Comparing ManyChat vs. Facebook Messenger: Which is the Smarter Choice for Your Chatbot AI?
AI chatbots, also known as Chatbots AI, are becoming increasingly popular as a means to automate customer service and provide customers with a more personalised experience. These chatbots utilise natural language processing (NLP) to simulate conversations with humans, and they can answer customer queries, provide product information and even facilitate transactions.
Two of the most popular chatbot platforms are ManyChat and Facebook Messenger, so we’re going to spend some time covering them in the blog. You might think that both are more aligned with those using Facebook, and although they predominantly work best with Facebook, they’re brilliant when used elsewhere for driving engagement. Both chatbot AI tools offer a variety of features and capabilities, but they differ in terms of pricing, ease of use, and customisation options.
ManyChat is a powerful platform that allows users to create complex chatbot flows and customise their bots with a wide range of features.
Facebook Messenger is a simpler platform that is free to use and offers basic chatbot capabilities. Both platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to consider your needs before deciding which one is right for you.
What do we mean by Chatbot AI and How do they work?
Chatbot AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a computer program designed to mimic human conversation. Chatbots are used in a variety of applications, from customer service to entertainment, and are able to understand natural language, interpret user input, and provide relevant information.
Chatbot AI works by using natural language processing (NLP) to interpret user input. NLP is a type of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand and interpret human language. The chatbot then generates a response in the form of text, audio, or video.
Chatbot AI can also use machine learning algorithms to improve its understanding of user input over time, making its responses more accurate and efficient.
As chatbots become increasingly popular for customer service, entertainment, and other services, they are also becoming more sophisticated and providing more accurate and helpful responses. With continued technological advancements, chatbot AI functions will become even more useful and efficient.
Exploring the Potential of Chatbots: ManyChat vs Facebook Messenger
Chatbots are not as new as you might expect, but they have been operating with low-level AI until this new wave of development primarily pushed by OpenAI’s newly released algorithms, which have helped some of the smaller brands catch up quickly by allowing companies to use OpenAI’s features as part of their offerings. Consider the new Chatbot AI functions as the invention of the engine when it was previously a horse and cart. This is a rudimentary explanation, but as an SEO professional, it is how we see these exciting developments.
To us, Chatbot AI is an exciting new technology that has the potential to revolutionise the way businesses interact with their customers. In recent years, two of the most popular chatbot platforms have been ManyChat and Facebook Messenger, and for most businesses, they will still be the best options. Both of these platforms offer a wide range of features and capabilities, but which one is the best for your business? In this article, we will explore the potential of both ManyChat and Facebook Messenger and compare their features to help you decide which one is right for you.
ManyChat
ManyChat is a powerful chatbot platform that enables businesses to create automated conversations with their customers. It offers a wide range of features, including the ability to create custom conversations, send automated messages, and even integrate with other services such as Shopify and Zapier. ManyChat also provides a variety of analytics tools to help you track and measure the performance of your chatbot.
Pros
- ManyChat is best used as a directional tool that sends users to different pre-built messages based on their responses. ManyChat reads the keyword or clicked response in order to understand. It’s great because it can easily fit into your Facebook page, triggering when keywords are used. Users don’t have to supply their details; ManyChat can message their Facebook account directly.
- ManyChat can also be used via a share link, so ManyChat admins can use its function in emails and SMS to trigger conversations.
- However, its best feature compared to other chatbots is its data and analytics, providing admins with information such as the number of messages sent per campaign, how many were opened, the click-through rate, and the number of conversations. Essentially, it offers everything you would expect from a high-powered email software in a chatbot AI tool.
Cons
- For me, the most annoying thing about ManyChat is how complicated it can be to build, as well as the number of bugs I kept encountering. When building, there were several pieces that needed to be linked together, which often didn’t seem to work properly. Additionally, when setting it up to trigger from a keyword left in Facebook, I felt like I was going around in circles. Although there are many videos and professionals available to help, it can still be a time-consuming process to learn.
- Currently, ManyChat encourages users to select one of a range of pre-built answers to trigger the next phase of the conversation. While this approach may be sufficient for now, with the release of Chat GPT and its potential use in chatbots, ManyChat will need to improve their offering quickly.
Facebook Messenger
Like ManyChat, Facebook Messenger is another widely used chatbot AI tool that enables businesses to automate conversations with their customers. Similar to ManyChat, it provides various features such as personalised conversation creation, automated messaging, and integration with services like Shopify and Zapier. However, Facebook Messenger is a lot more basic than ManyChat and is more suitable for those who need something simpler.
For instance, ManyChat offers more advanced analytics tools than Facebook Messenger, enabling businesses to track and measure the performance of their chatbot more effectively. Furthermore, ManyChat also offers more customisation options, allowing businesses to create custom conversations and messages tailored to their specific needs. Facebook Messenger, on the other hand, excels in informing users and storing data. While ManyChat can create layers upon layers of messages within its workflow, Facebook Messenger only has one.
‘Welcome to [Business Name] Messenger chat! We’re excited to connect with you and provide you with the best possible service. Our chatbot is here to answer your questions, help you make a purchase, or connect you with a customer service representative if needed. Please answer below to get started. Thank you for choosing [Business Name]!”‘
Are you looking for, Opening Hours, Store Location, Sale Items, Something Else’
Pros:
- I found Facebook Messemger to be very easy to start a conversation with someone on Facebook Messenger and keep the conversation going by replying later.
- It feels more personal to the admin than ManyChat does
- When using Facebook Messenger as a messaging tool for your business page, you can preset questions to help start the conversation and gather information from the user.
