How to Build a Modern Conversational Growth Strategy

At the core of humanity is dialogue.

We’re taught communication at an early age, learning how to exchange feelings and ideas while listening to others equally. Conversations are key to relationship development—and in the B2B world, they fuel business and the exchange of crucial information.

But not everyone in business development or sales can be 100% available to every existing or potential customer seeking answers, insight, and support at any given moment.

Marketing and sales are evolving, and Conversational Marketing is taking center stage.

B2B marketers have traditionally relied on email marketing and social media to reach their audiences effectively and efficiently. While both mediums are still very important, they can be a hit or miss in delivering the right message, to the right person, on the right channel, and at the right time.

Have you noticed more instant messaging and live chatbots on websites? This is Conversational Marketing in the act.

Rather than relying on the chance that someone will open emails or view social posts, leading B2B marketers are developing comprehensive conversational growth strategies rooted in real, two-way communication.

Real-Time Support: Is It Sustainable?

No, but it can be. Let’s discuss.

Imagine hiring live chat operators, employing an entire team dedicated to customer service, and establishing call centers to deliver comprehensive support when and where it’s needed. Your clientele gets all the benefits of human interaction and personalization, but your organization suffers an unnecessary drain on resources. Meanwhile, your team is probably answering the same array of questions.

As your B2B organization scales and grows, this will not be sustainable.

With a solid Conversational Marketing strategy in place, you can tap into prospects’ heads, guide leads through your sales funnel, and maintain a high level of satisfaction with existing customers. Chatbots expedite business and cut operational costs; they’re the more sustainable option because they support growth and can complete instant requests whether you have five or five hundred people on the line. With 86% of online shoppers preferring proactive customer support, chatbots have become B2B professionals’ go-to strategy for facilitating Conversational Marketing and building one-to-one relationships at scale.¹

Make It Work for Your B2B Organization

Building prosperous relationships with clients and prospects doesn’t happen overnight, but you can start working towards them today.

Here are three actionable think-plan-grow steps that leading B2B marketing professionals take when establishing a Conversational Marketing strategy.

1. Standardize

As previously mentioned, your customer support team probably answers the same questions day after day—and from client to client. Alignment is critical to growth.

Standardize the information, data, and responses you provide clients, including context and relevance. That way, you and your chatbot can deliver the right answer every time, maintain cohesiveness across the organization, and build trust with all visitors.

2. Personalize

The best thing a B2B organization can do is make website visits, chatbot engagements, and face-to-face interactions personal. Businesses and consumers want immediate responses, but they also crave human interaction.

Make your clients feel heard by addressing their questions. Make your clients feel special by calling them by their names in emails or LinkedIn InMail. And make your clients feel unique by treating them as the individuals that they are.

3. Automate

Greeting every visitor on your page is courteous and shows prospects upfront that you support proactive customer service—a significant boost in B2B brand image. However, no amount of customer service reps can achieve this type of immediate attention.

Chatbots empower your organization by greeting new website visitors, qualifying leads, and providing real-time responses so sales teams can focus on value-added activities.

The Proof Is in the Preference

• 90% of people expect to reach a business via live chat.² Conversational Marketing allows you to engage with existing clients and potential leads, providing unique support every time.
• 64% of internet users say the best chatbot feature is 24-hour service.³ Don’t make customers wait for an available operator. Modern conversational strategies enable constant connection.
• 50% of enterprises will spend more on chatbots than mobile apps in 2021.⁴ Investments in chatbots are increasing for the urgency, personalization, and capabilities they offer

Don’t ignore the numbers; the future of customer service is here. Build a modern conversational growth strategy fit for your growing B2B organization and customer base. Your sales team can’t do it all—and neither can you. If you want assistance establishing a Conversational Marketing strategy and tactics, get in touch!

Sources:

1. Deyo, Kristen. How to Boost Your Conversational Marketing Strategy with Chatbots, Business 2 Community (October 21, 2020).
2. Levy, Jason. How to Build a Conversational Growth Strategy, Revenue River (May 1, 2019).
3. Jovic, Danica. The Future is Now – 37 Fascinating Chatbot Statistics, Small Biz Genius (November 20, 2020).
4. Panetta, Kasey. Gartner Top Strategic Predictions For 2018 And Beyond, Gartner (November 5, 2019).

The post How to Build a Modern Conversational Growth Strategy appeared first on Marketing Insider Group.