There's a trend sweeping the marketing agency world.
It's a growing trend with a strong backbone in experimental design, technological, and branding. It's a trend led by demand from companies across the world (particularly in a post-pandemic era).
Have you guessed it?
We are, of course, talking about the chatbot trend.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, amidst a global pandemic and against all odds, chatbots have grown in popularity.
Perhaps it was the sudden realization that nothing is ever certain that drove highly technical adoption.
Perhaps it was the need for remote teams to stay as (if not more) efficient than before that forced businesses to focus on knowledge distribution.
Perhaps it was the shrinking budgets and meager forecasts that encouraged companies to double-down on efficiency.
Most likely, it was a combination of the three. The result is evident: more chatbots, more automation, higher efficiency; and the need for people to build them.
The role of marketing agencies in chatbot adoption
The world described above is one chockful of opportunities. To whoever dares take the first step, learn the ropes of building excellent chatbots, and get themselves out there; to those belong the reward.
And 'those' may well be marketing agencies.
Recent research shows that 86.6% of marketing agencies say their customers expect them to be able to assist with chatbot projects (https://www.ubisend.com/insights/2022-chatbot-marketing-agency-report).
It's easy to see why.
Marketing agencies have, historically, had to remain a step ahead of the tech curve.
From print to digital, newspaper ads to tv commercials, and storefront to websites, marketing professionals offer more than just their skilled services. They also represent differentiation, a move from what our competitors do and what we will do to stand out.
Chatbots are no different. They're a way to stand out, become more efficient, increase revenue (or decrease spending).
It's no wonder businesses turn to their trusted marketing agencies to carry out their chatbot projects.
Catching a booming industry just in time
One of the challenges for marketing agencies is, just like the people they serve, to offer something different.
Every single marketing agency in the world offers SEO, website building, and a little bit of branding work. While some, to be sure, do it better than others, it's still nothing to write home about.
Could chatbots be the differentiator?
Research says yes, potentially. Only 40% of surveyed agencies said their competitors offer chatbots (https://www.ubisend.com/insights/2022-chatbot-marketing-agency-report). That is a potentially huge gap in the market.
With the rising demand for chatbot solutions and only a handful of their competitors offering such services, any agency could be the first to market in their niche or local.
Being the first offers truly immense advantages, not least of which brand recognition and total capture of the market.
The future of chatbots
What do marketing agencies see when they think about the future of chatbots?
The consensus seems to be this: opportunity.
The skills currently held by most agencies translate well into the new conversation technology.
Copywriting becomes chatbot copywriting or conversational copywriting. Design becomes conversational design. Advertising and customer acquisition become chatbot user acquisition.
There are no downsides to an agency picking up on this opportunity and giving it their all. On the contrary, there could be unlimited upsides. With chatbot technology getting more and more accessible every day, the demand rising, and their particular set of skills, it would be foolish for any agency to sleep on what could be the opportunity to truly stand out.
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