Chatbots can be used for customer service, sales, and even marketing. They’ve been implemented by a huge variety of businesses in order to automate some of their processes. One industry that is yet to fully reap the benefits of using chatbots is sports. From increasing ticket sales to selling more merchandise, there are a number of ways a chatbot can be extremely advantageous to sports teams of all kinds.
The best part is that you no longer need coding knowledge to develop your own chatbot. Platforms like Chattypeople enable you to create a chatbot in a matter of minutes by signing up for an account and linking it to your chosen Facebook profile. Chattypeople bots are able to:
- Integrate directly with your social media accounts
- Take payments from Facebook Messenger, posts, and comments
- Integrate with all major payment systems
- Push personalized offers, promotions, and deals to customers on demand
If you’re not convinced, here are 5 reasons how sports teams can implement chatbots into their sales and marketing strategies to build a loyal following.
1- Increase Ticket Sales
Chatbots are known to be able to redirect customers to products with the hope of making more sales. Although often associated with retail companies, the same can be done to boost ticket sales for a sporting event. When a fan expresses an interest in their favorite team’s games, the chatbot can then redirect that fan to check out tickets for future events.
Instead of simply telling the fan about the opportunity to buy tickets, the chatbot will redirect him directly to the ticket portal, making the buying process quicker and easier. In addition, a chatbot could highlight specific seats and deals on offer to further encourage the fan into making a purchase.
Implementing a chatbot into your team’s website and social media channels is a great way to not only sell those few remaining seats at a match but also boost sales when they’re unexpectedly low.
2- Sell Merchandise
Even the most loyal fans don’t tend to trawl through pages of merchandise regularly. They normally buy products when they are first released, on sale, or as a gift for a friend or family member. Chatbots are able to identify customer preferences based on past visits to specific pages and any prior purchases they have made.
As a result, a sports team’s chatbot can recommend specific products to a fan and then share links redirecting them to the team’s merchandise. Better yet, chatbots are able to take orders directly from social media channels and conversation streams, allowing for a seamless purchasing process. Lastly, a chatbot can also highlight certain promotions, deals, or special offers it believes might interest the fan.
3- Share Sports News
The beauty of chatbots is that they offer instantaneous responses to customer questions. As a result, more sports fans are using them to get live updates on specific games. If a fan can’t make a game for any reason, he can ask the team’s chatbot instead of spending time searching for answers on sports news websites.
Similarly to listening to a live feed on a radio channel, the fan simply asks the chatbot about the score or how many minutes are left in the game and the chatbot replies with the correct answers.
4- Strengthen The Bond Between A Team And Its Fans
Traditionally, sports fans are known for their loyalty. A chatbot enhances this loyalty by offering fans personalized experiences with their chosen sports team. By keeping them updated on games and other relevant events, as well as offering valuable and timely information regarding their preferred team, the chatbot strengthens the connection between the fan and their favorite sports team.
5- Resolve Customer Care Issues
Chatbots are often associated with offering customer care services, and thanks to the advancements made in the artificial intelligence (AI) that powers them, those services have improved significantly. Today, people get human-like assistance around the clock for any issues they’re facing.
Whether they want to buy tickets to a game, exchange merchandise they’ve bought, or just want to share their experience through a review, all they need to do is have a conversation with the team’s chatbot. It’s a win-win: Fans get quick answers to their questions and sports teams can invest their human resources into other areas of their business.
Finally…
Chatbots are the future of communication and sports teams are no different to any other business: they need a loyal fan base to thrive. Implementing a chatbot into a sports team’s website as well as its social media channels doesn’t only boost ticket and merchandise sales, but nurtures and strengthens the relationship between fans and their favorite teams.
