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As per a recent study, with 90% of Instagram users following at least one business, it provides an ideal opportunity to expand your audience and strengthen your relationships with existing and potential customers.
But the truth is, that only a few businesses can convert those followers into loyal customers. Here, the Instagram bot comes into the picture as a savior. Instagram chatbot lets you reply to every query of the consumers regarding your product offerings and convert them into paying customers.
On June 2nd, at Facebook’s virtual developer conference (F8 Refresh), Facebook launched a new messenger API, especially for Instagram. It was introduced to help companies with their customer communication on social media platforms like Instagram.
As digital communication becomes increasingly prevalent in various spheres, automated messaging platforms have gained widespread popularity. Keep reading this blog article to learn about Instagram chatbots and how they can benefit your business.
‘In simple terms, an Instagram chatbot provides instant responses to user queries on Instagram.’
The Instagram chatbots don’t mimic real people or try to make them feel that they are talking to a real human agent. Moreover, they act as intermediaries, facilitating real-time communication between a brand and its customers.
If a user comes across a post from a preferred brand while scrolling through their newsfeed, they can initiate a chat with the brand directly by using the “let’s chat” option, instead of simply liking and commenting and waiting for a response. Engaging in a detailed conversation with the brand can rekindle the user’s connection and allow for a more personalized experience.
On the other hand, on behalf of that specific brand, the Instagram chatbot will interact with them and thus automate the whole customer service process. Here, the company doesn’t need to reply to every message of the users, manually. The bot itself works for that.
With nearly 2 billion active users all around the world, Instagram is amongst the most popular social media channels in today’s time. Approximately 17.54% of the global population, which is equivalent to the combined total of Europe and North America, uses Instagram on a monthly basis.
Instagram was first created in 2010, and since then all of us use it as a beautiful and engaging platform to share our memories, personal lives, browse different types of content, and communicate with our friends.
Over the past few years, Instagram has undergone transformation and has emerged as one of the top channels for businesses to engage, promote and sell their products online to their customers.
Some Important Stats on Instagram Usage
Online selling through Instagram is definitely a big advantage for many brands. Users of Instagram tend to be very interesting and can be potential buyers. Through posts, stories and ads in Instagram will help greatly to engage with the target consumers and convert an interested user into your valuable customer.
In this article, we will explore some of the compelling reasons why you should consider implementing a chatbot on your company’s Instagram account.
Benefits of Instagram Chatbots
Being a human, yes, you will take some time to reply to Instagram DMs, but for robots, it’s instant. When you integrate an Instagram chatbot with your business account, it will reply to any DMs automatically. You will get lots of DMs throughout the day. The time that you will spend reading and replying to those messages, can be put to better use.
While the Instagram bot will reply to those messages you can brainstorm new ideas for your marketing, advertising promotions, and other fruitful tasks.
Opting for an Instagram chatbot is like having a top-performing employee with an unusual passion for achieving the highest sales figures.
If you are running an online business, you must know that there is no downtime for you. If you have one, then it’s obvious that you are going to lose some sales. Your support agents do need rest, but the Instagram bot does not. Having a global business with customers from all around the world, sticking to only human managers may lead to missing out some valuable leads.
The Instagram chatbot can efficiently answer customer inquiries related to your product and direct them to relevant store pages, thereby boosting your sales efforts. It can also recommend product offerings within the chat window itself, thus leading to much more efficient and faster sales conversions.
The Instagram bot stores all the interactions with the users and keeps a tracking of the pattern of queries coming from them. It’s a great way to understand your customers and their requirements.
For example, if a large number of people are continuously asking about your return policy, then you have to relook that section and update the content for better understanding.
Also, if your chatbot successfully converts multiple customer inquiries into sales by recommending the same product, it’s time to review your inventory and ensure a sufficient stock to meet the demand. Yes, this information you could also get while interacting with the customers but having the chatbot to automate the whole process saves huge time to focus on other important tasks.
