Are Chatbots an Effective Tool for Entrepreneurs?

When your client first makes contact you really need to give them something to help drive them to where they want to be. Well designed chatbots offer just this capability, but you need to consider them carefully as Pamela Wigglesworth points out:

Asking whether chatbots are right for your business is like asking if social media marketing is right for you. If they haven't made it to your industry yet, bots are well on their way.

Messaging apps are becoming the next big thing in marketing. Social media is still king, but messaging apps are slowly taking over. The way to capitalize on this is through bots.

Tread carefully, though.

When a new channel starts to show promise, we tend to get overexcited and overwhelm our audience.

A little restraint will go a long way, especially with chatbots. As efficient as they are, research shows that people really don't like them. They can be the key to overwhelming success but their proper application is crucial.

What Exactly Is a Chatbot?

There's a simple answer and a complicated answer to that question. Forget the complicated answer, as it doesn't pertain to you as a marketer.

All you need to know is that a "bot" is a piece of software that automates a task or a group of tasks.

There is a variety of bots available. Some are able to handle a range of tasks, while others are more limited. Bots are designed and built to do very specific things.

In practical terms, this means that the chatbot program will have a series of pre-written responses to interact with humans.

For example,imagine your company that manufactures harmonicas. People often find themselves on your website trying to find the best harmonica for them. Instead of directing them to support staff, you implement a chatbot. When the person visits your site, the chatbot initiates interaction. It then reads the visitor's questions and uses preprogrammed responses to answer them.

Instead of communicating with another person, your customer gets an answer from an automated system. It's more streamlined, faster, and, best of all, instantly available.

The Benefits of Bots

The surface benefit of using chatbots is pretty obvious. You don't have to pay a staff member to engage in customer service. But that's not all. Bots are useful in a lot of other ways, as well.

Bots are easy to build and implement. You can design a bot for Facebook Messenger in under half an hour. Granted, this won't be the most sophisticated bot ever made but it will get the job done. Even a simple chatbot can be very useful and cost-effective.
Bots give simple answers to simple questions. A lot of people just want a quick and simple answer to a short question. So, instead of having to sift through the database or speak with a person, people can get their answers instantly and be on their way.
Bots always put your best foot forward. An interaction with a bot will always be predictable. Your brand image will be presented in the best possible light every time. A chatbot won't lose his temper or insult anyone.
The potential of bots is still unexplored. Bots are being adopted en masse and the sky's the limit for them. At present, it's hard to predict how the use of bots will evolve. However, it's worth considering the earlier statistic about messaging apps. When messaging apps finally take over, companies with the best bots will lead the pack.

Chatbots Are Already Here

To answer the original question: bots are not only effective they are a necessary tool for 21st century entrepreneurs.

Just about every enterprise can benefit from using chatbots. Not to mention the very real ROI potential of bots as compared to humans.

But it's not all sunshine and rainbows here. Poor implementation of bots can signal that a brand is losing touch with its customer base. Even a short string of negative experiences are enough for customers to walk away from a brand.

To sum it all up, bots are definitely a great tool, but they can do more harm than good if they're not implemented correctly.

Pamela Wigglesworth, CSP is an international marketing consultant, speaker and the CEO of Experiential Hands-on Learning based in Asia. She is the author of The 50-60 Something ™ Start-up Entrepreneur and works with organizations across multiple industries to help them increase brand awareness, increase leads and ultimately increase sales.

To learn more about Pamela, visit the Experiential website at http://www.experiential.sg or email her at courses@experiential.sg

About the author: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/P_Lorraine_Wigglesworth/969794



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10255943

Give your career a new dimension with digital marketing

If the benefits of spending time and money on digital marketing are unclear, just have a read of this article by Ryan Justin

Not only does he outline the need for using the online domain as an essential marketing tool but he always takes us through why it is a necessary part of any business and a career in its own right for those who shine. Maybe you want to get into marketing in its own right or maybe more likely you need to understand a bit about it to be able to outsource to the right person. Just read on to find out more.

