United States

Generative AI is everywhere now. You see it in content, campaigns, customer experiences, and even internal workflows. It promises speed, scale, and efficiency, but there’s a harder question sitting underneath all that progress; Do your audiences actually trust it?

Trust in the Age of AI: What Consumers Really Think About AI Generated Content

Today, PR teams aren’t just tracking media coverage and share of voice. They’re also measuring how their brand shows up in AI-generated answers, search summaries, and large language models (LLMs). This new LLM visibility layer is quickly becoming a critical part of PR performance.

15 Must-Have PR KPIs and How to Track Them

See how one platform can power every decision across PR, communications, and marketing.

The Meltwater Blog

Blog Topics: Generative Engine Optimization, Media Intelligence, Media Relations, Social Listening, Consumer Intelligence, Influencer Marketing

Find out how you can leverage Facebook to boost your brand's online presence and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

Facebook Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage Instagram to boost your brand's visual appeal and gain a competitive edge. Explore our category page today!

Instagram Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage LinkedIN to grow your professional network and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

LinkedIn Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage TikTok to elevate your brand with creative content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

TikTok Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage X / Twitter to engage your audience effectively and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

X / Twitter Blog | Meltwater

Find out how you can leverage YouTube to create engaging video content and gain a competitive edge. Explore the Meltwater category page today!

YouTube Blog | Meltwater

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is transforming how brands show up in AI-powered search. Explore insights, strategies, and best practices to help your content rank and resonate across conversational engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot.

Explore insights and strategies for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help your brand stay visible and discoverable in AI-powered search.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Blog Collection | Meltwater

Every day billions of conversations take place on social media: tweets, posts, comments, blogs, reviews, podcasts, and much more.
Learn how to use social listening to make sense of all of that data.

On our social listening category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around social listening and social media monitoring. Read more.

Social Listening Blogs | Category

Business Reputation Management: What does it take to add reputation management to your marketing strategy? More importantly, how do you keep your reputation sparkly and shiny? Here’s your all-access guide to online reputation management for the long term.

On our reputation management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around business reputation management. Read more.

Reputation Management Blogs | Category

From your brand's logo to your website, your social media presence to your customer support—these elements combined are what constitutes a brand in the minds of customers. But, there are thousands of other businesses that have a logo, website, social media presence, and website. So, how can you position your business on the market and make it stand out from the competition?
The key to success is branding & brand management!

On our brand management category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around brand management. Build your strategy and reach your goals!

Brand Management Blogs | Category

Competitive intelligence and the act of collecting competitive data can be seen as growth drivers for a company. Our guide will help you understand the concept of competitive intelligence (CI) by answering questions such as: What is the definition of competitive intelligence? How is competitive intelligence useful to organizations? What is the goal of competitive intelligence? And more.

On our competitive intelligence category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around competitive intelligence. Learn how to stay ahead.

Competitive Intelligence Blogs | Category

Let’s dive into the customer journey framework and how to optimize the process by creating a customer journey map and using metrics that matter when analyzing the customer journey.

On our customer journey category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Customer Journey Blogs | Category

What Is Data Analytics? [Beginner’s Guide 2023]
How can I grow my business? 
How do customers interact with my newly launched product?
How do I increase the productivity of my employees?
How do I know if my marketing efforts are working?
We have just two words for you...Data analytics!

On our data analytics category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around AI and data analytics. Technical and still easy to understand.

AI & Data Analytics Blogs | Category

Public relations and media relations can add impact to any marketing strategy. It’s an opportunity for brands to grow their reach beyond traditional sales messages. PR helps to shape the image you want people to have of your brand.
So, what is PR and how do you use it? This guide shows you everything you need to know to build a strong public relations foundation.

On our public relations (PR) category page, you find all our blogs covering public relations and communications topics. Step up your PR game.

Public Relations (PR) Blogs | Category

We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the pandemic – internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?

On our internal communications category page, you find all our blogs about internal comms topics. Learn about the intranet, internal newsletters, and more.