You have to offer multilingual assistance if you have a global business with customers from different corners of the globe. As per research, 70% users want to be loyal to those companies that offer assistance in their own native language.
You can set up a multilingual chatbot in many ways. If you have created your own chatbot, you can translate responses into multiple languages. On the other hand, if you are not a tech-savvy language expert, you can utilize platforms that offer a built-in multilingual chatbot.
Being ignored always feels bad. Not responding to customer queries and making them feel ignored will be definitely harmful for your brand in the long run. Instagram chatbot makes sure that whoever sends you messages always get a reply from your side.
Customers always expect instant assistance and if they get it, they will definitely remember you and come back for business. Yes, you can definitely work on your marketing and advertising promotions to create a positive brand image. But the more you offer a positive experience to your customers the more valuable recommendations your brand will get from them and Instagram DM chatbot makes it possible.
Instagram chatbots not only deliver valuable insights into user behavior, their pain points, challenges, and interests but also provide real-time customer feedback that can shape your business strategies. Once you analyze the data gathered from these interactions, you can identify common customer concerns, refine your product offerings based on that, and personalize content to better engagement.
If applied effectively, these bot insights allow you to boost engagement, tailor marketing campaigns, and strengthen your overall brand presence on Instagram, making your efforts more targeted and impactful.
Unlike human customer support agents, Instagram chatbots work 24/7, offering instant responses to customers regardless of time or location. This ensures that your customers and followers can get in touch with your brand any time they want, even outside of regular business hours.
By eliminating waiting times and handling multiple inquiries simultaneously, chatbots enhance the overall customer experience, fostering greater satisfaction and loyalty.
An Instagram chatbot operates through a well-thought-out combination of technology and some preset instructions. Most of the chatbots, including those on Instagram, are built with conversation flowcharts. These allow them to interact with users/customers by executing specific actions. Here’s a quick overview of how these Instagram messenger bots function!
You can create both basic and advanced chat flows using three key elements:
These triggers act as the starting point for initiating conversations with users. These triggers can be simple keywords or phrases the customers use in their messages or comments to express their thoughts. For instance, triggers might be words like “return,” “delivery,” or “price.” When a user mentions any of these trigger words, the chatbot gets activated and starts responding based on its configuration.
Once a trigger gets activated, the chatbot carries out a specific action in response to the user’s message. The action is an accurate reply to what the user is asked. This response can involve sending a predefined reply on product features, showing a product catalog, or collecting user information, etc. Instagram chatbots can be programmed with a variety of actions to manage different scenarios within a customer interaction.
Nodes work as decision points in the interaction flow, enabling the chatbot to provide its response according to the user’s input. For instance, if a user asks, “What is your return policy?”, a node checks the query and provides appropriate information. Nodes allow chatbots to create more dynamic, personalized interactions based on the user’s needs.
If you are using an Instagram business account and have huge followers, you must be overloaded with lots of mentions, interactions, and DMs throughout the day. These will spike even more during high-traffic times like Black Fridays, Thanksgiving, new promotional launches, or any of the holiday sales.
It will be very tough for you to personally reply to all those DMs, mentions, and comments but you have to. Here, the Instagram bot can be your savior. Keep on reading this section to learn more about the different features of the Insta chatbot and how it can be useful for you.
How to Use an Instagram Chatbot for Your Business
One of the coolest features of this Instagram Chatbot is here you can send automated replies to the story mentions of your brand name.
Suppose someone has posted an Insta story and tagged your brand name with it. The chatbot here will send an automated reply on behalf of you such as, “Hello @username, thanks a lot for the brand mention.”, or even offer a discount as a marketing trick to increase brand loyalty, saying, “Thanks @username, for mentioning us in your story. Here’s a 10% discount for you on our wide range of products! Use our code GREATDEAL10 on your next purchase and get a 10% instant discount.”
