Conversational Chatbot or Human: Which Is Better For Your Business Marketing Automation Needs?

There’s no denying the power of automation. For example, virtual assistants are the fastest-growing job category in the US, and they’re becoming a huge part of business process automation. There’s also been a massive rise in the number of chatbots available to automate customer service and business operations. The question for many businesses is whether a chatbot can be just as effective as a human at handling a task. In many cases, a chatbot can be a better, cheaper option, but, as with everything, there are pros and cons to each.

The pros and cons of chatbots For Your Business Marketing Automation Needs

Chatbots can help you save money. In most cases, the cost of chatbots is much lower than that of human support staff. Although, you’re reliant on their artificial intelligence to learn over time, so you’ll likely have to go through some training courses to keep it going. It’s faster, and more flexible. A chatbot can work 24/7, 365 days a year and there are no vacations or sick days – no matter how sick or tired your team may be. You’re not waiting for a human to come in, and you can get back to other duties in a flash. The same goes for the daily productivity of chatbots. There’s no longer any “down time” from training, or anyone looking after them – it’s all automated. You can train a chatbot to be your best friend.

The pros and cons of humans For Your Business Marketing Automation Needs

The most obvious difference between a chatbot and a human is cost. Chatbots can cost as little as $20 or as much as $500, depending on what software they use, and the support they have. The advantages of chatbots are that they can do the exact same job as humans — on a much smaller scale, too, which is a big advantage for growing businesses. A chatbot isn’t restricted by a language, an educational background or even time. The company will have access to a vast database of knowledge and, as long as it can identify a topic, it can dive straight in and learn about it. This is a great alternative if you have a small budget or have a very specific type of customer in mind — a bot can easily learn all the information you need.

The pros and cons of a chatbot vs. a human marketing automation

Does a chatbot offer more cost-effectiveness than a human marketing automation chatbot, compared to the human option? Will an automated chatbot save your organization thousands of dollars a year? Should a chatbot replace a human marketing automation employee? Let’s explore the pros and cons, along with some examples of how automation can improve customer service, ecommerce conversion, and marketing automation for your business. Pros of chatbots: Cost reduction Automation may reduce costs in marketing and customer service as many tasks can be completed faster, cheaper and with a greater degree of accuracy than a human marketing automation employee.

How are chatbots different from humans in business automation?

After researching the topic, here’s how they compare. Knowledge-based vs. analytical First, let’s take a look at how they differ. Learning is different than analytical. If you’re talking about a chatbot, it’s generally looking up information, not storing or retrieving the data, which is an analyst-focused process. Companies such as Emarsys, in Manchester, UK, use automated AI and natural language processing to help with insurance claims processing. Because chatbots have the ability to recognize patterns, they’re very good at finding and solving issues, whether that’s a claim or a fraud alert. Case in point: the chatbot PSA from USAA , which helped customers solve issues and resolve claims faster than human customer service staff.

The Key Is To Use the Right Tool for the Job of business automation

Chatbots were initially designed to help people manage their digital lives. They’re good at handling queries and initiating orders, but they’re not experts in things like sales, customer service, or marketing. Chatbots are a great way to act as a system of a second but they aren’t yet very useful when used in their original purpose. Instead, businesses need to take a holistic view of their marketing automation system, so that they are focusing on the things that matter the most. Related: Talking to Bots: The Dangerous Beginning of a Happy End Some marketing automation systems require you to have a human customer service rep to complete some of your tasks, while others are designed to have a chatbot set up for each customer.

Conclusion

There’s still a long way to go before businesses are ready to fully adopt the best marketing automation tools for their needs, but there’s a lot of useful guidance to help you get started. By getting your own CRM, email marketing, social media marketing, marketing automation, and web analytics all working together, you can reach a truly comprehensive cross-channel, automated marketing strategy that can grow your business exponentially. Do you use marketing automation to grow your business?