81g1Qmg0wWw/8/nxlsChkEkxjE0wB4UwhsRYm/FAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<h2>The Recipe</h2>
<p>Bonomi’s founders chose Chatfuel for this project for a few key reasons. First, they wanted a developer-friendly platform so they could integrate their own back-end systems into the bot. Second, the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/pricing">flexible pricing plans</a> were important for them, “as it enabled us to build a startup in a scalable way.” And third, “we must mention the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel">Facebook community of Chatfuel users</a> from all over the world; it’s a big plus. It’s great to see so many talented people sharing tips and tricks, exchanging ideas.”</p>
<p>Finally, the following Chatfuel tools and features were crucial in the process of building the Bonomi Assistant:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Synced Cloning.</strong> The Bonomi virtual assistant is a hotel chatbot framework that the Bonomi team will copy and customize for different hospitality clients. Synced Cloning makes this process easy. In one click, the Bonomi team can copy a block or an entire bot to a new client’s account instead of having to recreate each piece manually. Plus, if the team makes a change to the master template, it’ll be updated in all the copies too. That’s why Synced Cloning is a key tool for brands and <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/3882031-chatfuel-for-agencies-and-creators#:~:text=We%20also%20offer%20an%20Enterprise%20plan">marketing agencies</a> that <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/marketing-agency-uses-messenger-bots-to-deliver-high-quality-leads-for-clients">sell customizable bot frameworks</a>, or that manage chatbots for multi-location businesses.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb4e6adeabe3_Group-1522.png" alt="" height="764" width="1034" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AHeDlLC2wdbb4Ozt7gDBw8cAJUYAEzvZ3OEA7Orr4OLj/v7/7u7v03UZ1CUa0rQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Chatfuel's Synced Cloning feature makes it easy to copy and customize all or part of a bot framework for multiple clients.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Customer Chat plugin.</strong> It’s what allows you to <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/add-a-messenger-chatbot-to-your-website">add a Messenger chatbot window</a> to your website in just four steps. Bonomi uses this plugin on their own website, so guests can chat with their bot and learn more about their virtual assistant. Most of their hotel clients also use this plugin (and <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-click-to-messenger-ads-to-drive-traffic-to-your-bot">click-to-Messenger ads</a> too) to engage and convert traffic. (<strong>2021 update:</strong> The Customer Chat plugin is now the <a href="https://youtu.be/yb2yCJshWV8">Customer Chat Entry Point</a>, which is even easier to use!)</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb4482deabdf_Startup-Builds-Messenger-Chatbot-to-Help-Hotels-Through-COVID-19--1.png" alt="" height="887" width="1498" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAIklEQVR4nGMwdAjkUdDvnjwvtaiRQcXYhYFFOiaz4tP//wBf/QkZVJB68QAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Bonomi uses the Customer Chat plugin so that a chatbot window appears on their website to engage prospects.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/828883-keywords"><strong>Artificial intelligence (AI).</strong></a> AI is another crucial component of the Bonomi virtual assistant. When users type in their own messages (instead of selecting a button or quick reply), AI helps the chatbot understand the intent behind the message and respond accordingly. Bonomi uses the JSON API to integrate this technology (in the form of a custom NLP agent) into their AI-enabled chatbots, but there are no-code ways to do this in Chatfuel as well.</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>“We must mention the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel">Facebook community of Chatfuel users</a> from all over the world; it’s a big plus. It’s great to see so many talented people sharing tips and tricks, exchanging ideas.” — Bonomi founders</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>The Results</h2>
<p>The Bonomi team tells us that “the response from hospitality professionals [to the Bonomi virtual assistant] has been very positive.” You can see a summary of the results from their first six clients in the graphic below. The most impressive of the stats for these Bonomi hotel chatbots include:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>3,367 users who showed intent to book directly through the chatbot</strong> 🏨 It’s a key result because “we emphasize how the Assistant can get more users to book directly through the hotel instead of through online travel agents. For a lot of mid-sized hotels, this is quite important,” the Bonomi team tells us. It means all the profit for the reservation goes directly to the hotel, and the booking experience is fast and uncomplicated.</li>