Isn’t it GREAT?
If you have used chatbots on websites, Facebook and other messaging platforms, you must know what quick replies are. In simple terms, it is a button that we click to send a reply.
Quick replies are user-friendly and streamline communication with your brand, making it faster and more efficient. So, you can easily use it wherever required. A maximum of 13 plain text quick replies can be configured, with each button capable of holding up to 20 characters.
It is also a specific type of Insta auto-replies that lets you shoot a well structures message to the users which includes text, an image and buttons. A generic template that consists of multiple templates will send a carousel of items that can be scrolled horizontally, each composed of an image, text, and buttons.
This is a great feature to display your offerings and at the same time give them options to buy that specific product, learn more, or even talk to your sales team about it.
This specific feature of Instagram bot helps you to initiate an interaction with your user. Ice Breakers are basically a set of FAQs provided to the customer at the beginning of an interaction. However, here you can set a maximum of 4 questions.
As of October 19th, 2021, Ice Breakers now includes localization capabilities, enabling businesses to customize their questions based on the customer’s locale.
For example, when customers initiate a chat session with you over Instagram, you can automate welcome messages to them for queries like:
“I need help”
“I want to know more about your products”
“I want to know about my order”
These FAQ questions will appear as quick reply buttons, allowing customers to initiate a conversation either by selecting one of the buttons or typing manually.
An ig.me link is a shortened URL service provided by Facebook to redirect users to interactions on Instagram. You can easily use them on the web, newsletters and other different places.
It’s a great feature to redirect users directly to Instagram chat rather than sending to your Instagram profile, where they may get confused and completely forget about their raised concerns or requests.
With Instagram chatbots, now you can reach your global audience! These Multilingual bots can automatically translate messages from users and respond in their preferred languages, breaking down language barriers and enabling you to connect with a broader customer base.
Your Instagram DM bot may handle most of your customers’ inquiries efficiently, but many times few customers will be there who need to be handled with a little more care.
That’s where live chat agents come in. The Insta bot seamlessly transfers those conversations to the agent best suited to resolve them without losing any data. Plus, your agents receive a OneView inbox, giving them complete context from past interactions across different channels.
Instagram chatbots offer a wide array of features that can be customized to meet the specific needs of your business strategy. However, to turn your IG profile into a true sales driver, it’s important not to focus solely on upselling and cross-selling.
You also need to address customer queries, answer FAQs, and engage with your audience promptly when they need support. To make this easier, there are different types of Instagram chatbots designed for specific purposes. Let’s explore!
An Instagram Story Bot Responder is a specialized chatbot that automatically engages with users who interact with your Instagram Stories. It acts like a quick, helpful assistant, instantly replying when someone responds to your story. Replying to every reaction manually can be very time-consuming, especially if you have a large number of followers.
With Instagram Story Bot Responder, you can decide which reactions will trigger the bot to offer a response. You can even set up a personalized thank-you message with an added GIF or Photo for better engagement.
Modern Instagram chatbots allow customers to place orders directly within DMs on the Instagram platform. The process is simple: users can browse a product catalog displayed by the chatbot, where each item features images, descriptions, and prices. To make a purchase, users simply click “Add to Cart.” The chatbot then confirms the section and provides an updated order summary. Finally, users can complete the payment process seamlessly.
Many DM Instagram Bots are configured to respond promptly to generic FAQs asked by users.
When a user sends a DM to a brand with a frequently asked question (basic queries related to shipping, pricing, delivery, product details etc), the bot instantly responds with a predefined answer. You can configure such bots to recognize specific keywords or phrases in the user’s message. Once the bot detects any of those keywords, it provides the relevant response without the need for human intervention.
Replicating the in-store experience online has long been a challenge for many brands. However, with Instagram Chatbots, things are sorted now. For example, when we visit a physical store to buy a skin-related product, we consult with the salesperson over there. Now, you can create a similar experience for customers on Instagram itself by using a product recommendation chatbot in your DMs.
