“A chatbot is a computer software program, designed and developed to operate as artificial intelligence. It simulates conversation with the user, through spoken or written text, and can often be indistinguishable from a regular human interaction. It operates by receiving a customer query or statement, and matching it to the appropriate reply on that database.”

Chatbots allow customers to interact with the brand as easily as if they were interacting with a service representative, and are proving to be a hit across the board. In fact, the CEO of Botego Inc expects 2017 to be the year where our bot seeds come to fruition, by considering the efficiency and power of the technology, predicting a $2 billion market size.

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The pressure has been on customer service for a while now, with consumer’s expectations higher than ever before. In an age of ‘what you want, when you want it’, slow customer service times, misinformed or unreliable representatives, and call centres from various continents have all paved the way for this advanced automated system. And with SEO leading the way for intuitive user experiences, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the internet caught up. Any good SEO company is ready for Google’s latest adjustments and changes, and as chatbots sweep across the digital landscape, we can see the online experience becoming even more integrated with our daily lives.

From Siri to Cortana, many of us are already comfortable engaging with our devices; whether it’s to ask about the weather in the weekend, when the next cricket match starts, or what the purpose of life is. These have all been quietly introduced into the collective psyche, paving the way for further advancements. Facebook has already unrolled new and exciting bots such as the Springbot, in Messenger.

As a personal shopping bot, you can tell the Springbot you need to get a new pair of sneakers, for between $75 and $250. It will immediately give you a range of choices to scroll through and select from. In the Messenger, you will be able to interact with your favourite brands as though each one has a representative on speed dial- obviously a huge step for customer service, and one to watch closely.

Why Do You Need A Chatbot?

There’s little to be said for traditional customer service, with the incoming tide of bots intending to swamp the industry. Chatbots don’t require a minimum wage, they work at all hours, can be trained instantly and respond with accuracy and efficiency. They are usually cheap to replicate- probably why a study from Oxford University and Deloitte found 35% of all current jobs in the UK are at risk, due to automation. Even now, opening a website can sometimes be accompanied by a pop-up chat window offering assistance, and from a customer perspective, I doubt many people will miss call centre phone calls, instead being able to interact smoothly with the bot. If you’re looking for the next step to ensure your customers receive attentive, accurate service, then a chatbot is a great idea. However, there is nothing like a little human interaction, and many businesses are choosing to let bots iron out any creases for the standard inquiry, and keep a trained tier of human employees to resolve any more complex issues.

No matter how you look at it, chatbots are coming for you- whether as a chatbot for your business, or an operating system to help you order tacos. Either way, we’re all in for an exciting ride. Ensure your business is ready for these new developments, starting with an effective digital marketing strategy. But ensure that you don’t follow in the footsteps of Tay, the Microsoft chatbot released to engage with millennials on Twitter. As a Perth news report shows, it didn’t end well for the chatbot, and was shut down 24 hours later due to sexist and racist tweets.

In a world where the word ‘busy’ is a badge of honour, we have become seemingly immune to the concept of stress while still suffering through it silently. Many knees are buckling under the weight of work schedules and deadlines, but it’s common to react with nervous laughter and excuses, rather than accepting that three hours of sleep a night is not a lifestyle; and just because you’re not zipped up in a straight-jacket, doesn't mean there isn't pent up tension just beneath the surface. And this as the tensions pulls, your physical and emotional wellbeing are compromised- sometimes without the you even realising that stress is the mitigating factor.

As an old Zen adage tells us, “you should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day- unless you’re too busy; then you should sit an hour”. This message is equally applicable here. if you are feeling a little stressed right now but you’ve got something else to get on to right away, it’s probably a good idea that you put that on the backburner and have a read through the list- you might find that your lifestyle has been adversely affecting your health without you even realising it.

Stomach Discomfort:

The brains nervous system is directly linked to the gut’s, so stress can cause some serious trouble for your gastrointestinal tract. This means that your body’s ability to transport and digest food, absorb nutrients, and expel waste, could all be compromised. This could result in constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting, as well as other effects directly from stress.

Weekend Headaches:

When the cause of the stress eases and the body is able to relax slightly, the body will begin to access and release the tension it has been storing. This can result in painful headaches and migraines on the weekend, which are difficult to alleviate but can be helped by keeping to a regular schedule of meals and rest.

