Facebook has once again taken strides into the world of e-commerce releasing Facebook Bots – your very own personal assistant.
Messengers initial separation from the Facebook app annoyed many users, today messenger can stand on its own. Over the years it has become more than a communication app, transforming into an app that both marketers and consumers can use.
What are Messenger Bots?
You may remember SmarterChild from back in the MSN days. Messenger bots will serve a similar purpose, but unlike smarter child who could only answer certain pre-programmed questions, Messenger bots will be a lot smarter. Bots will allow consumers to ask questions, explore products and services and even order flowers just by messaging their request. Bots are customer service on steroids and can be customised to fit unique business needs.
3 Main Capabilities of Messenger Bots
- Send/Receive App data: This new capability includes the ability to send and receive text, images from secondary apps that could include call to actions, ‘shop now’ or even track delivery status
- Generic Message Templates: Rather than forcing users to learn a special robot language AI programming allows users to interact with bots easily with pre-built structured messages with call to actions, horizontal scroll, URLs, and postbacks.
- Welcome screen + Null state CTAs: Facebook wanted bots to be tailorable to unique business needs. They’re giving you the real estate and the tools to customise your experience. This starts with the welcome screen. People discover featured bots and enter the conversation
But the bots aren’t just for marketers and software developers. They will allow Facebook analysts to continue to study user interactions and collect valuable data to further improve their marketing capabilities. More marketing data = more marketers dollars for FB!
Keep an eye on Facebook bots because it won’t be long until you will be able to utilise the software in your business!