Facebook Plays a Game of Chess with Apple

M Dorsett - Communications Doctor Chibur

Ever have one of those mornings? Where you wake up to “breaking news.” Last month I had one. Facebook released messenger integration for websites, calling it Customer Chat Plugin. Discussion groups I belong to went wild discussing the impact. Even Product Hunt sent their daily email that day with the headline, “Facebook pivots into the enterprise.”

Needless to say I was a little shocked. Messaging, the ability for brands to communicate with consumers via text, and Messenger, the app for messaging exclusively via Facebook, has been available for brands to deploy on websites for awhile. Nothing seemed really new with this announcement except that you had to sign up on a waitlist. It’s like when a new nightclub makes you wait in line even when it’s empty inside.

I’m going on the record and saying I truly appreciate this latest marketing effort. This is certainly another another milestone in the story that Facebook has been telling since they rattled and accelerated the rate of development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) forever post A.F8 2016. But will enterprises take advantage?

I’ve paired my assessment of the situation with some chess related quotes, as this is certainly one fine game we’re witnessing.

Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. — Spielmann

This is what I see. Facebook seems to be — no pun intended — facing off with Apple. Apple is the wise old couple on the block. Earlier this year they announced iMessage for business. Facebook, are the kids who keep throwing a ball in their yard.

Everyone grab your popcorn. It’s like a scene straight out of “Neighbors”. This announcement from Facebook feels like a clap back. Notable enterprise brands for my life that went live on Customer Chat with messenger are KLM & AirFrance. I’m really looking forward to seeing which brands deploy in 2018 when iMessage Business Chat is rumored to launch.

“When you see a good move wait — look for a better one.” — Emanuel Lasker

Branding messenger integration as Customer Chat Plugin is a good move. When a small business integrates messenger on their website they will see immediate benefits. However Customer Chat Plugin, despite its name, is not a plug and play option for enterprise brands. Facebook has not solved the scalability of Messenger. In order for an enterprise to integrate conversational commerce into their digital engagement strategy, they will need to have a backend solution that allows for messages to be handled at mass.

Now you may be wondering why I say that is needed when a bot can handle messages at scale? The reality is bots are not able to answer all questions. The human touch will still be required. Humans need to: oversee bot conversations, be available for escalations, handle specific customer journeys, and, most importantly, take the nuggets that the bot couldn’t handle and train it how to — improving its intelligence.

In addition, Founder and CEO of Agent IQ Craig Davis makes a valid point when it comes to scalability. Conversations with consumers happen on many different channels. “Using a platform with closed loop AI brings more efficiency to the large customer service organizations that were serving.” Whether or not the conversation comes in from Messenger or another messaging channel “the AI gets smarter, turns around and applies that knowledge automatically to the other channels.”

“The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake.” — Tartakover

Staying true to it’s millennial spirit, Facebook didn’t wait for a conference to roll out the plugin. They just built it and released it. They can do that when they have Apple users, android users, and let’s not forget WhatsApp, which also plans to monetize the messaging application for businesses in 2018. Investors of Facebook should be feeling pretty good. Facebook is testing a mass chat tool that looks exciting, it just announced Direct another stand alone messaging app, and four out of the top five apps that are downloaded in the world fall under the Facebook umbrella.

Check Mate.

The fifth most downloaded app on that list is snapchat. Making all the top apps that are downloaded in the world messaging apps. 54% of consumers today prefer to connect on platforms like Messenger vs email phone or online chat, but majority of enterprise brands do not offer it. What it boils down to at this point in history is any brands that that implement a conversational commerce option is a good thing for Apple. Regardless of the platform that is used on the brands end, the consumer will be communicating from their device of choice. Apple produces devices. Facebook does not.

Optional to include originally published link: https://chatbotsmagazine.com/facebook-plays-a-game-of-chess-with-apple-391190574af6

Facebook Stalking? Nah, It’s Just Business

By: Carolina LaFuente

If you go on Google today and type your name, images of you can show up as well as your different social media platforms. With an instant search, others can figure out what city you live in, that you changed your hair two weeks ago and that your brother Elliot is getting married to Samantha in the Spring.

