Chatbots — they’re the marketing buzzword of 2017, and they’re not exactly new. These futuristic-customer service tools are used by a wide variety of brands, including Sephora and Microsoft.
But does using a Facebook chatbot make sense for your next Facebook contest? Or, should you wait for the bugs to be ironed out and focus your efforts elsewhere?
What are Chatbots?
Before we dig in, let’s cover what chatbots are. According to Chatbots Magazine (yes, there is a Chatbots Magazine), chatbots are:
“…a service, powered by rules and sometimes artificial intelligence, that you interact with via a chat interface. The service could be any number of things, ranging from functional to fun, and it could live in any major chat product (Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram, Text Messages, etc.).”
Bots can be used to help customers make a purchase, promote movies, find movie times, and even run Facebook contests.
Chatbots sound useful, and they can be. However, there are some drawbacks as well.
Should I Use a Chatbot for My Facebook Contest?
Staying ahead of the curve is always a tempting idea. But, is it really worth it to test chatbots for your next Facebook contest?
If your contest is already in the works and your chatbot is not, the answer is likely no. You need time to create and test before launching your bot.
However, if your target market is part of the 1.2 billion monthly Facebook Messenger users, it might be worth creating a chatbot and using it to power or complement your next Facebook contest.
Pros & Cons of Facebook Chatbots
Sounds like a chatbox could be exactly what your brand needs to get the most out of your next Facebook contest, right? The benefits include:
- 24/7 communication: You can set your bot to answer hundreds of questions, so your customers get awesome service while you have more time to focus on your business.
- Reach people: Today, more people use messenger apps than social media sites. Your bot hangs out where your customers do.
- Bots learn: Chatbots use machine learning to learn as they speak to people.
But, like any technology, there are drawbacks to chatbots.
- Difficult to design: You need some tech-savviness to create a chatbot. Although DIY tools are available.
- They follow the rules: While chatbots do learn, they need information to start. You have to teach them about contest rules, products, etc.
- They take time: Building and testing a chatbot can take months.
Chatbots are an evolving technology, but there are a few use-cases for chatbots you can check out for inspiration.
Best Contest Types for Facebook Chatbots in 2017
If you are ready to be on the cutting edge of chatbots, here are a couple ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Stump the chatbot challenge: If you really want to test your bot, run a contest with a prize for the first user who stumps your bot. This is an easy, cheap method to implement user testing.
- Name a product: Have a new product coming out soon? Teach your chatbot all about it and have people ask it questions before proposing an apt name.
Takeaways
There’s both risk and reward to implementing Facebook chatbots for contests. On one hand, chatbots require a ton of work. But, you have the added benefit of setting your brand apart, which can be priceless in an uber-competitive market.
If you are ready to take the dive, Woobox can serve as a quick and powerful platform to experiment with promotional offers through Facebook Chatbot interactions. Login to Woobox for free to get started. No purchase is necessary to run a Poll Post or FB timeline promotion.
Got questions? Check out our forum or email your questions to support@woobox.com.