<li><strong>2,835 automatically answered questions</strong> ❓"That comes in really handy for big and popular hotels,” the Bonomi team explains, as the automation gives their staff more time to focus on other tasks. That benefit is clear in the statistic below that lists how much time the Assistant saved these initial clients: over 140 hours!</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>“We emphasize how the Assistant can get more users to book directly through the hotel instead of through online travel agents. For a lot of mid-sized hotels, this is quite important.” — Bonomi founders</p>
</blockquote>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb6b43deabe5_Startup-Builds-Chatbots-to-Help-Hotels-Survive-COVID-19-and-Compete-With-AirBnb--1.png" alt="" height="1021" width="1199" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AKenrv/3/fbs8+ng6ACepqrm6OjV293IzdIAGyMpDhcfAAgUIigxEfsVUOkraCkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>This graphic shows the statistics for the Bonomi virtual assistant's first six clients.</figcaption></figure>
<p>And when the coronavirus escalated into a global pandemic, the Bonomi team quickly made a free version of their tool to help struggling businesses in the hospitality industry. “We had 10 new customers within a week [of that release], and they keep coming!” It’s a good indication that this type of automation is what hotel owners are looking for during these times.</p>
<p>What does the future look like for Bonomi? Expansion. “Right now we’re close to getting new investment so we’ll be able to work on new integrations with other hospitality technologies, and work on the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-a-multilingual-chatbot">multi-language feature</a> and the infrastructure to support 100+ clients.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We had 10 new customers within a week [of that release], and they keep coming!” — Bonomi founders</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Chatbots helping brands in a changing world</h2>
<p>Thanks to an evolving hospitality market and a global pandemic, hotels around the world are scrambling to pivot in order to stay afloat. No-code tools like Bonomi’s Messenger chatbot framework are helping them attract new business and delight guests with safe, seamless experiences.</p>
<p><em>It’s not just the hospitality and tourism sectors: <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/top-9-reasons-your-business-needs-a-chatbot">Businesses across industries</a> are turning to chatbots to help see them through the pandemic. To explore the possibilities of no-code Messenger chatbots for your brand, <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">sign up for a free account today</a>, then scale your users (and access priority support and other exclusive perks) with a <a href="https://chatfuel.com/pricing">Pro account</a>.</em></p>

Marketing professionals from Budapest-based startup created a customizable Messenger chatbot that helps hotel brands of all sizes.

Startup Builds Messenger Chatbot to Help Hotels

The game-changing tool that'll help your nonprofit save time, get new donors and volunteers, and expand its impact: a Messenger chatbot.

9 Reasons Your Nonprofit Needs a Chatbot

Healthcare

<p>The goal of any fitness business is to help people stay healthy by providing three things:</p>
<ol>
<li>guidance 📝</li>
<li>motivation 💥</li>
<li>a sense of community 👥</li>
</ol>
<p>But the coronavirus pandemic has forced gyms, boxing clubs, yoga studios, and CrossFit boxes around the world to close their doors for the time being. As a fitness-business owner, how can you continue to achieve your goal without a physical space?</p>
<p>After all, there’s no lack of demand right now. Many people are feeling stir-crazy at home, and look to physical fitness for stress relief and health more than ever. So how can you continue to provide these three elements to your members at a distance?</p>
<p>The clear answer is to shift to an online model for now. But what’s the easiest way to convert your gym or studio into a digital operation—without investing lots of time or money?</p>
<p>An elegant solution to this challenge is the Facebook Messenger chatbot. Bots can offer the guidance, motivation, and sense of community your members are missing right now. Best of all, Messenger chatbots are <a href="https://youtu.be/D4n6VLQHE5U">easy to build with Chatfuel</a> — no coding knowledge or previous experience required.</p>
<p>Let’s start by diving into the specifics of what a chatbot can do for your fitness business during these times, and what it can offer your members.</p>
<h2>#1. A chatbot can keep your community informed</h2>
<p>Your first task as a gym owner or marketer in the times of coronavirus is to keep your community up to date. Information and regulations for businesses during this time change often. It’s up to you to keep members informed on how your gym or studio is affected.</p>