Internal Communications Blogs | Category

As the internet has taken root in more areas of our lives — everything from entertainment to shopping to paying bills and more — traditional marketing is becoming less impactful. As any marketer knows, you need to focus on where your audience is if you want to reach them. Since the average person spends about seven hours a day online, it’s no surprise that content has maintained its hold on marketers.

Here's a closer look at what content marketing is and why it matters more than ever in our digital-first economy.

On our content marketing category page, you find blogs about content marketing topics. Learn about strategies, KPIs, tips, and more. Make your content king!

Content Marketing Blogs | Category

The rise of the influencer marketing space – today a $10 billion industry, growing 50% per year – is one of the clearest examples of how social media is transforming traditional marketing. These days having a business website, presence on social, PR coverage, and your own content isn’t enough to compete.
We'll dive into the intricacies of influencer marketing to help ensure that you're equipped with the insights needed to be successful in this space.

On our influencer marketing category page, you find blogs about influencer marketing topics. Build your strategy, find influencers, and measure results.

Influencer Marketing Blogs | Category

Have you just launched a new product or service that you want to get the word out about? Maybe you want to share with consumers why it is awesome and how it is so much better than the one your competitors offer.

Well, then, there is one thing you can't do without...Marketing!

On our marketing category page, you find blogs about marketing topics. Learn about all the different angles and types of marketing and improve your results.

Marketing Blogs | Category

In this guide, we want to give you a peek into the definition of social media management, the daily schedule of a social media manager, social media platforms to promote your business, and the do’s & don’ts of social media management.
Are you ready to begin the journey of becoming a social media superstar?

On our social media management category page, you find blogs about social media management topics. Build and manage your online community.

Social Media Management Blogs | Category

Building a following and using social media platforms to reach a wider audience requires a well-planned social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll be looking at why social media marketing is so essential and how you can make it work for your business.

On our social media marketing category page, you find blogs about social media marketing topics. Learn how to get the highest paid social ROI!

Social Media Marketing Blogs | Category

In the fast-evolving realm of digital marketing and public relations, utilizing the right tools is crucial for success. Our interdisciplinary category showcases all the pertinent tools for digital marketing & PR. These tools help in enhancing your online presence and effectively reaching target groups, whether through reputation management, influencer marketing, or social media management.

On our digital marketing and PR tools category page, you find all our blogs covering topics around mapping and understanding the customer journey.

Digital Marketing & PR Tools Blogs | Category

Following its liberation from British occupation in 1971, the United Arab Emirates' mass media landscape had already begun and proceeded to develop significantly.

Since then, the majority of the UAE's media outlets have been governed by government-owned umbrella organisations, as well as the National Media Council and its extensions.

In reality, it has risen to become one of the world's largest media consumers. According to research, the United Arab Emirates ranks first among countries in the world in terms of social media use, with a score of 9.55/10.

The UAE is the most connected country in the world, not just on social media, with a connected score of 7.53/10. According to research compiled by the business Proxyrack, the UAE ranks highly in practically all areas, including internet usage, social media platforms, fixed broadband subscriptions, mobile cellular subscriptions, and the proportion of the population utilising the internet.

Furthermore, the survey indicated that people in the United Arab Emirates spend approximately 7 hours and 29 minutes per day on the internet, while South Africans spend the most in the world, nearly ten hours per day, more than any other country.

In this article, we discuss the media landscape in the UAE in more detail. Read along as we cover the following points:

Regulatory Framework For Media Activities In The UAE

The UAE media environment is repressive, ranking 119 out of 180 in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

There are two regulators at the federal level, namely:

National Media Office: The National Media Office (NMO) is a new media organisation tasked with expanding media in the UAE at the national level and enhancing the UAE's standing as a vital regional and international media hub. NMO will promote collaboration across the UAE's numerous media offices and ensure that Emiratis in higher positions in the media industry have media leadership capabilities.

