Apps vs. Bots

Another Game Changer from Facebook
If you are reading this and thinking…what? We were too so we did some digging.

One April 12th Facebook held its annual developer conference and as expected announced some changes that will effect how other developers operate. Facebook announced that developers can now build bots inside Facebook Messenger.

So what is a bot?
A bot is like an app because it has features that operate backend services. A bot runs automated tasks based on input. Bots may not be as advanced as standalone apps and they run remotely on the cloud, not locally on a phone. Messaging bots can read and write messages just like a human would. Bots can initiate action as well as respond to requests. As examples – food bots order dinner, content bots share relevant content and wine bots tell us which wine is good. Oops…no bots can’t have an opinion, they simply react automatically to the inputs they are given.

Why bots?
App downloads have reached their tipping point. Most smartphone users now download few or no new apps each month. Apps stores have lost their mojo. New downloads come only from user referrals not app store browsers. Bots however, will become available to users on the platforms that they are already using. And Facebook will take advantage of their already captured massive audience with the launch of Facebook Messenger bots.

Developers can start building bots for Facebook Messenger now. Facebook is already launching bots for Messenger with a number of companies, including Bank of America, Burger King, Fandango, eBay, Expedia, Salesforce, Shopify, Staples, StubHub, Zendesk and Zingle. And of course advertising is not far behind. Soon advertisers will be able to buy Facebook ads that will take users directly to their bot.

For more in-depth reading on bots here are some of the stories that we have been following…

Forget Apps, Now the Bots Take Over – Techcrunch, Sept 2015

Bots Explained – Re/code, April 2016

Facebook Messenger Bots are Here – Mashable, April 2016

Botlist is an app store for bots – Techcrunch, April 2016

Watch for follow up posts on bots as they become more widely used.

 

We, Jeff & Tara Ciecko of CK Golf write two blogs, one is our 19th Hole Blog where we share personal experiences and the other an Industry Blog where we comment on general business and internet marketing best practices, sales strategies and give golf industry related opinions. We have owned CK Golf  for 9 years and provide marketing, social media and business services to the golf and other industries. Our 19th Hole Blog is about the places we visit and the things we do. When we say that we like or dislike something or have a good or bad experience this is our opinion and the truth as we see it, not something we have been paid for. If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us anytime.