Will you learn this skill to enable business success?

Are you devoting enough of your marketing budget in the right direction?

Could you indeed outsource some of that to those professionals who take this vocation to great effect?

Or will you be the go to person for businesses to come to?

Ryan Justin takes us through it now

You cannot deny the fact that every business of every domain, irrespective of their scale, big or small, must have a digital online presence and a digital marketing strategy as a part of their marketing strategy. And this opens numerous scopes and plenty of opportunities in digital marketing. With the drastic expansion of the internet in the past few years, digital marketing is also evolving. A digital marketer promotes businesses online.

So, all the online ads you see, the suggestions you see, the images you see or the articles and blogs that you read online are in one way or the other the workings of a digital marketer.

So what is digital marketing?

There is not much difference between traditional marketing and digital marketing. The goal of digital marketing is to attract customers to the business, just like in the case of conventional marketing. And all the methods you use for the promotion of a product or service is categorized under digital marketing. Digital marketing does not have only one domain, but many. Email, social media, search engine, are amongst the many that fall under digital marketing. The field of digital marketing is continuously changing and evolving.

The techniques that are effective in this ever-evolving today may not be so fruitful in the years to come.

Why choose digital marketing as a career option?

Digital marketing is a vast domain with a wide range of divisions in the same. In the world of digital marketing, there is a job for everyone, irrespective of the fact that you are a creative person or a technical one. There is a job role for every individual, matching their specializations. With everything shifting their focus to digitalization, and all business irrespective of the field is focusing on creating a robust online presence.

There is a high demand for digital marketers

With every business making an online presence, it is natural that they need digital marketers for their company. So learning an in-demand skill has no harm. Always ensure that you choose the best institute for digital marketing course online in Delhi.

You can start your own business or promote your existing business if you have one

Learning digital marketing is imperative for all individuals who are aspiring to be entrepreneurs. Reduce the costs of promoting your business and target the right audience with your knowledge. Also, you can track your progress, real-time, without depending on anyone else.

Studying digital marketing will help you to start your online business with your knowledge and skills acquired. Also, you can become a freelancer and provide services or become a digital marketing consultant. There are endless options to explore in the world of digital marketing.

More money, do you need any other reason?

If you are not happy with your salary, learning a digital marketing course online in Delhi will help you to get better roles in an organization. Moreover, if you are starting your careerComputer Technology Articles, why struggle when you have the easiest and the most demanding job roles available.

Articles source: http://www.articlesfactory.com/articles/education/give-your-career-a-new-dimension-with-digital-marketing.html

Designing Your Lead Magnet To Influence Podcast Listeners To Become Clients

How do you position yourself as the go to person?

Do you have an online presence beyond your store?

People may buy from you but do they buy into you?

Having a credible podcast is a massive plus for entrepreneurs, but you may need help in getting people to listen. Robert Thibodeau covers off the essentials to get you going in the right direction

I have discussed the importance of using a lead magnet to bring you podcast listeners to the point of exchanging their name and email address for something of a perceived high value to them. The entire process is designed to bring listeners to your podcast to make a decision to establish a relationship with you. This process is achieved through a well-designed landing page or lead magnet.

I will explain in a bit more detail, the five things you will need to have in your lead magnet for it to achieve that goal.

Here are the 5 things you need to offer them:

1. Give one specific promise to solve one specific problem and do so for one specific type of person.

For example: I use my "Podcast Creation Checklist" and inform people, "Follow this list in sequence and when you finish the list, you will have your podcast up and running!"

What is the promise: Follow this checklist and you will have your podcast up and running.

What is the one problem: Someone wants to start a podcast but is not sure how to do it.

What is the specific type of person this is for: Someone who wants to start a podcast.

Note: this is not for existing podcasters. It is not for bloggers. It is not for swimming lessons, etc.

