Learning to speak via chatbots

IN SIMPLE TERMS, A CHATBOT IS AN ONLINE TOOL, POWERED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WHICH YOU INTERACT WITH VIA A CHAT INTERFACE

NEXT time you book a flight, or even buy a pair of shoes online, you might find yourself interacting with someone not of this world. In fact, many of us may have already had a conversation with a ‘chatbot’ and didn’t even know it.

Over the next 12 months, the term ‘chatbot’ will become one of the biggest digital marketing topics for business.

Why is this? Before I tackle that point, you might be asking a more basic question — what on earth is a chatbot? In simple terms, a chatbot is an online tool, powered by artificial intelligence, which you interact with via a chat interface.

As such, these bots often find a home on messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and other similar chat interfaces.

So why are they important, and why should business take some time to understand their use in a business setting?

There are a few reasons. Firstly, in 2016, for the first time ever, data showed that internet users were using messenger apps (like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger) more than they were using social networks (like having a Facebook page).

This was seen as a massive shift in the way people used the internet, and led many entrepreneurs and business innovators to recognise that messaging apps should be used to access all sorts of online services.

Secondly, it became apparent that certain younger demographic groups — like the Millennials — expressed a keen desire to use digital tools they had become accustom to. These include messenger apps, to access important online services, as opposed to using a typical website interface.

When combined, these reasons spurred a new form of distribution, whereby messaging services could be used as a foundation for eCommerce.

As an example, instead of downloading a specific app developed by a certain clothing brand, or visiting their online store to make a purchase, users will soon be able to interact with a very intelligent chatbot via Facebook Messenger, and that bot will help you find a certain style of shoe, or specific collection of clothing you’re after (based on certain rules and inputs made by you, the user).

It will even allow you to complete your purchase and financial transaction all within the messaging platform.

It is clear that this kind of technology provides a huge opportunity for business to better target consumers.