Jaw Pain:

If you’re experiencing a sore or achy jaw, this can often be associated with stress. Some people unconsciously grit their teeth and clench their jaw when processing stress, and it is common for people to grind their teeth in their sleep. Both of these are small outlets for your body to release the tension, which can result in aches and pains.

Weird Dreams:

Dreams are always weird, but when you’re stressed you’re more likely to find yourself disturbed throughout the night. This means you’re keeping the strange scenes at the surface of your conscious instead of lost to the world of 4am, and these dreams probably involve challenges or issues that imitate your day-to-day challenges, as your brain attempts to resolve itself with some of your real-world woes.

Back or Neck Aches:

While this is often attributed to poor posture or injuries, frequently muscle tightness and pain comes from a mental tension manifesting as the physical. For example, back pain can develop after a traumatic experience, as a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder. Even if there was no injury sustained, many people cannot heal their back pain until the emotional stress is resolved.

Stress and Sex:

Stress and tension are catalysts for erectile dysfunction, which can almost be read backwards as erectile dysfunction is a catalyst for stress and tension. While a lot of men won’t immediately identify the problem as being stress related, it is in fact the leading cause. This proves to be a self perpetuating problem out of the cruelty of nature, as sex is a great natural regulator to anxiety and stress.

“Don’t Quite Feel 100%”:

The ultimate excuse; this can be used to dismiss many symptoms of stress that could be doing your health some serious damage. If you can’t shake that cough, sore throat, headache, fever, or other mild discomfort, you can probably thank stress for that. Cortisol, a hormone linked to stress and the immune system, is secreted when we are under stress, and if this stress is constant then our cortisol supply becomes depleted. This can mean your wounds take longer to heal, you catch viruses off someone who knew someone who was sick, and you have that cold for three weeks longer than anyone else. Long term exposure to cortisol has also been linked to a shrinking hippocampus, which is the brains memory centre. So if your eyes glaze over trying to remember that co-workers name, or you lose focus at the staff meeting (more than the regular person), your concentration and memory could be getting depleted at the hands of your stress.

The Catch 22:

Many of these symptoms, as well as other physical manifestations from hair loss to acne, are distressing and painful for the sufferer, resulting in more stress. You can’t remember if you sent that email before you left work, your throat is killing you and you barely slept last night… these are all symptoms as well as causes. And while many of these symptoms can be alleviated with medications, painkillers, and a bucket of coffee, the best thing to do is nip it in the bud.

Three Ways To Alleviate Stress:

Yoga and Meditation

Everyone seems to be loving yoga and meditation, and once you give it a go you can see why. Yoga will help you to release any physical discomforts which may be ailing you, and the meditation will allow you to connect with your inner zen, to give you the mental armoury you need to get through the day. Next time you’re at work and a stressful situation arises, simple techniques such as becoming aware of and releasing any muscle tension, and long inhales and exhales, can help to soothe the soul and put things in perspective.

Correct Nourishment

If you’re body is struggling to keep itself full of vitality, then help it. Drink plenty of water, and eat a variety of fresh produce and whole ingredients. Limit heavily processed meals, sugar-laden drinks, and toxins such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. While many of these serve as a crutch for someone suffering through stress, a far more effective way of long-term treatment is to fuel your body well.

Rest and Play

Ensure you are keeping to a regular, sufficient sleep cycle. 7-8 hours a night is the recommended amount, and it helps if you keep the waking and sleeping times to a solid routine. This will keep your brain fresh, and allows your body time to heal and develop. Equally important is the time you spend with positive stimulation, especially outdoors. Find a hobby which encourages you to get some fresh air, such as tennis two nights a week, or morning walks. As a sedentary lifestyle becomes more and more prevalent, we need to make active decisions to ensure our bodies and minds do not deteriorate.

Right now, your brand is more pivotal than ever before, with the deluge of social media and online marketing playing a huge role. Your brand must have an unwavering voice which your buyers can recognize, and this voice is expected to be present, responsive, and engaging- consumers want to deal with a person, not a corporation. So, how can you create the brand that fits you and your product or service, with a resounding impact on your potential customers?