<p>Here’s the good news: Building a gym bot that shares this kind of information and <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-for-customer-service">answers FAQs</a> is easy. Plus, updating it whenever you need to takes seconds! Here’s a quick tutorial on how to create a bot like this.👇</p>
<figure><iframe allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A499Eeq9Lq8"></iframe></figure>
<p>Make sure to put the most pressing, relevant information front and center in your bot. Don’t start out with <em>About us</em> information that details how your gym was founded. That’s not the information most people are looking for right now.</p>
<p>Instead, they want to know if you’re open, when you’ll reopen if not, and what you can offer them in the meantime. Put these details first; don’t make users have to dig to find them. Make your bot a hub for the most up-to-date information about your business right now, and highlight how the latest changes affect members.</p>
<h2>#2. A chatbot can provide personalized workouts for users</h2>
<p>Get this: Consumers are <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/01/ads-that-dont-overstep?autocomplete=true">40% more likely</a> to view items that are recommended based on personal information that they’ve shared with a brand. It stands to reason, then, that gym members will be more likely to actually do the at-home workouts you share if they’re personalized to them. A chatbot makes it easy for your fitness business to offer this type of customization.</p>
<p>The key is conversation. It’s how chatbots communicate with users, via back-and-forth chat. It’s also how your bot can gather information about a user’s needs or preferences in order to make custom recommendations.</p>
<p>It doesn’t have to be complicated to build out this type of functionality, either. Here’s an example of how you could set up a personal trainer chatbot to recommend custom workouts for users:</p>
<ul>
<li>Add a bank of a few key movements to your bot, given in manageable increments, like 10 shuttle sprints, 50 jump ropes, 25 burpees, and 20 push-ups, for example. Create a gallery with videos showing how to do each one.</li>
<li>Set up your bot to quiz the user about their preferences for the day’s workout (like duration, equipment they have available, etc.).</li>
<li>Based on their responses, the bot can create a workout for the user, made up of the different movements you’ve given it to work with.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb5f3adeab59_Why-Gyms-and-Fitness-Studios-Should-Be-Using-Messenger-Bots-Right-Now.png" alt="chatbots for gyms" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/ALW1tra5u05OTQ8ODQDk5eXL09lzdHVcYGQAxcXFqKuryszP9ff4kZMWlUJJHegAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p>You can equip your bot to put together workouts for users based on their desired duration and the equipment they have on hand.</p>
<p>You could do the same thing with yoga poses or boxing sequences, too—whatever movements your gym or fitness center specializes in. It’s minimal work for you and maximum benefit for your users. This is just one of many ways you could use a gym bot to share your online workouts. You could also:</p>
<p>📆 Create a gallery with one card for each day of the week, and have the respective button link to a full video workout for that day.</p>
<p>🧘🏽‍♀️Ask users what benefit they want that day (relaxation, energy, stress relief, etc.) and have the bot send them instructions for a yoga flow that will help them achieve it.</p>
<p>There’s lots of room for creativity when it comes to sharing workouts via chatbot. Think about what format would best serve your users, and go from there.</p>
<h2>#3. A chatbot can help you run contests and promotions to boost engagement</h2>
<p>One element gym-goers are missing most right now is the sense of community your business provided when it was fully open. Use a chatbot to help promote community engagement still, even while your members can’t physically gather together. It can help with:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Contests.</strong> You could encourage users to log their workouts in the bot. Your bot can save them as attributes. Then, you’ll be able to easily find who had the fastest time or the most reps for that day, and reward them with a gift card or some merch. Or, you could use the logs to track who is most consistent in their workouts over a month, and give them a prize and a social-media shoutout.</li>
<li><strong>User-generated content.</strong> Your bot could ask users to submit photos of themselves, their workout space, or the makeshift weights they’re using to do your exercises at home. It’s an easy way to gather user-generated content to feature on your social media to boost community morale and motivation.</li>
