What is Conversational Marketing: Benefits and How Brands Can Apply it to Their Marketing Strategy

In a world where audiences expect quick replies and personal attention, conversational marketing has become more than a trend. It’s how modern brands build stronger relationships online.

So, what exactly is conversational marketing, how does it work, and where does it fit into your brand’s overall social media or digital strategy? Let’s break it down.

What Is Conversational Marketing?

Conversational marketing is real-time one-on-one communication that puts the customer front and center of the interaction. Instead of sending generic messages out into the ether and waiting for responses, brands use tools like live chat, chatbots, messaging apps, social media, and email to create a dialogue the moment a person engages with them.

It’s a core part of online marketing automation because it turns passive browsing into active engagement. Automated flows, like chatbot responses or triggered messages, help keep the conversation going even when your team isn’t online which makes it possible to respond instantly, qualify leads, answer questions, or guide someone through their next step.

It’s not about broadcasting information. It’s about starting conversations on the platforms your audience already uses. Whether it’s a quick DM on Instagram or a chatbot answering questions on your homepage, every exchange is an opportunity to build trust through a more natural, human approach.

How Conversational Marketing Works

Behind the scenes, conversational marketing combines automation and personalization to create a seamless experience for users while providing valuable insights for your team. 

Here’s how it typically works:

• Detects Customer Intent: Tools like chatbots and live chat analyze questions to understand what users need and offer relevant responses instantly.
• Delivers Immediate Answers: Chatbots are available 24/7 to handle routine questions, while more complex issues can be transferred to a live agent.
• Adapts to Individual Users: Conversations are customized based on a user’s past behavior, preferences, and browsing history.
• Works Across Multiple Platforms: Customers can reach out via your website, Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp and get a consistent experience wherever they choose to connect.
• Enhances Inbound Marketing: These conversations support your inbound strategy by creating timely and personalized engagement points.

Why Conversational Marketing Works (and What to Keep in Mind)

More brands are turning to conversational marketing because it aligns with how people prefer to interact online. It’s fast, personal, and available when your audience needs it most.

Here’s why this approach is proving so effective for businesses of all sizes:

• Better Engagement and Satisfaction: Real-time replies, whether from a chatbot or a live team member, help users feel heard. When people can get quick, relevant support, they’re more likely to stay on your site and return later.
• Improved Conversion Rates: Instead of clicking through multiple pages, users can ask a question and get guided straight to the right product or service. This removes friction from the buying process and encourages more action.
• Lower Support Costs: Automation tools handle routine questions around the clock. This reduces the workload for your team and cuts down on staffing needs, especially during peak hours.
• Scalable Communication: Whether you’re serving 50 visitors or 5,000, automation makes it possible to maintain consistent responses without overwhelming your team.
• Stronger Customer Relationships: Conversations that feel natural and personal help build trust. When people feel like they’re talking to someone who understands them, it strengthens their connection to your brand.
• Actionable Data and Insights: Each conversation gives you a better understanding of what your audience wants or struggles with. This data can improve your content, product development, and future marketing efforts.

A Few Things to Watch Out For

Like any strategy, conversational marketing comes with a few considerations. Planning ahead helps you avoid common pitfalls and set your team up for success.

• Tool Setup and Training: Some platforms take time to set up and may require onboarding to get your team comfortable using them.
• Over-Personalization: Using data to tailor conversations is effective, but there’s a limit. If messages feel too personal or intrusive, it can turn users away.
• Not Everything can be Automated: While chatbots can handle many routine questions, more complex or sensitive issues still require a human touch.
• Dependable Technology: Your chat systems need to run smoothly. Downtime or lag during high-traffic moments can hurt the experience and frustrate users.

Conversational Marketing vs Traditional Marketing

Let’s take a quick look at how conversational marketing stacks up next to more traditional methods:

Conversational marketing provides a more interactive, personalized experience that aligns with the way people prefer to engage with brands today.

