Grow Your Email List with Messenger Chatbots in 6 Easy Steps

Originally published: September 07, 2019 05:09:07 PM, updated: November 19, 2022 12:00:00 AM

Since their inception, chatbots have provided businesses with around-the-clock customer support and outreach thanks to their machine-learning algorithms. With the rise in popularity of social media platforms, chatbots have taken a new, far more approachable shape than ever before.

Whether you are a small company looking for new customers or a large international enterprise in search of ways to expand, Messenger chatbots can assist you in your endeavor. According to Chatbot Magazine, there are currently over 1.2 billion users on Messenger, with over 100,000 chatbots actively seeking new stakeholders for their companies.

The ratio proves that there is untapped potential in the Messenger’s audience, one that can easily be taken advantage of through smart chatbot implementation. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how chatbots can help you create a contact funnel in order to grow your email list and expand your brand’s reach across the globe.

1. Create a User Profile

Generally speaking, it’s very unlikely that you will attract people to your email list through random engagement. There is a very clear audience ready to receive your content and buy your products out there, however.

In order to pinpoint the exact group of people to reach out to, you should create an internal user profile for your business. You can refer to several questions in regards to your potential user’s info in order to do so:

• What age range is suitable for your products and services?
• Does your perfect user need academic education to enjoy the products or services? If so, what type of professional background does your user require?
• What are the typical hobbies, pastimes, likes and dislikes of your perfect user?

These questions can help you narrow your field of search drastically. You can then build a contact list from which your chatbot will be able to conduct outreach to specific audiences only.

Reaching out to anyone and everyone you can come across will build a very negative image of your brand. Be a professional and plan your contact list in advance of your engagement efforts.

2. Short and Informative Messages

Before reaching out to your contact list, you should equip your chatbot with as many variable messages as possible. Create obvious sales pitches and thank-you notes before moving on to informative responses.

Your contact list will undoubtedly consist of individuals with actual questions about your brand, product portfolio and similar information. This means that your chatbot should be fully equipped to deliver responses to these queries. With that in mind, write short, informative and actionable answers for your chatbots to use. Avoid long paragraphs of explanation since it will only cause people to skim through your writing and be suspicious of your chatbot.

It’s also good practice to include links to your website’s different pages in the responses for additional details in regards to individual questions. Be as concise, direct and informative as possible in your chatbot messages and your email list will grow as a result.

3. Focus on the Hook

Due to the nature of Messenger and chat applications in general, people are bound to skim through any message you send them. It’s important then to focus on your opening as much as possible and provide the hook early. Open with a professional and courteous greeting and follow it by stating your reasons for reaching out.

Don’t waste time explaining that you are using chatbots or what your company is all about. Offer a glimpse at the benefits your products can offer to potential customers and let your potential stakeholders decide on the rest. Creating a chatbot funnel is all about careful and respectful writing.

It is important to write your chatbot messages carefully then to avoid uncomfortable situations or a general lack of engagement from your potential user base. You can refer to a platform such as Pick Writers where you can choose localization services based on the region your users come from. Be as forthcoming as possible and your hook will do the rest to secure more emails for your email list.

4. Scheduled Outreach

No one likes spam content, especially in Messenger and similar chat applications. This means that you should schedule your outreach for specific times of day or week depending on the audience you choose to work with. For example, targeting industry professionals is better done in late evening hours or during weekends.

Alternatively, youth and millennials might like to receive messages from your chatbot during the day, multiple times a week. Find a good balance depending on the contact list you formed earlier and don’t bombard your users with email list requests.

One or two tries should be enough to convince individuals to subscribe to your email listing without the need to sell your point any further. However, if someone refuses to do so at first, give it some time before trying again, after which you should move on from that individual. If someone doesn’t want to be a part of your email list, it is their right to say “No”, saving your chatbot and company some effort.

5. Provide a Way Out

One of the most important aspects of drawing someone into your email list is to provide them with a way out. People are far more likely to give your brand a chance if they have assurances that they can unsubscribe at any time. Just imagine going to a restaurant which then informs you that you cannot leave ever again – it does feel cheap and unprofessional.

As mentioned previously, be forthcoming and understanding of your stakeholders’ wishes. Instruct your chatbot to inform the engaged users about the possibility of opting out at any time if they choose to do so in order to increase their trust in your business practices.

6. Learn as you go

Lastly, given the nature of chatbots and their AI algorithms, you will have access to a plethora of user interaction data. Make sure to implement what your chatbot learned about the user base you engaged by iterating on the messages you use to reach out to potential email list participants.

You can constantly update your chatbot messages until you find a good balance of informative writing and calls to action. After all, what’s the point of using chatbots if not to use the data they collect to better your business for future clients and customers.

In Summary

Even though chatbots are not a revolutionary addition tothe customer outreach market, they can be a worthy addition to your marketing strategy. Make sure to use the email list you’ve built up for the company and product promotion ethically and with the users’ consent.

Don’t resort to sales of email list information and allow users to be in control of how you handle their data. If done right, you will be able to build up quite a reputation as a business that takes privacy of its clientele seriously, which will bring more stakeholders to your doors.

BIO: Kristin Savage is interested in writing and planning to publish her own book in the nearest future. Also, she has been a reviewer at Pick Writers for a few years and is known for her thorough approach to accurately assess newcomer translation services. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.