<li><strong>Giveaways.</strong> If you’d like the added bonus of gaining new bot subscribers, you could run a giveaway on your Facebook page. Create a post on your business page announcing a giveaway of a prize, instructing users to comment to enter. Set up the <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/how-to-turn-facebook-post-commenters-into-customers">Comments Autoreply feature</a> so your bot will automatically reply to every entrant. It can start conversations with those who don’t win, encouraging them to check out its other resources on Messenger.</li>
</ul>
<h2>#4. A chatbot can sell your merchandise</h2>
<p>Does your gym or fitness studio sells merchandise like workout clothing, fitness equipment, or supplements? A chatbot can help you maintain this revenue stream during the pandemic (and beyond!). If your gym isn’t set up to sell online yet, check out this quick-start <a href="https://www.oberlo.com/blog/how-i-launched-my-ecommerce-store-in-less-than-30-minutes">guide to opening an ecommerce store.</a> Once your gym has an online shop ready to go, here are a few ways a bot can help boost its sales:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Answer questions about products.</strong> This is where a chatbot’s handy FAQ function comes into play again. You can equip your Messenger bot to answer questions about everything from apparel sizing to shipping costs and times. If a customer is hesitant to buy because they have a question, the bot can answer it and close the deal.</li>
<li><strong>Recommend products.</strong> Through the same question-and-answer style, a bot can gather information about a user’s needs or preferences. Then, it can recommend products that would be the best match. If you sell protein powder, for example, the bot could ask users how many grams of protein they want per serving, what flavor they prefer, etc. Then, it could show relevant products with links to purchase on your store website.</li>
</ul>
<figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RSi6QWd0Sek?feature=oembed" allowfullscreen></iframe></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Send abandoned-cart reminders.</strong> If a user adds one of your products to their cart but leaves without buying, your Messenger chatbot can send them a gentle reminder. It’s important to not be too aggressive with these, especially in these times. But a quick message that simply asks the user if they have questions or offers a discount can go a long way. Use our Cart Reminders plugin to set up these automatic messages in minutes.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Other benefits of using a chatbot for your gym or yoga studio</h2>
<p>Now you know what a chatbot can help your gym or fitness center achieve. Here are a few other reasons why using chatbots for fitness brands is a wise move during this time:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>They’re easy to build</strong>. As we mentioned before, you don’t need any special skills or experience to build a fitness chatbot with Chatfuel. Our platform is user friendly, and we offer tons of support resources to help you on your way (listed in the last section of this post).</li>
<li><strong>They’re part of the Facebook ecosystem</strong>. Facebook Messenger has over a billion users, so it’s safe to say that most of your fitness clients will be familiar with the interface. That means there will be no learning curve for them to get value from your chatbot, and no need for them to install a separate app. It also means you can get more users to your bot <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/create-click-to-messenger-ads-to-drive-traffic-to-your-bot">with Facebook ads</a>, if desired.</li>
<li><strong>They can be your business’s central hub.</strong> A Messenger chatbot can become a one-stop shop for all information related to your business during the pandemic (and after!). You can equip it with all relevant information for members, so they know that it’s the place to go when they have a question or want an update about your business. Plus, you’ll be able to instantly update information yourself—no need to contact your developer, as you may have to for changes to your website.</li>
<li><strong>They can help you achieve your business goals.</strong> Bots can help you provide guidance, motivation, and a sense of community to your members, as we discussed. But they can also help you keep up engagement and even revenue during these times to keep your business afloat.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Examples of fitness chatbots powered by Chatfuel</h2>
<p><strong>Boosty.Coach</strong>, platform for finding live workouts</p>
<ul>
<li>Boosty is a French website that makes it easy for fitness enthusiasts to find workout videos and live coaching sessions to follow at home. They’ve generously made their platform free for the duration of quarantine. 💙 Their workout chatbot guides the user through the process of finding the right video for them, whether it’s about exercise, meditation, or nutrition. The bot makes it easy for users to find workouts and other fitness information that suits them.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbb804deab57_Messenger-chatbot-for-fitness-Boosty-Coach.png" alt="chatbots for coaching" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AF5cV15eXeXm5////wAkFgAZDACZoqvIyckAhYSEcXFxyMnK6urqbzsUcut0LRkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<p><strong>Planet Fitness,</strong> national chain of fitness centers</p>