Media Regulatory Office: The Media Regulatory Office (MRO) in the UAE manages and regulates media activities and media-related free zones. Operating under the Ministry of Culture and Youth, MRO teaches and upskills Emirati media talent, develops and organises the duties of official spokesmen, represents the UAE at media conferences and events, and performs media research.

Whereas several bodies regulate the local media in UAE, including:

All media institutions in the UAE that create audio, visual, print, and digital content must adhere to the media content requirements outlined in Federal Law No. 15 of 1980 Concerning Publications and Publishing, as well as other applicable laws and regulations.

Federal Law No.15 of 1980 Concerning Publications and Publishing governs the licensing and activities associated with printing and publishing in the UAE, and it applies to printed media content such as newspapers, magazines, television broadcasting, audio media such as radio, and digital media content.

The law establishes criteria for forbidden materials from being published. It also includes penalties imposed on the publishing firm and its employees if they are found to be in breach of the law. 

This legislation includes provisions for:

Publishing houses, printing presses, and publications

Imported and exported publications, newspapers, and newsletters

Newspapers, periodic publications, and news agencies

According to Federal Law No. 15 of 1980 Concerning Publications and Publishing, certain types of content are prohibited. These include:

Criticism of the UAE President and the rulers of the emirates

Instigation or offence against Islam or the country's system, or anything else that could jeopardise the UAE's larger interests

Opinions that violate public morals or offend youngsters, or that advocate for or support the adoption of damaging ideas

Any material that aids in the commission of crimes, incites hatred, or sows discord among members of society

Without authorization from the competent authority, news of official secret communications or military affairs is not permitted. Furthermore, unless with special permission, it is not permitted to publish the texts of agreements or conventions concluded by the Government before their publication in the Official Gazette.

Any material with ill faith or any distortion to the procedures of sessions, deliberations, or public sessions of courts or regulatory bodies in the State

Any material that includes shame against the President of an Arab or Islamic country or any other friendly country

Any material that includes disgrace against the President of a friendly country

Any article that falsely accuses Arabs or misrepresents their civilisation or tradition

Information about an ongoing criminal investigation if the investigating judge has ordered that the investigation be kept confidential or if the Public Prosecution has forbidden the dissemination of such information

News, images, or comments about someone's private life, even if they are factual, are considered an insult to the person or people mentioned

Any fake news, fabricated or counterfeit documents, or information falsely ascribed to third parties

Any material that has the potential to harm the national legal tender or raise uncertainty about the country's economic status

Phrases, photos, or drawings that are offensive to public morals or may mislead the audience

Unless otherwise authorised by the appropriate authority, material about medications or pharmaceutical formulations

Opposition to the actions of a public employee, a public representative, or a person appointed to a public service

Report/s on a subject involving many parties that do not include quotes from all parties involved

Modern mass media outlets didn't start to show up in the UAE until the 1960s. In 1966, Abu Dhabi Radio became the country's first official broadcast radio station, and in 1969, Abu Dhabi Television became the country's first television channel. Throughout the decade, several weekly newspapers were printed in Beirut and sent to the region.

Al-Khalij, the first Emirati daily newspaper, was founded in Sharjah in 1970, a year before the official foundation of the UAE. Following this event, efforts were made to extend media output across the Emirates to cater to the diverse population.

A television station was created in Dubai in 1972, followed by station 33 (or Dubai 33) in 1977, which was primarily aimed towards expats. Over the decade, more daily newspapers, including English-language ones, arose in the Emirates, most of which were privately owned.

To accommodate the rise of new outlets, the Ministry of Culture, formed in 1972, built a comprehensive terrestrial transmission network for television and radio in the 1970s and 1980s.

The UAE officially institutionalised media rules in the 1980s, with the enactment of the Press and Publications Law in 1980. The broadcasting landscape in the UAE evolved dramatically, beginning in the 1990s. With the expansion of satellite television, Emirati broadcasters in Dubai and Abu Dhabi proliferated and began to broadcast material to international audiences.

Concurrently, the number of local radio stations rose in tandem with advancements in the country's communication network.

