Power Up Your Marketing Strategy with Conversational AI

It’s critical for businesses to respond to customers in real-time. Interactive and personalized customer service is, in fact, the cornerstone of modern businesses. To cater to customers around-the-clock, businesses are investing in conversational AI chatbots and voice assistants.

Need evidence?

According to a Gartner survey, the usage of AI in marketing has increased by 270% in 2019-20. The respondents (Chief Innovation Officers) said they have realized the potential of AI in marketing. They are open to leveraging it to scale and automate their campaigns, among other things.

If you too are keen to explore the applications of conversational AI in marketing, this post is for you. I’ll be discussing five real use cases of brands that have successfully accelerated their marketing with conversational AI. You can use them as a compass to guide your marketing strategy. 

Let’s get started.

5 Successful Use Cases of Conversational AI in Marketing 💬

Despite the huge demand for conversational AI in business, not many marketers understand how to leverage it effectively. A Demandbase survey found that only 26% of marketers feel they “really understand” AI and only 10% of them are currently using it in marketing.

Sound familiar?

Then, read about five brands that have not only “understood” AI but also used it to fine-tune their marketing strategies.

1. Sephora: Boost Customer Engagement with Chatbots 💄

Before I start with the topic at hand, I want to share some eye-opening facts about modern consumers, revealed by an Oracle survey. They will help you optimize your marketing strategies. 

  • Over 50% of people expect brands to be available 24×7 to assist them. 
  • 26% of them prefer to communicate with brands through messaging apps.

Even if you’re using the most reliable live chat programs, you can’t practically meet such heightened customer demands through human agents. 

That’s precisely why Sephora uses a chatbot to keep customers engaged and happy. Available on both Facebook Messenger and Kik, the bot uses a quiz to learn about consumer needs and preferences. 

Sephora conversational AI chatbot

Image via Facebook

Thereafter, it shows contextual product recommendations and offers, which helps boost the brand’s sales. Along the way, the bot shows up tutorials and fashion tips that are tailored to each user’s needs.

Customers love the personalized shopping experience and often end up buying more than they had initially planned. And, the magic continues long after the checkout point as well. Post-sale, the bot provides customers with exclusive discounts and deals to earn trust and repeat sales.

2. Structurely: Nurtures Leads 🤖

When talking about the best platforms for conversational AI, Structurely belongs right at the top of my list. Their personable chatbot, Aisa Holmes, is the leading lead-generation solution for realty firms and brokers.

Structurely conversational AI chatbot
It seems even AI chatbots aren’t immune to spelling mistakes 😉

Image via Structurely

Aisa chats up website visitors, gathers their requirements, analyzes their sale potential, and speeds up the buyer cycle –– all without any human intervention. Through 24/7 online messaging, the bot follows up with prospective customers and qualifies them for the next buyer stage so that realtors can close deals faster.

Condolences, congratulatory messages, birthday wishes –– Aisa sends all of this to make the shopping experience more personal while also keeping an eye on lead generation. 

3. Marriott: Provides Stellar Customer Experience 🏨

Customer experience or CX is the new battleground for brands competing for consumer loyalty and conversions. Chatbots are one of the best ways to improve your CX and lock in customer trust.

Marriott is a prime example of a brand that has used bots to make life easy for travelers. Their bot, Chatbotlr, acts as an extension of their concierge service and front desk and is available to customers on Slack and Facebook. Using the bot, guests can order basic hotel amenities right from their mobile phones.

Marriott conversational AI chatbot

Image via Marriott International

Currently, Marriott has made the bot available to their Aloft hotel chain guests, but they plan to widen its usage shortly. The bot’s on-demand service is being used by 2 out of 3 guests, according to Stephanie Linnatrz, the Global Chief Commercial Officer.

4. Domino’s: Reinforces Branding 🍕

Being an early adopter of conversational AI, Domino’s has used the technology to put their brand front-and-center. The pizza giant wanted to serve customers where they are (mostly, in messaging apps).

So, what did they do?

They let customers order a pizza just by sending a pizza emoji in chat. Click-happy users need not go through a million steps, haggling with online agents to order their favorite pizzas.

When other brands jumped on the chatbot bandwagon, Domino’s realized they had to do something disruptive to make their brand stand out. They came up with custom emojis that have now become popular with pizza lovers.

What else?

With chatbot technology evolving, the bot now comes equipped with voice recognition so that customers can make phone calls from the bot and track their order status.

5. The Wall Street Journal: Keeps Subscribers Updated 🗞

While email marketing is incredibly rewarding, it’s also over-exploited. With an average office worker receiving hundreds of emails a day, it’s hard to cut through the email noise.

The solution?

Use chatbots as an alternative to emails, like The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) does.  Instead of sending newsletters to subscribers, the company sends updates via their chatbot. Users can pick and choose the updates they want to receive as well as their frequency.

This way, the WSJ is able to stay connected with their readers, without overwhelming them with unwanted information.

Ready to Give Your Marketing the AI Edge?

Conversational AI is not a buzzword or trend in digital marketing. It has several practical applications as explained above. When used in the right ways, chatbots and voice assistants can help you reach, engage, nurture, and convert customers.

Do you need more tips and examples of AI use cases in business? Share your requests in the comments section. I’ll get back to you with the answers soon.

Shane Barker

Shane Barker has helped businesses accelerate their growth with customized digital marketing consultation and services. Having won many accolades, he has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.