<ul>
<li>In the times of COVID-19, Planet Fitness’s Messenger chatbot provides only the most crucial information for members. That includes FAQs about gym closures, and information about the online workouts they’re offering. The exercises aren’t available in the bot itself, in this case. However, users can click a button and will be directed to the gym’s Facebook page where they can join in on live, guided exercises.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb5adcdeab5c_Planet-Fitness--national-chain-of-fitness-centers_Chatbot-for-gym-and-workout.png" alt="chatbots for fitness" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/ACIjIwwRFNXW1v///wBGR0c3PUFXXmKrq60AUVFSQUVHqqqr19fXK04RAGy34pIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<h2>How to build a Messenger bot for your fitness business</h2>
<p>To help you learn how to build a gym chatbot, we’ve collected some resources for you. Your first step is to sign up for a <a href="https://dashboard.chatfuel.com">free Chatfuel account</a>. Then, get acquainted with our platform and some bot-building basics:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMA97c2a6Mw">Connect your Facebook page</a> to Chatfuel</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/D4n6VLQHE5U">Build your first chatbot</a> in three minutes</li>
<li>Use a template to <a href="https://youtu.be/A499Eeq9Lq8">set up a bot to answer FAQs</a></li>
</ul>
<p>You’ll find quick-start tips and advice on our blog, too. Check out how to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Avoid the most common chatbot mistakes</li>
<li>Make sure your bot complies with Messenger policies</li>
<li>Use built-in stats to monitor your bot’s performance</li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, we recommend that bot-builders of all levels join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel">our Facebook community</a>, where you can get advice, find inspiration, and ask questions.</p>

What's the easiest way to convert your gym or studio into a digital operation during COVID without investing lots of time/money? Chatbots!

Why Gyms Should Be Using Messenger Bots During the Pandemic

Agency

<h2>The Brand</h2>
<p>What’s the one ultra-valuable resource that all insurance brokers and real estate agents depend on? High-intent, high-quality leads, and ideally at an affordable price. Tacobot is a US-based chatbot agency that helps small, local businesses of these types get exactly that.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb4710dead50_Insurance agency case study Tacobot.png" loading="lazy" alt="" height="1458" width="1651" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAAECAIAAAAmkwkpAAAACXBIWXMAABCcAAAQnAEmzTo0AAAAP0lEQVR4nAE0AMv/ABcWFoiIh+/w8Obn6ABcXFpwb27BwcGOkJIAbm5uiYiIt7e3kJKXAMHBwdzd3t3e4d7e38yeHoNa5O2YAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"></figure>
<h2>The Problem</h2>
<p>Every insurance company or real estate business needs a regular influx of leads. Major national brands can afford billboards, TV commercials, direct mail, and other pricey strategies to get them. So how can a local company with a fraction of the sales and marketing budget generate leads?</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Tacobot-106871984030519">Tacobot</a> co-founder CJ Hutsenpiller, most turn to lead vendors. These are groups that scrape lead information from <a href="#">web-traffic sources</a> and sell the data to businesses. “The problem with that, ” he explains, “is that the leads are low intent, high priced, and often sold to multiple agencies at once.”</p>
<p>Hutsenpiller always kept a lookout for marketing solutions to this problem. One afternoon, he was watching a Facebook <a href="https://youtu.be/wiErqy5qMaU">video ad</a> where the host was selling a book. She told viewers to comment to receive a free sample of the first chapter. “I commented, ” he says, “half-expecting to never hear anything. But to my surprise, their bot immediately started communicating with me. I knew right away that I could use this in the insurance space.” As he puts it, <strong>he stumbled on chatbots as a new service for his clients</strong> by “complete dumb luck!”</p>
<h2>The Solution</h2>
<p>Tacobot offers cheaper way to get higher quality leads than the vendors Hutsenpiller described. His agency provides <strong>pre-built lead-generation chatbots</strong> for clients. “In order to be successful in generating business in the insurance field, you must do more to win a client’s trust, ” he says. “There’s something to be said for the power of being able to have a conversation with a prospect—and that’s what bots allow our clients to do. Immediately when a user enters the funnel, the bot can start building a relationship with them using conversation.”</p>
