How Chatbots will be the next trend in the Digital marketing industry

Authored by Sonali Banerji, Creative Director, BC Web Wise.

Let’s Chat: the latest buzzword taking precedence over actual conversations. Today, everywhere we go, we have people glued to their phones: a reality we cannot ignore with opportunities galore! Every brand wants to leverage this habit and make it work for their brand, precipitating a tremendous rise in brands maximising spending on digital marketing over traditional.

However, to create an impact, adapting to trends is crucial. And chatbots are the next trend.

But what makes chatbots so relevant? And what makes them increasingly relevant in a consumer’s life today?

Well, let’s start with all the fun and customisation that can happen with a chatbot. Chatbots can be programmed to appeal to consumers in a way that is unique, engaging, and drives brand love.

We recently executed a chatbot for our client Linc Limited’s flagship brand Pentonic, with the aim of making the power of pens relevant in an age of OpenAI where ChatGPT and Bard were driving the buzz. A clutter-breaking idea called ‘Rogue AI’ was developed: an AI-led search engine chatbot that provided sarcastic and funny responses when consumers asked basic questions. The consumers loved it! And in no time, the power of pens was reiterated over that of a chatbot!

Since a straight road doesn’t always work when it comes to chatbots, BC Web Wise turned it into a fun interaction whilst marrying a creative-led technology idea that garnered eyeballs and made it deeply relevant in the digital chatter that's been making news!

Compared to human customer support, chatbots are supremely cost-effective with the ability to handle multiple conversations all at once – and let’s not forget they don’t ask for a salary or benefits either!

Once programmed correctly, chatbots use customer data and preferences to include personalized experiences, such as product recommendations or personalized content. Brands want to drive engagement to create memorable experiences, and our dear chatbots can do all of that and more!

You will never get a response from a chatbot that says, “I’m on leave. Get in touch with my colleague for any queries”. The rock-solid chatbot is there 24X7 and responds to even an uncanny consumer with 3 AM answers if need be.

One of the most important things when it comes to a chatbot is to create a seamless brand integration and develop the technology through experts who know the relevance of creating a memorable brand experience.

Or no one can stop a backlash for consumers – be it on Twitter or in comments! You don’t want to do that.

Coming to the main reason – data and analysis. Over the years, brands have been spending tons of money to acquire relevant data and analyze consumers, be they existing or potential ones. Chatbots do it seamlessly, so brands can bullseye their next offer to consumers with insights that are developed along the consumer journey.

So, as AI keeps developing further into the future, you can bet that chatbots will too. One particularly interesting development we’re likely to see is emotionally intelligent chatbots that can sense – and accordingly, respond to – the tone of your questions. Furthermore, the advancement of NLP will also give rise to chatbots virtually indistinguishable from real people. Either way, if you do happen to be an actual business owner, working with an ad agency or a marketer yourself reading this article, you should know that businesses are simply incomplete without chatbots.