To gather all of the components, reflect on the following points:

• What makes me unique from competitors in this sector? What are my USP’s?
• What is my brand’s signature service/ product?
• Do my core brand message and beliefs compliment each other?
• Who are my target market? Do I understand them thoroughly enough? Have I created an accurate buyer persona?
• How can I entice my customers to choose me over my competitors? How can I keep my existing customers happy and engaged with my product?
• Is my message being promoted effectively across all marketing platforms?
• Am I confident that my brand and its message will accurately represent me and my product, while offering value to the consumer?

Once you have produced intensive answers to these questions, you can start applying it to your brand development. From your logo to your ethical stance, to the products or services you choose to offer, your brand must be recognizable across the board to successfully maintain your brand integrity.

Whatever you develop will have a huge influence on the success of your company. With an inconsistent or absent brand, your company will appear shapeless to the consumer, giving you a very small chance of achieving a loyal customer base, as they have no merits to base your product on and no way to set you apart.

By maintaining a unique brand, you attract attention, and if you can generate enough attention with a great product or service behind it, your business will skyrocket. Too many businesses fail because they rely on the value of the product alone.

Businesses of all shapes and sizes are trying to navigate the modern landscape of marketing, with all the new twists and turns. However, the most common blunder takes place when we’re figuring out where to draw the line between online and offline marketing budgets. Which one requires more?

We all know the powerful effect that a successful digital marketing campaign can have, but can a business rely on online marketing alone? Or does the customer need something tangible? Research actually indicates that a healthy inclusion of both results in a cross-complimentary marketing strategy, leaving a lasting impression on the customer. So how can we successfully integrate our marketing strategies?

Online Marketing and…

Television:

Where once television sat atop all other forms of marketing, it now is learning to share its perch with the internet. With the advent of internet videos, television streaming, and the accessibility of devices compared to standard televisions, some marketers may find they’re being left behind if they don’t reassess their tactics. One report estimated that 13 million Australians spend 18 hours a day online – from checking Facebook and emails in the morning, to chatting online with friends or browsing the web before bed. Even though many Australians will still use their television in the traditional form, this medium is now far less reliable. With simple, powerful television advertising, encouraging the viewer to connect with the brand online or on social media rather than exclusively promoting the product, you can successfully nurture a consistent relationship with your consumer- who up to 50% of are using a device or social media while watching television.

Traditional Print:

A painful blow was dealt to newspaper and magazines, as the convenience and vast range of information on the internet became available. The irony of books replacing stone tablets thousands of years ago, only for us to create digital tablets to take precedence once again. However, many of us know the inherent value of print media- call it collective social nostalgia. From business cards, to promoting your websites and social media on print publications, there are many ways to garner more interest in your online presence. Even coupons are an underestimated promotion, which offers value to the customer. While traditional print is still a reliable form of marketing, it acts even better when used in conjunction with online marketing. 

Key Points to Remember:

• Ensure that all your messages are consistent with each other, and don’t contradict themselves. There’s no point having a television advertisement that is targeted at the elderly, which will lead them to a website about adventure sports.
• The Rule of Seven an old but reliable rule in marketing, and one that shouldn’t be ignored. The premise is that the consumer will, on average, be exposed to a brand seven times before making a purchase. So find seven unobtrusive ways to connect with your market.
• Almost 50% of all consumers now access social media every day, with stats reaching up to 79% of millennials. With online marketing on the rise, why not let some of the interest run into your offline marketing? Use your social media to support an ad campaign in a magazine, or to offer coupons to your brand.
• QR codes are the latest amalgamation of online and offline marketing. Using the lens of a device, a consumer can scan a QR code and access information or special deals online. The social consensus on the power of this tool is still inconclusive, but it is an interesting strategy to integrate. For example, you may place a QR code in the corner of your ad in a magazine, which the reader will scan and become connected with your online presence.

While there are no strict good or bad methods of marketing, each method has its own spectrum of good and bad strategies. The best technique a marketer can use in their campaign is rigorous split testing, in order to gain refined data about the effectiveness of their strategies. With an integrated online and offline marketing strategy, and constant analysis and testing, your business can see rapid growth and an impressive improvement- just don’t forget to thank us when you make it on Forbes list.