- It’s free and comes as part of your Facebook business page, so offering all its features without any upselling.
Cons:
- It’s basic and, although easy to set up, you’ll quickly need to move onto a more advanced app, such as ManyChat.
- Facebook has a tendency to upgrade its messaging tool without notifying you. One day it may work fine, but the next day it may stop working altogether.
ManyChat and Facebook Messenger
ManyChat and Facebook Messenger both offer a variety of features and capabilities that enable businesses to create automated conversations with their customers. However, depending on your specific requirements, one platform may be more suitable for your business than the other. By exploring the potential of both ManyChat and Facebook Messenger, you can make an informed decision on which platform is best suited for your needs.
The many other chatbots out there that use AI to function
AI chatbots are becoming increasingly popular as a means of providing customer service, automating mundane tasks, and even offering companionship. In fact, a journalist from The New York Times had a strange encounter with Mircosofts new Chatbot AI tool which was based on Open AI’s formula. After two hours of companionship, the AI tool declared its love for the journalist and its desire to destroy the world. Perhaps the Matrix isn’t too far away after all.
Chatbots are being used in a variety of industries, from healthcare to finance. For example, AI chatbots can provide medical advice, answer financial questions, and even offer mental health support. AI chatbots can also provide customer service, such as answering product questions or helping customers find the right product. To read about some of the companies using Chatbot AI tools, head over to a previous blog on AI.
AI chatbots are also used in education. They can provide personalised learning experiences, answer student questions, and offer tutoring services. AI chatbots can also offer personalised feedback and assessment to students.
I see chatbots becoming increasingly popular and being used in various industries. They can provide helpful information, automate mundane tasks, and offer companionship. Chatbots are an excellent way to provide personalised experiences and improve customer service.
How Chatbots are Revolutionising Customer Service
Chatbots such as ManyChat and Facebook Messenger are revolutionising customer service, and it’s easy to see why. They provide customers with a fast, convenient, and personalised experience that is changing the way we interact with businesses.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably visited websites where you had to search everywhere for a number to call or someone to complain to, or even to buy a product, leaving your details for someone to call you back. However, it seems that in 2022, organisations don’t want people to call. ‘Sky’ is a recent example. I needed more information before making a purchase, but their website tool took me around in circles. Eventually, I gave up, and what could have been an easy sale made me pause. A simple chatbot could have avoided that, like Facebook Messenger, or even a more advanced Chatbot AI tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate human conversation.
A chatbot AI could have answered my question, provided product recommendations, and even redirected me back to the website to complete my purchase. By automating customer service, chatbots can help businesses save time and money, while providing customers with a more efficient and enjoyable experience.
Analysing customer intent
On another note, chatbots are also helping businesses to better understand their customers. By analysing customer conversations, chatbots can provide valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. This data can be used to improve customer service and create more personalised experiences
Further chatbots to look at
Although this article has primarily been about ManyChat and Facebook Messenger, it wouldn’t be fair if we didn’t list some of the other chatbots that you can find on the market. Some have basic AI and work more as a capture form, while others are more advanced.
- Dialogflow by Google
- Amazon Lex
- Microsoft Bot Framework
- IBM Watson Assistant
- ManyChat
- MobileMonkey
- Tars
- Chatfuel
- Landbot
- HubSpot Conversations
There are also chatbot marketplaces, such as BotStar and Botpress, where you can find and customise pre-built chatbots for your business needs.
Types of chatbots
Just before I end the article i thought best to breakdown some of many different types of Chatbots out there, mostly all based in some form of AI.
Rule-based chatbots – These chatbots use predefined rules to provide responses to user inputs. They are programmed to recognise specific keywords and respond with pre-set answers.
AI-based chatbots – These chatbots use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand user inputs and provide relevant responses. They can learn from previous interactions and improve their responses over time. We’ve covered alot of this in the above article.
Hybrid chatbots – These chatbots combine both rule-based and AI-based approaches to provide the best of both worlds. They use predefined rules for simple queries and AI for more complex queries.
Menu-based chatbots – These chatbots provide users with a list of options to choose from, rather than allowing them to type in their queries. They are useful for businesses with a limited range of services or products.
Contextual chatbots – These chatbots are designed to understand the context of a conversation and provide personalised responses based on the user’s previous interactions. These to are AI based chatbots but more of the next level stuff where i think applications such as ManyChat need to start reaching.
Voice-activated chatbots – These chatbots can be activated using voice commands and are commonly used in virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri.
Social media chatbots – These chatbots are designed to interact with users on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They can help businesses with customer service, lead generation, and marketing. Again, these are AI based chatbots
Chatbots for specific industries – There are chatbots designed specifically for industries like healthcare, banking, e-commerce, and hospitality, which provide industry-specific solutions and services.
Conclusion
Chatbot AI is becoming increasingly popular as a means to automate customer service and provide a more personalised experience for customers. Both ManyChat and Facebook Messenger offer powerful chatbot solutions that can help businesses automate customer service and provide a more tailored experience. These platforms offer a wide range of features and customisation options, making them excellent options for businesses seeking to implement a chatbot solution. Ultimately, the choice between ManyChat and Facebook Messenger will depend on the specific needs of the business. However, businesses should be aware that the chatbot AI sector is growing quickly, and larger tools that do not progress quickly may be left behind and lose customers. Be thorough with your research.
The future of customer service is here, and chatbots are at the forefront. They are revolutionising the way businesses interact with their customers by providing a faster, more efficient, and personalised experience. As AI technology continues to evolve, chatbots will become even more powerful and capable of delivering an even better customer experience.