It is for one specific market segment and solves one problem: How to start a podcast.

It gives one promise: Follow the checklist and you will have your podcast up and running.

2. Help the person to become a buyer by taking them down the success path.

This means, give them high value.

Give them additional resources in the training.

Give them additional testimonials from those you have helped.

This all lends to building credibility and value in the eyes of your potential client.

3. Make sure you are offering something with a perceived high value in the eyes of the client.

This is something they have been looking for. This is something they need. This is something can immediately put to use.

4. Instant gratification and can implement immediately.

Give them a quick win. Give them something they can see progress and success with. Do not send them 29 videos of one hour each from 1997!

You need to give them something they have immediate access to and can consume quickly.

In the case of my checklist, the first few steps are very easy to accomplish and they can see the results almost immediately.

5. Tell them what to do next!

This is the "take action" phase and is usually something like "Receive Your Report Here" or something similar (as pertains to your offer).

Keep it simple. Use it on the button (so no long sentences! Just a couple of words).

When you incorporate these five items on your landing page or lead magnet, you will be able to see the number of people joining your list grow. More people on your list means more people you are able to establish a business relationship with. The more people you can do that with, the more business you will ultimately generate.

By talking about this offer on your podcast, you can direct your listeners to a unique URL on your website. You can also add the URL to your show notes. Remember, you must make it extremely easy for your listeners to take action! Too many steps and you will lose them.

Build that lead magnet today!

Robert Thibodeau has been in online media since 2010. Between his online radio programs and his podcasts, he has accumulated about 4,000 episodes and conducted 600+ interviews in that time. He has helped many people to launch their own podcasts (many of which have earned numerous podcasting awards). He has a complete podcast training program, taking you from "Concept to Launch and Into Monetization." You can read more information on his training program at http://www.podcast-training.com You can also download his "Podcast Creation Checklist" for FREE under the "Services" tab on his website. He has also created a Christian podcast hosting and marketing platform at https://faithcasters.net

About the author: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robert_Thibodeau/2198393

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10301254

Build Better Websites & Funnels

I just discovered GrooveFunnels as a compelling alternative to Clickfunnels and all the other tried and tested products out there for your successful ecommerce journey.

Read on to discover a bit about their Groove Pages and Groove Sell suites as well as all the other functions they are packaging up, as well as their affiliate programme

At the time of blogging, the offer is FREE!!!!

In this day and age, any business that wants to thrive must go online.

With so many things going on around the world, and global changes that will forever impact the way people live and do business, going online is no longer just an option.

Not only to maintain their success, but even just to survive.

Sure, there are tools that are already available that any business can use to run their entire company and processes digitally.

However, any minimum amount of research will tell you that most of these products are expensive, complicated and limited in customization.

In other words, not very user-friendly, and definitely not suitable for all business owners, especially those who are less tech-savvy and might even be on a budget.

I mean, who can afford to invest thousands of dollars a month into a bunch of complicated tools, and on top of that, hire employees to manage the systems, right?

Well, if this sounds familiar in any way, I have some good news for you.

As an online marketer and blogger myself, I am always looking for new solutions for these everyday challenges we face as business owners.

Today, I am very excited to introduce you to my latest discovery.

GrooveFunnels is, by far, the best way I have found to be able to build websites, sales funnels and sell digital products online.

The best part? It’s FREE.

But the free value does not end there…

You see, GrooveFunnels is not just a website and sales funnel builder.

The co-founder of GrooveFunnels, Mike Filsaime, is actually a veteran in the Internet marketing space, and has put all his experience and expertise into one of the best suite of marketing tools I have ever seen.

I’ve also signed myself up for an account (it’s free), and for the past few days, I’ve had the chance to play around with it.

And you know what?

I can definitely tell you that this 100% free tool is perfectly capable of running your entire business, maybe even better than some of the expensive complicated tools out there.