Key Elements of Conversational Marketing

To set up an effective conversational marketing strategy, here’s what you’ll need:

• Chatbots and AI Tools: Automate replies to common questions and help guide users through simple tasks.
• Live Chat Support: Provide real-time help from a team member for situations that require a human touch.
• Messaging Apps: Stay connected through platforms your customers already use, like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Instagram.
• Personalization Features: Use data to tailor messages to each individual based on their needs and behavior.
• Multi-Channel Presence: Maintain a consistent voice and experience across all digital touchpoints so you’re able to meet your audience where they are.
• Analytics and Tracking: Review conversation data to improve your customer interactions over time.

Best Practices for Your Conversational Marketing Strategy

To get the most out of conversational marketing, follow these best practices:

• Keep the Conversation Useful: Provide helpful, relevant information rather than pushing products at every opportunity.
• Sound Human, Even When Automated: Use natural, friendly language in chatbot replies to avoid sounding robotic.
• Be Transparent: Let users know when they’re talking to a bot and explain how their data is being used.
• Follow Through: Don’t let conversations drop. Set up reminders or follow-ups to resolve customer questions.
• Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Replies: Reference previous interactions when possible to make the conversation feel personal.
• Use the Data with Care: Adjust your approach based on what users are asking, but don’t cross the line into invasive behavior.

How to Add Conversational Marketing to Your Digital Strategy

If you’re ready to turn engagement into real conversations, adding conversational marketing to your current online strategy doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can start small and build out from there. The key is making it a natural extension of how you already connect with your audience across platforms.

Here’s a step-by-step look at how to integrate conversational marketing into your broader digital game plan:

1. Understand Your Audience

Before launching any new tool or chatbot, get clear on who you’re speaking to and where those conversations are most likely to happen.

• Are they more active on Instagram, WhatsApp, or your website?
• What kinds of questions are they asking most often?
• Do they prefer quick replies or detailed help?

Use your existing social media insights (like those from Metricool) to identify patterns in audience behavior. This will help you choose the right channels and messaging approach for conversational marketing.

2. Choose the Right Tools for the Job

There’s no one-size-fits-all tool for conversational marketing. The platform you choose should match your goals and the channels your audience prefers.

• For social-focused brands: Tools like ManyChat can automate Instagram and Messenger DMs.
• For websites or e-commerce: Live chat solutions like Tidio or Intercom can support both sales and support.
• For B2B or lead generation: Drift is great for real-time lead qualification and meeting scheduling.

Start with the tools that integrate easily with your current setup. Bonus points if they offer chatbot templates to help you launch faster.

3. Connect With Your CRM and Marketing Stack

To get the most value out of conversational marketing, your tools should talk to each other. That means linking your chatbot or live chat tool with your CRM, email marketing software, and (ideally) your social media management platform.

This lets you:

• Automatically log conversations and follow up later
• Personalize future chats based on past interactions
• Keep track of user behavior across platforms

4. Train Your Team on Tone and Tools

Even with automation, your human team still plays an important role. Make sure everyone who handles customer messages knows:

• How to use the platform’s dashboard or chatbot builder
• When to step in and take over from a bot
• What tone and style matches your brand’s voice

This is especially important for support teams, social media managers, and sales reps who may jump into conversations started by automation.

5. Make It Easy to Start a Conversation

People won’t use your chat features if they don’t know they exist. Promote them just like you would any other customer experience feature.

Here are some simple ways to do that:

• Add a visible chat widget to your homepage or product pages
• Link to your messaging options in your Instagram bio or Facebook About section
• Create Stories or posts explaining how followers can get in touch
• Use CTA buttons in posts or ads that lead directly to Messenger or WhatsApp

The more obvious and accessible the option is, the more likely people are to use it.

6. Track Conversations and Adjust as You Go

Once your conversational marketing tools are live, treat them like any other campaign. Keep a close eye on how people interact with them and look for areas to improve.

Track metrics like:

• Chat engagement rates
• Time to first response
• Resolution time
• Conversation drop-offs
• Lead captures or conversions from chat

Use that data to tweak your chatbot flows, improve your FAQs, or train your team where needed. 

Top Conversational Marketing Tools in 2025

If you’re ready to start conversations with your audience in a more personal and direct way, there’s no shortage of tools out there to help. From AI-powered chatbots to live chat integrations with your website and social channels, these platforms are designed to make it easier to connect with customers and prospects in real time.

