Are chatbots the key to Facebook donations?
Hands up if your charity has a Facebook account? Donate button? Messenger? I thought so. Since hitting the UK in 2005, thousands of organisations have set up a Facebook charity page – sharing stories, events, campaigns and fundraisers across this pioneering platform. The opportunity is immense, and with 1.3 billion people using Facebook Messenger every month, ‘chatbots’ are just one of the latest technologies to sweep the market. Could this be the key to Facebook charity donations?
Very possibly. Let me tell you why.
What are chatbots?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a ‘chatbot’ is a piece of automated software that uses artificial intelligence to hold a conversation. Cheaper than your average app, chatbots can be trained (programmed) to understand questions, provide answers and even perform simple tasks. Just like a person. Ever logged on to a company website and opted for an online chat instead of a phone call? There is every chance you were talking to a bot. The only difference is that these ones live in Facebook Messenger.
Why use chatbots?
The beauty of chatbots is that they can be set-up to deal with day-to-day supporter enquiries - answering questions in a flash and providing great customer service 24/7. Not only does this boost your general social media management, charities like The Children’s Society have used bot technology to motivate and engage event fundraisers and help drive peer-peer fundraising. Greenpeace took a similar approach, although they decided to keep the human touch and recruit ‘Messenger Fundraisers’ to spark that initial connection. A team of bots are ready and waiting in the background to help carry out daily tasks and provide extra information. It’s a unique team. One that brought in 2,000 regular givers in their first year of operations. Impressed? We are.
This is just the start. I love how creative the non-profit sector can be, and chatbots are no exception. UNICEF used bot technology to build U-Report – a messaging tool that engages and empowers young people around the world to speak out on key issues. Run through Twitter and Facebook Messenger, it takes social media engagement to a whole new level. With polls ranging from health and education to unemployment and corruption, latest figures show 9 million ‘U-Reporters’ across 65 countries, with their feedback and data used to influence programme and policy developments. Thanks to chatbots!
As well as collecting information, chatbots can also be used to share stories and experiences. Our favourite is Walk with YESHI, an immersive journey with a woman living in rural Ethiopia. Launched by Charity: Water and Lokai, Yeshi’s story plays out in real time (2.5 hours) as she shares her daily journey to collect water. Run through Facebook Messenger, Yeshi can share messages, images, gifs, videos and maps - all whilst answering questions from you, her walking companion. Holding over 7,500 hours of conversation Yeshi is a new and unique way to bring supporters one step closer to the cause.
How can you use chatbots?
Whether yours is there to answer questions, poll supporters, share information or tell stories, chatbots offer charities a new way to engage supporters and drive Facebook donations. It might be automated, but chatbots can bring an important personal touch to your communications - without the labour such activity would normally require.
This doesn’t mean you should remove people from the equation. Far from it. Chatbots are about doing more with less. Take advantage of them. Get creative and don’t be afraid to use this opportunity to focus your human resources on the areas they are needed most. Together you can deliver a donor experience that inspires people to keep on giving.