I’m not exaggerating by any means…

From what I’ve seen so far, GrooveFunnels includes everything that I need to run my online business, all for absolutely free.

Here’s just a quick list of what I’ve gathered so far:

• FREE sales, page and funnel building platform
• Possible to build my own branded websites with full navigation
• Can integrate with my own custom domain name
• Able to sell my products with what they call a 1-click upsell
• Capability to integrate upsells, downsells, and order bumps
• Even has a way to create my own powerful affiliate program for my products!

And that’s just for starters, because there is so much more for me to explore!

I’m not even joking when I say that I am planning to change my ENTIRE online business over to GrooveFunnels!

I mean, why wouldn’t I?

It’s FREE, and it’s probably the BEST suite of marketing tools I have ever seen in my life.

By the way, there’s more…

I didn’t even mention some of my favorite benefits of GrooveFunnels.

As a member, I’ve also received a TON of community benefits.

I’ve been able to join their private Facebook group, connect with marketing experts inside, get help with all my problems, access private training within their own academy, ask questions through their helpdesk, and meet other like-minded entrepreneurs just like me to make the best use of these tools.

So, if you’re like me… Striving to grow your business, looking to learn more about marketing and getting to know some of the best in the industry at a more personal level, then you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Sounds great, right?

But you might be asking… what’s the catch?

The catch is that GrooveFunnels is free, but for a limited time only.

GrooveFunnels is in its pre-launch phase, which means that many of the products have still yet to fully launch.

When they do, and as the products continue to get upgraded, GrooveFunnels may no longer be free anymore.

This means that now is the time to sign up for your free account, which would also qualify you for the additional software upgrades that they make as time goes on.

Awesome deal, right?

It’s called being at the right place, at the right time.

And that’s where we’re at right now :)

Don’t wait any longer, because I’m honestly not sure when this free offer is going to go away.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for your free GrooveFunnels account right now, and I will see you inside of the Facebook group.

Top 5 Tips On How To Market Your Brand on TikTok

Here's something that everybody's kids and big players like Gary Vaynerchuk are very much on top of

... it's TikTok and it's not just for dancing

Jean Taylor explains

Since its launch, the TikTok program's popularity has revealed substantial growth. Back in October 2018, it had been the most-downloaded photograph and Video program in the Apple shop, internationally. The program's stats will probably blow your brain. It allegedly has accumulated more than 800 million active consumers, the US being the hottest country in which it's been downloaded nearly 100 000 million times. With a vast number of teenagers utilizing this stage, it's the capability to drive music tunes such as Taylor's, products, and marketing campaigns. However, being far from conventional advertising as maybe, also, it has puzzled many manufacturers that are unsure how to utilize the system to drive earnings and new exposure. Some have termed it yet another' fad program,' which may crash and vanish as quickly as it climbed to victory, others such as Nike, ABC, and Google have adopted the program and execute advertising campaigns on TikTok. Even Khloé Kardashian continues to be submitting sponsored articles on the stage.

Like what on TikTok, entrepreneurs need to think beyond the box once strategizing. While certain states continue to be uncertain for TikTok, its predecessor Musical.ly's consumers, was approximately 70 percent female.

Below are top 5 tips on how to market your brand on TikTok

1) Native movie

Another way to utilize advertisements in TikTok is by using in-feed native movie advertisements that TikTok was recently captured testing subtly at the program. The evaluation was seen in the USA edition of this program, in which a movie labeled"Sponsored" in the bicycle merchant Specialized showed up from the primary feed, together with a gloomy"Learn More" button which sends consumers to tap to acquire more details.

Presumably, this button can be customized to guide users to the advertiser Website or some other internet address. Still, also, for now, it opened up the Specialized Bikes (@specializedbikes) profile site inside the TikTok program. The music which followed the clip has been tagged"Promoted Music."