<p>Tacobot’s carefully designed chatbots help clients start these meaningful conversations with prospects. The chatbot marketing agency’s clients can pay for subscription-based access to a bot “skill, ” as Hutsenpiller calls them. They can choose one or more of the following skills, or functions:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Quoting tool for life insurance 👤</strong> This bot skill generates life-insurance quotes for prospects right in Facebook Messenger. If the user wants to purchase the policy, one click will take them to a pre-filled web application.</li>
<li><strong>Quoting tool for home/auto insurance 🚗</strong> The user simply has to answer a few questions. Then the bot pulls information from third-party sources. It combines it with the user’s responses and generates a quote.</li>
<li><strong>Rent calculator 🧮</strong> This bot skill is designed for mortgage and real estate professionals. First, it captures how much the user currently pays in rent. Then, it converts it to an estimate of a mortgage payment that amount could sustain. Finally, it’ll show matching house listings in the user’s area.</li>
<li><strong>Home-value calculator</strong> 🏠 Real estate businesses can also select this chatbot skill. It’ll give prospective home sellers an estimate on the value of their property.</li>
</ul>
<p>And of course, the chatbots will capture user information for each of the leads that it chats with. That way, the businesses can pursue them personally.</p>
<p>Tacobot also has <a href="https://www.messenger.com/t/106871984030519">their own chatbot</a>. It lets clients preview different skills so they can see how each one works. The client can then purchase the skill (s) of their choice right within the bot (see screenshot below). From there, Tacobot chatbot development agency will customize the bot for the client’s business. Then they launch it, and teach the clients how to access it in Chatfuel. Tacobot also runs a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/728962607577492">Facebook support group</a>. They use it to answer questions, and to share strategies to help clients <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/facebook-ads">push traffic to their bots</a>.</p>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbf0bddeab2b_Marketing-Agency-Uses-Messenger-Bots-to-Win-High-Intent--Low-Cost-Leads-for-Clients---4.png" alt="Messenger bot to help sell their chatbot services to clients" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAAAMklEQVR4nAEnANj/AJaXmIOHiwYHByMjJACdnp10eHnCw8Tw8fIAlJWUc3R0ysvL4+LiUZQUUe+p6s4AAAAASUVORK5CYII=" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Tacobot takes advantage of the free Pro bot that comes with their <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/3882031-chatfuel-for-agencies-and-creators#:~:text=We%20also%20offer%20an%20Enterprise%20plan" target="_blank">Premium Agency plan</a>. They use their own Messenger bot to help sell their chatbot services to clients.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Recipe</h2>
<p>The Tacobot team relies on these Chatfuel features the most to build effective bots for their clients:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/735122-json-api"><strong>JSON API</strong></a>. Once a chatbot <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjxhyddugaA&feature=youtu.be">gathers a lead’s information</a>, it has to make it available to the client. From there, the client can pursue the leads personally. Tacobot’s smaller clients use the Notify Admin Via Email or <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/2708726-export-data-from-chatfuel-to-google-sheets">Send to Google Sheets</a> for this. But for larger or more advanced clients, Tacobot <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/json-api-examples">uses JSON</a> to send the details to the client’s CRM directly and automatically. Hutsenpiller says they’ve <a href="https://www.jotform.com/what-is-crm">integrated with CRMs</a> like Salesforce, BoomTown, JotForm, Mailchimp, and Agency Elephant this way.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bbfcdadeab4a_s_241729DC75347BB40AF8249DA4AB84EE9B074520F04DDD3B346A73A08958BAFA_1586222445084_image.png" alt="JSON API allows your bot to pull and display data" height="1362" width="1380" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAAECAIAAAAmkwkpAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAOklEQVR4nGNwdXOrq2/o7O7et28fQ2FhcVh0fHF5jaSKNkNBQeGihQt6+/plVHUYbt2+PQEMtm7ZBAA/ghexbSvpAgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The JSON API allows your bot to pull and display data from an external source, or to send data to an external source.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/908868-sequences"><strong>Sequences</strong></a>. This Chatfuel feature lets you schedule follow-up messages from your bot. Sequences are a key component in each of the four bot skills. Let’s say a user starts going through the flow for the rent calculator, or another skill Tacobot chatbots offer. But, halfway through, they get distracted and abandon the process. Tacobot ensures the user will later receive a sequence of messages that remind them to come back and finish the flow. (These messages are sent within the 24-hour window outlined in Facebook’s Messenger policies.)