Everything you wanted to know about chatbots but were afraid to ask

Mobile apps like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram are touted as the next great opportunity for advertisers, publishers and businesses of all types. But what if a simple conversation tool had the ability to turn prospects into customers far better than any of those hot platforms? Chatbots are software programs that use messaging platforms as the interface to perform a wide variety of tasks--everything from scheduling a meeting to reporting the weather, to helping a customer buy a sweater. Because texting is the heart of the mobile experience for smartphone users, chatbots are a natural way to turn something users are very familiar with into a rewarding service or marketing opportunity. And when you consider that the top 4 messaging apps reach over 3 billion global users (MORE than the top 4 social networks), you can see that the opportunity is huge.