{"id":73960,"date":"2017-05-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/uncategorized\/chatbots-next-big-thing-lead-generation-need-know\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T03:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T07:29:28","slug":"chatbots-for-lead-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketinginsidergroup.com\/demand-generation\/chatbots-for-lead-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Chatbots the Next Big Thing in Lead Generation? What You Need To Know…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cGeeks want machines that do things without asking. But what makes good AI is good communication with the user,\u201d Fred Brown, Founder and CEO of Next IT <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The search for the next innovation in lead generation is an epic ongoing quest. Businesses will try just about anything to find their next customer. Which has recently led marketers to ask the next inevitable question, \u201cCan chatbots get me leads?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer, it appears, is a resounding maybe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chatbots were created to build connections with your prospects in the most efficient way possible. Now that <\/span>chatbots have proven their worth<\/span><\/a>, businesses have been presented with endless opportunities to explore and improve their customers\u2019 experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of Chatbots<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s an explanation of the different types of chatbots and what their functions are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Chat as Chatbots<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These programs tend to be less focused on business functions and more on entertainment. They generate responses based on relevance to a user\u2019s input text. A great example of this would be <\/span>Microsoft\u2019s Tay<\/span><\/a>, which was created to communicate with an audience of 18 to 24-year-olds. Though Tay received significant engagement upon launch, it was quickly pulled after spouting offensive remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Triggered Task Chatbots<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These are essentially keyword response systems. You see them commonly in apps like <\/span>WeChat<\/span><\/a>, where users can interact directly with the chatbot interface to do things like order food, buy movie tickets, or hail a taxi. These chatbots are simply another way to push the \u201corder\u201d button.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interactive Information Access Chatbots<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the same way as <\/span>Facebook Messenger bots<\/span>, interactive information access chatbots serve as a tool to share your brand\u2019s content. They are more conversational in their communications with users. The goal of this bot is to provide a relevant answer to a customer\u2019s potential questions in the most \u201chuman\u201d way possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Complex Task Interaction Chatbots<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Slackbot<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Apple\u2019s Siri<\/span><\/a> are examples of complex task interaction type chatbots that combine search, triggered task models, and chat as a chatbot type. The difference between these and triggered task chatbots is that they have the knowledge of tasks, the information needed to perform them, and the ability to track information that you\u2019ve already provided to them to create a more dynamic conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Search Chatbots<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While Apple\u2019s Siri can be seen as a triggered task model chatbot, it also follows the design of a search type bot as it uses search engines information to support conversations. Search chatbots base their tasks and responses on an assigned set of keywords. These keywords are tagged by your bot as the specific task it needs to accomplish. Search bots only support limited interaction because they tend to \u201cforget\u201d what they just told you as soon as the response is provided.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you know the types of chatbots, there\u2019s still an important question that needs to be answered: \u201cWill these chatbots get me more leads?<\/em>\u201d\u00a0The answer depends on how well you can maximize their capabilities and support their limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Chatbots Can Help With Lead Generation<\/b><\/h2>\n