</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb0daddeab46_Marketing-Agency-Uses-Messenger-Bots-to-Win-High-Intent--Low-Cost-Leads-for-Clients-2-1.png" alt="Tacobot chatbots are equipped with Sequences" height="788" width="940" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAIAAAA7ljmRAAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAAAKklEQVR4nGN4DwYPwYBBVVmlva1t3dq1e3bvZqioqDp69OjJEydOnjgBAAXXGYVXNPoNAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>Tacobot chatbots are equipped with Sequences to follow up with users who don’t finish the bot’s questionnaire.</figcaption></figure>
<ul>
<li><strong>Attributes</strong>. User attributes are like tags. They identify a certain preference or characteristic of a bot user. You can create as many custom attributes as you want based on what’s useful for your business. Tacobot clients using the home-insurance quoting skill could have their bot save every user’s zip code as an attribute, for example. The bots can do this automatically via the Save User Input plugin. That way, the client can sort leads by area to assign them to different agents, or to <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/1575719-how-to-create-facebook-and-instagram-ads">create retargeting ads</a>. They’ll be able to easily sort their leads into segments based on this (or any other attribute) in the <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/1575151-people-tab"><em>People</em> tab</a>.</li>
</ul>
<figure><img src="/cms/static/blog/60afa6a88bd1bb2dbadeab3f_Marketing-Agency-Uses-Messenger-Bots-to-Win-High-Intent--Low-Cost-Leads-for-Clients-3.png" alt="save user attributes in Chatfuel chatbots" height="301" width="607" blurDataURL="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAACCAIAAADwyuo0AAAACXBIWXMAAAsSAAALEgHS3X78AAAAJUlEQVR4nAEaAOX/AC8vLsjIyN/f3t/f3gAfHyDIyMjOzc3NzMu8LQ+fYKywqQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" placeholder="blur"><figcaption>The Save User Input plugin is one way to save user attributes in Chatfuel.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>The Results</h2>
<p>“The insurance space as a whole is behind when it comes to anything technology-related—especially digital marketing strategies, ” Hutsenpiller tells us. That’s likely why Tacobot’s chatbots have become the tool of choice for local insurance and real estate businesses in 41 US states. Prospective clients take notice when they hear how Tacobot uses the accessible, affordable technology of Messenger bots to achieve such impressive results.</p>
<p>Tacobot’s clients come from all over the country and from a few different industries. As a result, metrics for their bots vary. But Hutsenpiller says that clients who follow his team’s guidance can expect metrics like these:</p>
<ul>
<li>$2-5 per high-quality insurance lead</li>
<li>Less than $10 per high-intent real estate lead</li>
<li>$0.10 per conversation</li>
</ul>
<p>For insurance clients, that’s “drastically cheaper than what they can get with a lead vendor, ” he explains. “Real estate and mortgage are a little harder because of Facebook’s new special ad-category targeting rules, ” he tells us, “but we still generate those for less than $10 each.” Plus, the Chatfuel interface is easy for both the Tacobot team and its clients to use.</p>
<p>“I’ve built bots on both major platforms, ” explains Hutsenpiller, “and I find the structure of Chatfuel to be much easier to use. I also have always gotten great support from the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/chatfuel">Chatfuel Community on Facebook</a>, and from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1_z5c5UnMJ0waRJ8Bx1cFg">the videos by Andrew Demeter</a>—who is an amazing asset to the company.”</p>
<h2>Your agency can “lead” clients to success with Messenger bots</h2>
<p>If your marketing agency doesn’t yet offer chatbots as a service, now’s the time to consider it. In these difficult times, meaningful conversations are more important than ever. <a href="https://docs.chatfuel.com/en/articles/3882031-chatfuel-for-agencies-and-creators#:~:text=We%20also%20offer%20an%20Enterprise%20plan">Request a demo</a> for our robust Premium Agency plan today. Then you can start using Messenger bots to help your clients have authentic interactions with their audiences.</p>
<p><em>See how else Chatfuel agency partners are using chatbots to achieve incredible results for their clients. Or, learn <a href="https://chatfuel.com/blog/chatbot-contest-students">how they’re giving back</a> to the community. If you’re building bots for healthcare clients that need to share important information about COVID-19, find resources here.</em></p>

Tacobot is a chatbot marketing agency that helps small, local businesses get high-intent, high-quality leads at an affordable price.

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