First, the Insta bot asks targeted questions about the customer’s requirements (for example skin type, concerns, or preferred product types) to gather relevant information. Based on the customer’s responses, the chatbot suggests specific products from the catalog that match her preferences.
If you don’t opt for Instagram chatbots, your users will be redirected automatically to another platform for making any purchase or getting in touch with your customer support team. With REVE Chatbot, the picture will be completely different.
Integrated with your business Instagram platform, REVE Chatbot can engage with your customers at every stage of their journey, from product discovery to sales to support, to drive action-based interactions, resulting in fewer drop-offs and higher conversions.
REVE Chat is an omnichannel customer engagement platform that lets you offer instant assistance to customers on web, mobile and other social media messaging platforms like Facebook, Viber, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and so on.
Apart from live chat assistance, it also offers an AI powered chatbot to automate your different business operations including customer service. It can handle multiple chat sessions at a time and responds to customer queries when your team is not available.
It enables you to offer exceptional customer service regardless of where they are and what channels they choose to interact with your business.
With REVE Chatbot now you can manage and respond to all of your Instagram direct messages from a single place and offer efficient customer service through your social media channels.
REVE Chatbot
REVE Chat offers 14-day FREE TRIAL to try out all its features and understand how it can benefit your business. So SIGN UP today! To know more on how to integrate REVE Chatbot with your Instagram channel, Click Here.
To get the best out of the Instagram bots, you need to use them effectively. By following a few best practices, you can ensure your chatbot delivers a seamless experience, helping your business connect with customers more efficiently and effectively. Here are some key strategies to follow:
Firstly, identify what you want your chatbot to achieve. It can be improving customer support, driving sales, or enhancing engagement. When you have clear objectives, you can optimize the bot’s performance accordingly.
Make sure your chatbot’s responses feel personal and friendly. Let the bot reply by using the customer’s name, acknowledge their preferences, and create a conversational tone that aligns with your brand voice.
Yes, it’s true that the bot saves you significant time by automating customer service and handling repetitive questions 24/7. But you need to monitor customer interactions daily to check your bot’s performance and collect customer details. Don’t overlook this opportunity! These valuable customer insights will help to refine your product offerings and marketing strategies.
The Insta chatbot may handle most of your customer queries but sometimes there will be situations when you need a human live chat agent to handle customers effectively. So, make sure that live chat reps are available to handle more complex situations when necessary. REVE Chat’s Instagram chatbot offers an excellent feature named ‘Fallback Option’, allowing agents to step in seamlessly whenever a query requires personal attention.
Regular testing is very important for maintaining your chatbot’s effectiveness and ensuring it delivers a seamless user experience. Chatbots may face issues like misinterpreting customer inputs, sending incorrect responses, or not triggering the right actions. Continuous testing helps you to identify and resolve these problems before they impact on customer service.
So, planning for an Instagram chatbot is not just a smart move—it will be a game changer. From automating customer support and improving engagement to driving sales and providing personalized experiences, a well-designed Insta chatbot can transform how you connect with your audience on the Instagram platform.
But remember, the key to long-term success lies in continuous improvement. So regularly optimize and monitor your bot performance, integrate live chat support, and give the best to your customers. Now is the perfect time to elevate your Instagram DMs—start delivering faster, more engaging, and highly accurate AI-powered customer service from today.
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Suvashree Bhattacharya is a researcher, blogger, and author in the domain of customer experience, omnichannel communication, and conversational AI. Serving as a content marketing strategist at REVE Chat, she develops contextual and interesting content for customers from different industries and segments like customer service, customer satisfaction, engagement, messaging platforms, etc. Passionate about writing and designing, she pours her heart out in writeups that are detailed, interesting, engaging, and more importantly cater to the requirements of the targeted audience. Her interests include reading, painting, and traveling.
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