Can you hear me chatbot?

If you can all recall your first login to Slack, you would’ve been greeted by Slackbot – a bot that can show you around the site and answer your questions, kind of like the Siri of your iPhone.

They’re assistants that websites now ‘employ’ to assist customers with generic and mundane questions as they click on and browse sites. It can also be used in other ways to interact and engage with consumers to get conversations going in the media.

Images: Own screenshot

Images: Own screenshot

Take Boost Juice for example. They created experimental retail by using their very own Macha Bot to launch their new campaign that promoted a new smoothie. Users would interact with Boost through their chatbot on Facebook Messenger and would then be ‘matcha-ed’ up with other bots that reflected the ingredients of the new drink. It persuaded consumers to play the dating game by chatting frequently to them throughout the campaign period for discounts and a chance to win a trip to Japan. It was an innovative way to get people engaging with the brand part of their day-to-day activities.

Images: Own screenshot

Images: Own screenshot

But, behind its futuristic features and fun and games, it can give you alerts, reports and insights into your digital advertising campaigns which is a vital tool for marketers as digital technology continue to develop.

Did you interact with Boost Juice’s chatbot? What did you think of the campaign? Or have you interacted with other similar bots? Share it with us below!

Best bits of blogging

Blogging. What does it have to do with marketing? As digital marketing students, blogging is a requirement, but for businesses, it may be of great use. So here are three benefits of blogging for businesses:

1. Blogging drives traffic to your website and social media accounts

A blog can increase the chances of your brand from appearing in the results section of a search. This can draw attention and increase exposure and site views. These posts also provide you with sharable content that brand followers may want to share with their friends and family.

2. Blogging gives your brand personality

Building relationships with your customers is important in the longevity of a brand. Allowing for an emotional connection makes a brand more relatable and blogs allow you to do just that. Your consumers can relate to you and know who is behind the logo of a brand because ultimately, they want to buy from brands they trust and know well.

3. Blogging deepens customer relationship

If there is genuine interaction between you and your consumers, they will stay on your site longer. Most sites now rely on artificial intelligence for interactions but having a real person to read, comment and reply on a blog makes it that little bit more personal and shows you value your audience.

Can you think of any other benefits of blogging that you want to share? Perhaps it relates to your own personal experience.

A for Australia (or America), advertising and Amazon

We all know Amazon has entered the Australian market, and we’ve all heard about the potential damage it can do to Australian businesses but perhaps for some, particularly in America, Amazon could be the key to advertising success.

When it comes to online advertising, many people turn to social media such as Facebook and Instagram to promote new products and services because of the reach and exposure you can get from it especially if you can target your market. Google AdWords is another popular choice but it can be costly. You must be asking now – what does all this have to do with Amazon?

Amazon dominates the eCommerce business in America with it being both a manufacturer and a distributor of basically anything you can think of. But did you know they also have their own advertising platform? No fancy name, just, Amazon Advertising.

It is still in its early stages of growth so for marketers, it is the perfect time to jump over and try out what Amazon has to offer. It’s relatively cheap for the time being, plus sale season is around the corner (in America) so businesses will need exposure. Return on investment is appealing considering the number of Amazon users and many have little knowledge about this service existing compared to Google AdWords and its ever-growing marketplace that is overcrowded.

So, knowing this would you now turn to Amazon or stay with Google if you were a marketer?