Here are some popular conversational marketing tools that can support different business needs:

Intercom

Intercom is a popular platform for managing real-time customer conversations across channels like websites, apps, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, SMS, and email. It combines AI chatbots, live messaging, and automation features in one interface, making it easier to engage users wherever they interact with your brand.

Top Features

• AI-powered chatbots trained on your own content (PDFs, URLs, snippets)
• Real-time messaging for both support and sales
• Unified inbox across web, social, SMS, and apps
• Customization tools like segmentation, tags, and targeted campaigns
• Visual campaign builder for onboarding, support, and sales workflows
• Behavior-based proactive messages
• Integrates with over 450 apps including Salesforce and HubSpot
• AI-powered analytics and insights

Best For: Brands and businesses looking for an all-in-one platform to manage support, messaging, and engagement across digital channels.

Drift

Drift is built for B2B companies that want to accelerate the sales process through real-time conversations. Its AI chatbots help qualify leads, book meetings, and route users to the right sales rep, all without the wait.

Top Features

• AI chatbots for lead capture and scheduling
• Personalized conversational landing pages
• Intelligent lead routing
• Syncs with CRM tools like Salesforce and HubSpot
• Behavior-based proactive messaging
• Tracks conversation performance and conversion rates

Best For: B2B companies that want to streamline lead generation and sales conversations through their website.

Tidio

Tidio is a simple, affordable solution for small and mid-sized businesses, especially in the e-commerce space. It combines live chat and automation to help teams stay on top of customer questions without needing a large support team.

Top Features

• Real-time chat with website visitors
• Chatbot templates for automating FAQs
• Facebook Messenger integration
• Performance tracking and satisfaction metrics
• Works with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms
• Custom branding for the chat widget

Best For: E-commerce stores and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use platform for live chat and automation.

ManyChat

ManyChat focuses on social messaging platforms and helps businesses automate conversations on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It’s a favorite for marketing teams that want to generate leads, respond to customers, and send bulk messages directly through social channels.

Top Features

• Drag-and-drop chatbot flow builder
• Multi-channel support for Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp
• Lead capture and qualification
• Broadcasts to your contact list
• Integrates with email, CRM, and e-commerce platforms

Best For: Brands that use Instagram or Facebook to connect with their audience and want to automate conversations at scale.

LivePerson

LivePerson offers enterprise-level conversational tools with advanced AI features. It’s built for large brands that need to manage large volumes of conversations across multiple channels while still offering a personalized touch.

Top Features

• AI-driven chatbots for instant support
• Messaging across web, mobile, SMS, WhatsApp, and more
• Real-time analytics and agent performance tracking
• Automation for routine tasks and smart routing for complex ones
• Integrates with CRM and helpdesk tools

Best For: Enterprises with high-volume customer interactions and the need for scalable, AI-powered support.

Trends to Watch in Conversational Marketing Strategies

Conversational marketing is evolving quickly. Here are some trends shaping the space:

• Smarter AI and Natural Language Processing: Bots are becoming more context-aware and better at understanding real questions.
• Voice Assistants: More users are interacting with brands using voice-activated tools and smart devices.
• Omnichannel Communication: Brands are creating seamless experiences across every platform, from chat to social media to email.
• More Tailored Interactions: Brands are using behavioral data to offer specific support or recommendations.
• Proactive Bots: Some systems now initiate chats based on what users are doing, rather than waiting to be contacted.
• Focus on Privacy: As data collection becomes more sensitive, users expect transparency around how their information is used.

Conversation Is Part of the Experience

At its core, conversational marketing is about treating people like people, not data points. It gives your audience a direct line to your brand and turns routine interactions into meaningful exchanges. Whether it’s answering a quick product question or helping someone take the next step, real-time conversations build a stronger connection.

Even if you’re not using a full suite of conversational tools, small steps can still make a difference. Something as simple as responding to DMs promptly or managing comments from one place helps keep the conversation going. Tools like Metricool’s social inbox can support this by bringing those messages together in one unified dashboard, so nothing gets missed.

In the end, people remember how you made them feel, especially when they had a question or needed help. That’s what conversation makes possible.

Gretchen Oestreicher , 19 June 2025