The establishment of the UAE's first ‘media-free zone’ (MFZ) in Dubai in 2002 was the most significant event in the country's broadcast media history. These are places where foreign media outlets can operate and generate material for overseas audiences tax-free, as long as they follow local laws and the MFZ's regulatory standards. 

The UAE currently has four MFZs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, and Ras al-Khaimah, which have contributed to the country's transformation into a regional media hub popular with foreign broadcasters such as the BBC, CNN, AFP, and Al-Arabiya.

However, local officials were quick to exercise control over the country's internet usage, forming the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in 2003 to restrict websites deemed harmful to Emirati political or moral standards.

The majority of domestic UAE media outlets are owned and operated by the state-owned Abu Dhabi Media and Dubai Media Incorporated.

According to the World Economic Forum report, the UAE is now the world's 26th most networked nation. It is only slightly ahead of Qatar, the highest-ranked Arab state.

Here is a list of some of the most common channels through which the UAE population consumes media:

According to the Oxford Business Group, the UAE boasts some of the highest press circulation rates in the Gulf, with 56% of literate citizens reporting to read a newspaper every day.

Although ownership remains concentrated among the country's big media organisations, the press landscape has grown to include 14 daily newspapers. Furthermore, Emirati print journalism is generally subordinate to the government and ruling family due to the country's harsh publication rules.

The circulation of the most important domestic publications in recent years has been as follows:

<table class="table-primary alternate-color">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Newspaper</th>
<th>Estimated Daily Circulation</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Al-Bayan</td>
<td>105,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gulf News</td>
<td>104,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Khaleej Times</td>
<td>90,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>The National</td>
<td>80,000 - 90,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Emarat al-Youm</td>
<td>80,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Al-Khaleej</td>
<td>37,000 - 60,000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

According to a 2016 Ispos Connect study, radio is a popular medium in the UAE, with 78% of respondents aged 15 and up claiming to listen to the radio regularly.

An earlier Ipsos study, done in 2009, discovered that radio stations affiliated with the Arabian Radio Network (ARN), which is a subsidiary of the Arab Media Group, dominate the most-listened-to broadcasts.

The most popular music stations in the UAE are:

Virgin Radio Dubai (Western contemporary music)

In addition, the English-language channel Dubai Eye 103.8 is the most-listened-to station in the UAE for news and conversation programming.

According to a survey conducted by the UK-based market research firm TNS Global, the UAE has one of the highest television watching rates in the world, with 86% of respondents reporting watching television at least once a day.

Television transmission, like the rest of traditional Emirati media, is concentrated among a small handful of media businesses with either direct government affiliations or positive relations with the ruling family.

All terrestrial broadcasters are subsidiaries of larger conglomerates including Abu Dhabi Media, Dubai Media Incorporated, and Sharjah Media Corporation. The vast majority of Emiratis, on the other hand, prefer to watch some of the hundreds of channels available to them via foreign satellites.

Media In The UAE: UAE Media Landscape Guide

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerhouse strategy, effectively bridging the gap between brands and their target audiences. Sweden, known for its thriving social media scene, has witnessed a remarkable surge in the realm of influencer marketing over the past years. We have underlined this in digital and social media statistics for Sweden and in our Swedish media landscape guide. Swedish influencers, with their unique charisma and authentic voices, have become key players in shaping consumer trends and preferences internationally.

Influencers are an important channel for brands, as in 2023, brands are expected to spend around $146.60 million on influencer advertising in Sweden. In this blog, we delve into the captivating world of Swedish influencers. But there's a twist – we're not just discussing these influential figures; we've harnessed the power of our influencer marketing software and identified 10 Swedish influencers who you should get yourself familiar with.

These influencers are not just content creators; they're trendsetters, opinion leaders, and brand advocates who can take your marketing strategies to new heights.

Let’s see who these top Swedish influencers are:

Who Are the Biggest Instagram Influencers in Sweden?

