Twitter bots are sliding into your marketing plans

Twitter is expanding its commercial offering to advertisers by opening up its Direct Messaging function to chatbots.

The social network hopes this will give brands a new way to engage with audiences that go beyond basic customer relationship management.

Businesses on Twitter will be able to promote ads that are designed to engage users in personalised experiences via Direct Messaging. “Direct Message Cards”, as the new functionality is called, will include video and images as well as up to four CTAs that can prompt further engagement via chatbots.

This signals a big shift from the social network, which has previously focused on developing simple CRM tools for brands, from welcome messages and quick replies and custom profiles.

The service is launching with Bot-Tender, a chatbot from Patrón Tequila, which can help people with drinks suggestions based on a series of automated questions posed within a Direct Message conversation.

Twitter hopes that this style of bot will stand out from the more functional offerings available on other platforms, and help customers engage with brands in ways that are more fun and repeatable.

We think this kind of consumer engagement represents an interesting challenge and opportunity for FS brands, both to develop chatbots that can provide useful product-related engagement or robo-advice, but also to connect with consumers in a much more personal way that adds emotional value to their relationship.