Advantages and disadvantages of using the same chatbot for GBM and other channels

If you've made it this far, you must be wondering which chatbot to connect to Google Business Messages. But don't worry! We've prepared this material to help you make this choice in a Blip!

First of all, it's important to remember that the chatbot should be good for the customer, not the brand. But what does this mean in practice? Well, when we talk about scaling the user experience when using the software, it's essential to apply Customer First and Customer Centric. In other words, the entire strategy should be designed according to the needs of the end customer.

This includes aligning an appropriate tone of voice, considering the channel that a specific audience uses the most, and applying good UX Research, which conduct extensive research on user behaviors even before planning the bot's construction. These are some tips for building a quality intelligent contact. 

You can create specific bots for each channel, independent of your main bot or not linked to any router, for example, if you wish to use only bot builders. When we create an intelligent contact for each channel, it's possible to define the conversational flow specifically for the user who contacts you on that channel. For example, if you use WhatsApp to support users who have already purchased your product and Business Messages will be used to capture leads once the customer has researched the company or the product/service you offer and found your company on Google, it doesn't make sense to publish the same intelligent contact on both channels.

Blip allows you to create multiple intelligent contacts, meaning you can develop a chatbot for each need of your brand, including applying conversational commerce concepts. However, if you wish to publish the same chatbot on Google Business Messages and other channels, Blip will also provide all the necessary resources for you to configure the flow.

Advantages of using the same intelligent contact for all channels

When we publish the same intelligent contact on all channels, it's possible to have all the analysis reports centralized in one place. Additionally, you have greater governance over your content, meaning when the user interacts with your company on different channels, they won't notice differences in tone of voice or conversational flow, for example.

It's very important to pay attention to the types of content allowed on each channel so that you can use these resources to the fullest. For example, the options menu that is already available for WhatsApp is still not supported by Business Messages. If there is a menu in the middle of the flow, when conversing with the company on Business Messages, the menu probably won't be displayed, and the user experience will be affected. Moreover, understanding the architecture of bots and sub-bots  is also very important!

You can use the same intelligent contact on multiple channels in two different ways:

1. Publish the bot router on all channels and create a sub-bot for each channel

In this way, in your main sub-bot, you can create an exit condition that identifies the user's originating channel and redirects them to the specific sub-bot. To do this, simply access this link, use the "contact.identity" variable identify the channel and create the redirection. 

This option is interesting in cases where you discuss different topics with your customers. For example, on Instagram, in general, the intelligent contact can be an FAQ for the main questions, WhatsApp is used for sales, and Business Messages can also be an FAQ and sales contact since the channel appears in organic searches performed on Google. Another advantage is related to using the content of each channel since you can use the maximum allowed content in each of them, contributing to a good user experience.

However, there is a point to note. Whenever it is necessary to make any type of update, whether of text or content, you must update all sub-bots linked to the main bot.

1. Create conditions within the same bot builder for the user coming from Business Messages to be directed to specific blocks within the flow

If your bot router only has one bot builder, automatically, this is your main sub-bot. Thus, you can create specific blocks in your flow to direct the user coming from Business Messages, or even design a parallel flow just for GBM in your main bot. In one of the initial blocks, you must create an exit condition that identifies the user's originating channel and redirects them to the specific flow. To do this, simply access this link, use the "contact.identity" variable, identify the channel, and create the redirection.

For more information, check out the discussion on this topic in our community or the videos on our channel. 😃