What Does it Mean to Have a Conversational Marketing Strategy?

Marketing is a very broad term. It can involve many different types of marketing, including content and influencer marketing, but unless you work closely within the industry, you may not have heard of conversational marketing. In this article, we’ll be taking you through what conversational marketing is, how it works and why it’s important. So let’s take a deeper look at everything you need to know about conversational marketing:

What is conversational marketing?

Conversational marketing is a marketing strategy that refers to brands or businesses communicating directly with customers and prospects by way of personalised, real-time interactions on different marketing channels, including messaging applications, live chats, emails and social media posts.

The term itself was coined back in 2010 and, in its infancy, it utilised pop-up windows to ask questions like “what are you looking for?” or “how can I help you?”. These tactics have since evolved into what you recognise today. But how does conversational marketing actually work?

How does conversational marketing work?

Conversational marketing works best when implemented and embedded within other marketing strategies. There are five different practices that marketers will use in order to develop an effective conversational marketing strategy. Those five methods used to build such a strategy are as follows:

1. Establishing goals – conversational marketing goals should be the same as the goals linked with the overall digital marketing strategy at play. They should not deviate from those common goals, which is why it’s a great starting point for conversational marketing
2. Identifying customer groups – this involves finding which groups of people you want to target. Usually, marketers will start off with new and existing customers so as to improve the current user experience (UX) and ensure a better experience for new customers, helping to set you apart from the competition
3. Creating a channel strategy – as soon as a target audience is identified, you can choose the most relevant channel to start communicating with them. Marketers will consider different demographics, including age, gender and location. Often, research will be done into where target audiences spend most of their time while online
4. Developing the right content – different audiences will have different content preferences. Preferred content options can include anything from podcasts and blogs to reviews and short-form videos. Choose the most relevant content type for your target audience
5. Measuring and optimising – conversational marketing needs a strong execution in order to be effective. This means optimising it adequately. Do this by developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge your progress. Keep an eye on things like: views, likes, shares, reach, impressions and engagement, for instance

Why is conversational marketing important?

Now that you know more about conversational marketing and the work that goes into effectively pulling it off, you may be wondering what the big deal is. Why do people bother with conversational marketing when there are so many other types of marketing that could be utilised instead? We’re on hand the answer your question. Let’s delve deeper into the importance of conversational marketing and why marketers continue to use it to their advantage:

It allows for more personalised customer interactions

With the advancement of technology, consumers have come to expect a certain level of quality when it comes to personalised marketing experiences. This feeling is only heightened when they’re interacting with their favourite brands and businesses. This sort of experience can only go so far when dealing with real people. However, bring AI into the mix, and you have a whole new level of service. To cope with rising demands, AI is increasingly being used to deliver such an experience to expectant customers.

It improves customer support

With AI and automation at many marketers’ disposal, it allows for 24/7 customer support when consumers need it most. Gone are the days of them spending hours on the phone in a virtual queue to speak to someone about the problems they have. It could all be solved with the use of a chatbot, as long as it’s sophisticated enough to get the job done. As well as answering customer complaints and queries, chatbots can also be used to book appointments, return unwanted items and even make purchases.

It reduces costs 

Personalisation can be done far more easily now than ever before, and that’s with the help of AI and automation. As such, conversational marketing has become far more cost-effective, hence why it’s a popular marketing technique currently. AI chatbots and voice agents are being utilised to keep costs low and return high. While there will be overheads associated with the development of the software and the monitoring of any progress made, it’s a far cheaper alternative when compared to having an entire team on the floor doing it all for you, which can take time and, therefore, money.

It develops a rapport between the business and the customer

Personalised messaging and other forms of communication can make a consumer feel more important and valued. According to Contentful, 69% of customers said that they appreciated personalisation in targeted marketing campaigns. As such, 89% of marketers said that personalisation was essential for their success, and conversational marketing provides the professionals with the opportunity to do just that. This is further solidified by Integrity Solutions, who claim that personalisation leads to increased loyalty, leads, sales and customers.

Kumo is a digital marketing agency in the heart of the East Midlands. We have over two decades of experience and knowledge in the field, offering specialist services that work to propel your business into the spotlight. We have a team of skilled marketers at the helm of our operations, including SEO specialists, PPC experts, website design professionals and qualified content writers. If you would like further information about how we can set you apart from your competitors, then get in touch with a member of our friendly team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.