<table class="table-primary alternate-color">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th style="text-align: center;">#</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>IG Handle</th>
            <th style="text-align: center;">IG Followers</th>
            <th style="text-align: center;">IG True Reach</th>
            <th style="text-align: center;">IG Eng./Post</th>
            <th style="text-align: center;">IG Eng. Rate</th>
        </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1</td>
            <td>Matilda Djerf</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/matildadjerf/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@matildadjerf</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">3.1M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.9M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">260.7K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">5.70%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">2</td>
            <td>Kenza Zouiten Subosic</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kenzas/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@kenzas</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.8M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">507K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">55.5K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">2.96%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">3</td>
            <td>Amanda Khamkaew</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/amandakhamkaew/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@amandakhamkaew</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.5M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">224K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">33.3K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">2.14%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">4</td>
            <td>Bianca Ingrosso</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancaingrosso/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@biancaingrosso</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.3M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">269K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">24.6K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.79%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">5</td>
            <td>Janni Delér</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jannid/" "target=_blank">@jannid</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.2M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">201K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">19.1K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.52%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">6</td>
            <td>Angelica Blick</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/angelicablick/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@angelicablick</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1M</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">35K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">16.7K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.53%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">7</td>
            <td>Alexandra Bring</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabring/" "target=_blank">@alexandrabring</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">533K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">92.6K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">7K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.3%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">8</td>
            <td>FemmeBlk</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/femmeblk/" "target=_blank">@femmeblk</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">251K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">54.6K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">3.9K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">1.21%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">9</td>
            <td>Erik Forsgren</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/erik.forsgren/" "target=_blank">@erik.forsgren</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">350.4K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">108K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">10.7K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">3.07%</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="text-align: center;">10</td>
            <td>Julia Dang</td>
            <td><a href="https://www.instagram.com/juliaadang/?hl=en" "target=_blank">@juliaadang</a></td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">182K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">165K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">24.5K</td>
            <td style="text-align: center;">7.75%</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

Let's look at the biggest Swedish influencers more in-depth:

Matilda Djerf stands as one of Sweden's reigning influencers, captivating audiences with her engaging content that revolves predominantly around fashion and lifestyle.

However, she doesn't stop there; Matilda has also garnered fame for her beauty tutorials and her #matildadjerfhair. Her feed is a window into a world of style, life, and beauty that you're sure to find engaging.

Tip: Take a look at the top global fashion influencers, the top South African fashion influencers, and the top beauty influencers.

Kenza embarked on her influencer journey back in 2006, starting out as a blogger. Her blog rapidly gained immense popularity and subsequently received recognition from Veckorevyn, Aftonbladet, and Bloglovin. Today, Kenza has expanded her presence by establishing her own fashion brand, IvyRevel. Her social media content primarily revolves around fashion and lifestyle, while she also provides glimpses into her family life through her Instagram.

Reading tip: How To Amplify Your Brand With a Blogger Outreach Campaign

Amanda has gained recognition and a strong following through her stunning Instagram outfit snapshots, where she's amassed a solid following of 1.6 million fans. But her influence doesn't stop there – Amanda is also the proud owner of the jewelry brand Cecilia Caci, adding a touch of glamour to her already impressive repertoire.

Bianca Ingrosso, the dynamic force behind Caia Cosmetics, wears multiple hats as a singer and a TV personality. But it's on her social media channels where she invites you into her world, offering glimpses of her daily life, sprinkled with captivating fashion and makeup-related content to keep you both entertained and inspired.

Tip: Take a look at the top beauty influencers globally and at the top beauty influencers in South Africa.

Janni Delér made a name for herself through her fashion blog, kicking it off in 2013. Since then, she's gathered a significant follower base on Instagram and YouTube. Back when she first started blogging, it was all about fashion, but these days, she's also giving us a peek into her everyday life with her posts and vlogs.

Angelica began her influencer journey as a blogger in 2009, driven by her love for fashion and a strong wanderlust. Today, she enjoys the support of over 1.1 million dedicated followers on social media. Her blog has received recognition from various prestigious awards, such as the Vecko Revyn Blog Awards, Vixen Awards, Finest Awards, and Chic Awards. On her Instagram, you can explore a delightful mix of fashion and travel, sure to leave you feeling inspired.

