Customers have changed. They expect businesses to be available around the clock and offer personalized experiences, with seamless online interactions being a top priority. In fact, 80% of buyers value their experience with a company as much as the product or service itself.
Gone are the days when customers were willing to hunt for information on websites or wait for a response from customer service. Instead, they prefer engaging with companies through chat, messaging apps, and social media, where they can get the information they need instantly.
This is where conversational marketing comes in – a game-changer in how companies connect with their customers and expand their reach in global markets.
What is conversational marketing?
Conversational marketing is a way to engage with potential customers through chat and messaging platforms in a personalized and conversational way. The goal is to create a natural, human-like interaction that helps to build trust and establish a relationship with the customer.
It can include chatbots on a website, SMS messaging campaigns, and social media messaging. The core premise of conversational marketing is to provide a more human and authentic way for businesses to connect with their customers, resulting in increased engagement, sales, and customer loyalty.
Also, conversational marketing can generate leads by providing an easy way for customers to ask questions and learn more about a product or service.
Key characteristics of conversational marketing
Engage on the customer’s schedule
Modern customers expect businesses to be available whenever they need them, whether it's early in the morning before going to work or late at night while having dinner with their family.
Conversational marketing lets your business stay available 24/7 without forcing your team to work nonstop. Chatbots and conversational AI handle the heavy lifting, keeping the conversation going and making sure you never miss a customer's question.
Real-time conversations drive conversions
Responding quickly to hot leads can boost conversion rates by x100. Customers don't want to wait; if your response time lags, they'll turn to more responsive competitors. Consider the example of a fitness center that took two days to answer a simple inquiry – definitely not a good look.
Meet customers where they are
Whether it’s learning about things to do in Denver through the chatbot on the website or buying event tickets via Facebook Messenger, conversational marketing lets you connect with customers on their preferred platforms. This not only saves them time but also builds loyalty, resulting in customer satisfaction and ultimately driving sales.
Handle peak times
Another benefit is that conversational platforms can handle many customer interactions at once, which can be very helpful during big events, sports games, or if the business has millions of customers in general, requiring enormous human resources in a limited period.
Chatbots can handle all routine customer questions immediately, saving staff hours and allowing humans to take care of more creative tasks.
Leverage contextual conversations
Conversational marketing does more than just connect with customers in the moment – it draws from past interactions to create a smoother, more personalized experience. By tapping into the history of previous conversations, you can make each interaction feel more personal and informed.
Whether it's greeting customers by name, recalling their past purchases, or continuing a previous chat, this approach makes every exchange feel relevant and meaningful, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Why PMMs need conversational marketing today
Delivering an exceptional customer experience
The shift in customer expectations means that the experience is as critical as the product. PMMs must ensure that their products not only meet customer needs but also provide an exceptional user experience. Understanding how to leverage digital channels like chatbots and social media can significantly enhance customer satisfaction.
Making your product more accessible
Consumers expect fast and easy access to information. As a PMM, it's important to prioritize tools and strategies that make your product more accessible through the channels your customers prefer, whether it's a chatbot on your website or a presence on popular messaging platforms.
Building relationships through personalization
With the growing emphasis on personalized experiences, PMMs need to focus on creating interactions that resonate with individual customers. Utilizing AI-driven solutions that offer personalized responses can lead to higher engagement and stronger customer loyalty.
Becoming more agile
You can create more agile and responsive marketing strategies using conversational marketing. You can quickly adjust to shifting customer behaviors, try out new messages, and tweak your campaigns on the fly by adding real-time interactions into your marketing efforts, giving you a real edge over the competition.
Gaining deeper insights through analysis
And finally, conversations can be tracked and analyzed, allowing PMMs to gain valuable insights into customer preferences and pain points. Imagine you have direct access to every interaction of the users with the chat. You get real-time data on what your customers want and need, allowing you to adjust your marketing communication and improve the website content, product, or service much faster.
Use cases of conversational marketing
I will provide you with just a few use cases that will help you understand the real practical examples of how using conversational marketing can help you reach specific PMM goals, like driving product adoption, increasing MQLs, and providing your internal teams with more data-driven insights that can positively influence your business.
Educate prospects on product features
Use conversational marketing to walk potential customers through the product features. By crafting a guided conversational flow, you can simplify complex offerings, leading prospects step-by-step toward a purchase decision.
Capture leads efficiently
Integrate lead capture forms directly into your chat interface to gather contact information with ease. Your potential consumers will be more eager to leave contact details if they get answers to their questions first using conversational tech. This approach ensures that you're always building your pipeline while delivering a personalized experience.
Drive sales through multiple channels
Leverage conversational marketing as an additional sales channel. Incorporate link-out buttons that lead directly to ticketing, and booking pages, or even enable in-chat purchases, creating a smooth and integrated buying experience.
Uncover customer insights
Use conversational marketing to gain insights into customer preferences and emerging trends. This real-time feedback allows you to fine-tune your messaging and stay ahead of market shifts.
Richard Bracchi
Implementing conversational marketing: A step-by-step guide for PMMs
Here are just a few must-do steps to start using this new tech:
- Clearly outline what you want to achieve, whether it's increasing conversions, improving customer service, or gathering market insights.
- Understand how your customers prefer to communicate and what channels they use most frequently.
- Evaluate available solutions based on your needs, budget, and technical capabilities. Use these guidelines to evaluate potential conversational AI vendors.
- Launch a pilot project, test it, and evaluate its results.
- Create engaging, brand-consistent scripts that guide users toward your desired outcomes.
- Make sure internal teams are familiarized with the new tech, its benefits, and capabilities. Conversational marketing platforms could be useful for the sales and operation teams too.
Conclusion
As we tackle the challenges of global markets in 2024, conversational marketing is becoming an essential tool for PMMs who want to boost growth and improve customer experiences. Using this approach isn’t just about staying competitive—it's about leading the way in putting customers first.
The secret to great conversational marketing? Keep it real and make sure it truly adds value to your customer's journey. As you roll out these strategies, always prioritize what your customers really need and want.
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Anthony Witherspoon
