How conversational marketing is your new marketing strategy

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, finding clever ways to engage with your audience is key to staying ahead of the competition. One emerging strategy catching the attention of marketing teams worldwide is conversational marketing.

Read on for our top tips on integrating conversational marketing into your marketing strategy.

Conversational marketing definition

Let’s start with the basics.

Conversational marketing is a dynamic way to extend your reach and build meaningful relationships with your target audience.

It’s all about two-way communication between brands and customers through real-time conversations across multiple channels, to personalize interactions and provide immediate help and support.

Understanding conversational marketing

Gone are the days of one-sided marketing messages, where brands would talk at their audience rather than with them. Conversational marketing breathes new life into your marketing activities by creating golden opportunities to listen to your customers, understand their needs, and engage in authentic conversations that build trust and loyalty.

What is conversational marketing in practice?

Conversational marketing is the art of talking with your audience across your different channels – websites, social media, chatbots, emails – so your customers feel seen and heard, and view your brand as a trusted and reliable partner.

By integrating real-time communication tools into your marketing strategy, you create more opportunities for personalized interaction. This means you’re meeting customer needs and deepening conversations at every touchpoint.

Conversational marketing examples

Let’s look at some conversational marketing examples in different real-life scenarios:

Chatbots as virtual assistants

Incorporating chatbots into your website means customers can engage in instant conversations and get answers to pressing questions, whenever it suits them.

It’s an interactive experience that delivers round-the-clock customer and sales support, smoothing out any friction in the buying process and building brand loyalty.

What’s more, chatbots collect valuable data while they talk with your customers. You can use this data to identify trends, improve your products and services, and personalize future communications. It’s a win-win.

If the conversation becomes too complex for the chatbot, make sure customers can seamlessly transition to a video or voice call with your customer support team rather than letting the conversation stall. Being able to move easily from a chat window to speaking to an actual human being provides a great brand experience.

Social media listening

Social media is a great arena for real-time conversations that resonate with your audience and connect on a deeper level. So, make sure you’re actively monitoring and taking part in conversations that are happening around your brand.

Showing up consistently on social media means you can jump into discussions, offer support, and address issues quickly. The brands that do this best often use humor, but the most important thing is authenticity. Conversational marketing should feel like a conversation, not marketing.

Interactive and personalized emails

While conversational marketing thrives on real-time interaction, the conversation doesn’t have to end when the customer logs off. Email also has a key role in keeping the dialogue going.

You can incorporate interactive survey elements like star ratings or multiple-choice questions in your emails so customers can give real-time feedback and rate their experience easily.

Take a look at our post about the amazing benefits of one-click email signature surveys to learn more.

Automated drip campaigns with conversational prompts and open-ended questions also encourage participation. When you build a rapport like this, customers get more comfortable sharing their thoughts, challenges, and goals.

Focusing on two-way communication

This kind of two-way communication means actively listening to your customers and acting on what they tell you.

Like any good conversation, your dialogue with customers must feel personal. Use the data and insights they give you to personalize their experience.

It’s also vital to respond quickly when a customer reaches out. Use automation tools and well-trained teams to make sure your customers always get a timely response, no matter when they make contact or what channel they’re on.

Using email signatures

One powerful conversational marketing tool is your email signature. Think of it as a small but impactful space where you can spark conversations and continue existing dialogues.

During those valuable one-to-one business email conversations, you can take the opportunity to lead the recipient to take an action using a signature banner, convey an important message or, as we mentioned before, ask for feedback.

Another idea is to put a live chat button in your email signature. When the customer clicks on it, it leads them straight to your website’s live chat.

You can also include conversational elements like scheduling tools or a chatbot-driven appointment systems, taking your customers straight to a personalized calendar, where they can book a meeting.

Exclaimer as your solution

Feeling ready to start using conversational marketing in your strategic toolkit? Here are some key takeaways.

• Conversational marketing is about two-way conversations that are authentic and prompt.

• Make sure you have all your channels covered, including email.

• Use automation and chatbots to ensure round-the-clock responses.

• Actively listen to what customers are telling you and use data to deepen the conversation.

• Don’t overlook your email signatures for keeping the conversation going.

We’d love to start a conversation with you about how Exclaimer can transform your email signature management.

Find out how you can optimize your marketing campaigns and try it for yourself with a self-guided product demo.