These native movie ads are the Exact Same length as ordinary TikTok movies (9-15 moments, even though the test advertisement was just 5 minutes ), are full-screen (like Instagram Stories advertisements ), and maybe jumped by users. It supports call-to-actions for program downloads and website visits and can be stepped by complete movie opinions, typical video drama durations, movie participation, and click-through rate. Influencers

2) Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is entirely up TikTok's street, and lots of powerful And innovative TikTok consumers have emerged within the program since its launch. Several large brands have begun experimenting with influencer attempts around the program.

The Ideal influencers can alter efficiently sponsored content within an Authentic message which speaks to customers. However, since a new, do not attempt to modify the influencer's voice and also order a lot of the way they present your articles. They're influencers for a motive, and their followers appreciate the value of their material since it's authentic. When this goes for many social media platforms, then it's very accurate on TikTok, in which Generation Z consumers will probably grab the triumph of any content that is rigged.

One brand that made it spot on with its influencer Advertising effort on TikTok is currently Calvin Klein that in 2018 withdrew from runway style to rebrand and expand its customer base among young folks. It immediately became the most prosperous advertising campaign on TikTok.

Influencer advertising is still relatively fresh on TikTok and even more economical to Pull than other programs. Since the distance isn't yet quite crowded, the ideal expansion hacker can engineer a fashion that'll bring you enormous ROI.

3) Keep Your Eye On Trends.

Observing the tendencies on TikTok is a wise move, particularly as they alter Weekly. In reality, they could change nearly daily. It's crucial to remain up to speed with what consumers want to know more about. If you are using influencers, expect them to understand that which trends to follow and not -- it is how they have gotten so way. TikTok celebrities particularly know precisely what the top tendencies are to follow, which could help your product in receiving the very best exposure and push more prospective customers to a shop. In the event you have missed a fad since it just lasted a day, then do not worry over it. The following one is on the upswing.

When you start TikTok, it will take you right to the homepage. That is where You'll discover the newest trending movies from popular TikTokers. You do not have to follow along with everyone to begin. You're exhibited content the moment you log into. Since you then start to follow an increasing number of individuals, your homepage is going to be inhabited by these users' articles also. Besides the homepage, most webpage allows you to search for hashtags and consumers and showcases a number of the present trending challenges along with hashtags.

4) Coming Shortly: 3D/AR lenses

According to some leaked pitch deck lately released by Digiday, additionally, To the things already mentioned, TikTok can be working with a Snapchat-style 2D lens filter to get photographs. This may hold some intriguing advertising opportunities in the shop.

5) User-Generated Articles

User involvement and user-generated content ought to be the cornerstones of Any TikTok advertising strategy. Since the program's achievement is built to the material made by its users, directing this to some advertisement makes complete sense. Haidilao introduced a"DIY" option for its menu, which means that clients can create their very own distinctive, off-menu dish using the components which can be found on the restaurant menu. When clients asked the DIY option, they had been invited to earn a brief movie of them making their very own meal and then share it upon Douyin (the Chinese variant of TikTok).

The effort proved to be a huge success. Over 15,000 clients asked for its DIY option at one of those chain restaurants, along with over 2,000 movies, have been shared at TikTok, creating over 50 million viewpoints on the program. Marketing success utilizing UGC on TikTok is produced by discovering fun and unique methods to induce customers to make articles on behalf of your own new or take part in branded campaigns. You might even offer you a prize or reward to the ideal movie or find another method to inspire users to post articles. If you're able to provide something distinctive to TikTok founders, that is a terrific way to encourage users to make content.

However, unsure about TikTok advertising? Rest assured That You're studying the Ropes with the remaining portion of the promotion world. Produce a profile about the program and Begin with something small that will not cost you a great deal of effort and money. As you Develop more familiar using the program and get to understand its viewers, you can accommodate Your promotion strategy.

By the way, do you want to learn more about Top 5 Tips On How To Market Your Brand On TikTok? If so, go to Jean Taylor's website and obtain her FREE guide: https://www.makemoneyonlinehappy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10291795