Just like this, online retailers can also find out about their customers without even having to do any of the research themselves. Technology has provided us with data gathering tools that can track consumer behavior online and catch repeated actions that form into trends. Have you ever gotten an email from a store where you’ve shopped before and it happens include a message about an item you’ve had your eye on…and it’s on sale?

Customers are more likely to visit your website when they know you’ll have something they’re interested in, whether they saw it in an email, and social media ad or an online ad while on a different website.

With sponsored content growing on social media, as a business, one can specifically target whose page to show the content on based on previous pages they’ve visited. The same goes for online ads on other websites. By tracking consumer behavior online based on what other stores customers shop at, what they click on while they’re on your website and what social media pages they follow, one can cater to them more successfully because they will feel your brand relates to them.

By collecting data about customers it is also easy to anticipate customers’ needs so that the product they are looking for is always in stock. As Bridge Mellichamp of Stitchlabs puts it, “Using data to understand how a customer thinks extends beyond service and logistics. From anticipating customer needs to testing and personalizing communications, successful retailers are using data to make more informed business decisions.”

Tracking online shopping data from customers also helps facilitate the shopping experience in terms of navigation for customers. By testing out different website layouts, online retailers can learn about which one works best for their customer. Office Depot for example, contains a side bar online not only welcoming the customer by name but by also suggesting items related to previous purchases. They tested out the suggested items section as a pop up that had to clicked on and then as an open side toolbar that displays the suggested items automatically. Office Depot found out that customers bought items more often from the version of the side bar that contained the automatically visible display of suggested items. Customers in this case did not have to take any extra steps either to find what they were looking for.

While online shopping may lose the physical connection between customer and company because of a computer, phone, or tablet screen, it doesn’t mean the entire shopping experience can’t be just as personal as walking into a store and speaking with a sales associate. By tracking consumer behavior online, you can get to know your customers just as well as the regular ones that walk into a store. The sites themselves can be personalized to ease the experience and future purchases can be anticipated by previous search history on the website. Personal emails can be sent to customers inviting them to in-store events and you can even then thank them by sending a coupon for a necklace since they recently purchased a ring from the same collection. Customers remain loyal to brands that get them simply because they know they can count on you to find something they need and will like. It’s not creepy, it’s smart business. Make your customers your crush, just be careful not to accidentally like that photo from 5 months ago on their Instagram.

Cross-Posting on Social Media and Why You Shouldn’t Do It

BY: Carolina Lafuente

As a brand, sharing on all your social media platforms is key to engaging with your audience. However, if you’re sharing the exact same post across different platforms, you’re probably not going to get much interaction. Your followers will notice and it comes off as impersonal and lazy from your part.

First and foremost, not all social media platforms are created equally. Therefore, each post should be appropriately tailored to specific outlets. Your Twitter audience wants short, in the moment updates, while your Instagram audience is much more visual. Twitter works great with links to lead your followers to your site. Instagram, not so much since you can’t embed links into captions.

Facebook might be the trickiest to reach your audience through. Facebook’s strange algorithm punishes you for that one video you might’ve posted that didn’t get much attention. This however may work to your brand’s benefit by challenging you to really get to know your audience. It is important to keep in mind that with Facebook, the amount of people your posts reach varies on how much interaction your previous posts receive.

Social media shouldn’t be taken too seriously though, unless you’re a serious news outlet. Instagram is one of the best ways to showcase your brand’s personality through photographs, videos and text. Your followers will resonate with posts that are personalized. Sometimes, the amount of likes and comments go further than the number of followers you have. Speaking of followers, don’t forget to reply to your followers on their posts to let them know you’re there and you’re listening. So go ahead, post that TGIF gif or photo, and don’t forget to add that hashtag.