Alexandra first made waves in the online world through her blog, where her focus was primarily on fitness and training. Today, her Instagram is a heartwarming window into the happiness she shares with her three children, offering a glimpse into her wonderful family life.

Tip: Take a look at the Top Sports & Fitness Influencers globally, and the Top South African Fitness & Sports Influencers.

Lydia Tsegay's Instagram is a treasure trove of fashion and styling inspiration, influenced by street styles and minimalism. As one of the rising stars among Swedish influencers, make sure to keep an eye on her Instagram account for the latest trends and chic tips.

Tip: Take a look at the current Instagram trends for brands.

Erik began his journey as a fashion blogger and has since cultivated a strong following on Instagram. While his content primarily centers around travel and fashion, he's recently been sharing glimpses of his family life with his two daughters and partner.

Julia Dang is one of the co-founders behind the popular YouTube channel known as TheLineUp, with over 500K+ subscribers. Her claim to fame lies in her captivating fashion videos, which take center stage on her social media platforms. Additionally, she treats her audience to exciting travel content.

The 10 Biggest Swedish Influencers: Find Influencers in Sweden

The rise of chatbots and conversational AI is proving to be game changing for sales and marketing teams.

According to Drift’s State of Conversational Marketing report, 55% of businesses say that an online chatbot helps them collect higher-quality leads.

More recently, another report found that 99% of businesses using chatbots have increased their lead conversion rates by at least 10%.

The use of chatbots online as a communication channel jumped a whopping 92% between 2019 and 2020, and that momentum is sustaining. 

Let’s explore why chatbots are becoming an essential tool and how you can use them to improve your sales.

Advantages of Chatbots in the Sales Process

How Meltwater Helps You Make the Best Use of Your Data

Chatbot definition: A chatbot is an artificial intelligence program that mimics human conversation via a chat interface. Users can “chat” with the program and receive text-based responses in a way similar to instant messaging a human on a website or app.

Chatbot AI programs offer quick and responsive support to users without human intervention. Companies can integrate AI chatbots into websites, social media accounts, messaging apps (like Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger), and voice assistants. They can handle multiple conversations simultaneously, allowing sales teams to interact with more leads at scale.

A website visitor can type a question into the live chat bar, and the AI chatbot will generate a response. Chatbots can also handle more complex workflows, such as scheduling appointments, issuing refunds, or escalating cases to a human. 

Overall, AI-powered chatbots give sales and marketing teams a cost-effective way to engage customers and provide round-the-clock support.

Tip: Learn why 2023 was the year of AI chatbots

AI-enabled chatbots are creating an exciting new landscape in tech. Let’s look at a few examples of chatbot companies and creators moving this technology forward.

The ChatGPT language model has taken the lion’s share of the larger chatbot conversation in recent months. Offered by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence platform designed to answer questions or provide information in a contextual sense.

GPT-3 has been trained on one of the largest datasets of its kind, making it a powerful force in conversational AI. It provides automated real-time responses to queries and can be tailored to a range of use cases. Its most recent successor, GPT-4, is poised to be even more potent.

Tip: Read our Guide to ChatGPT for Marketing and PR, learn how to use ChatGPT for PR agencies, and take a look at the most helpful ChatGPT prompts for marketing.

Microsoft’s search engine Bing launched a revamped experience that includes a new chat feature. Powered by OpenAI, the new feature aims to provide users with more thorough answers directly on the search engine results page instead of having to comb through multiple websites.

It also offers interactive chat, which allows users to keep refining their queries until they get the information they need.

Virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant have been around for ages now, but they’re seeing a boost in quality thanks to AI chat. These “OG” chatbots are voice-based interfaces that can provide contextual information on demand.

Chatbots use natural language processing (NLP) algorithms to understand users’ queries and provide accurate responses. They rely on a combination of existing data and machine learning to formulate these responses.

Many chatbots operate on a rules-based approach. For example, a rules-based chatbot might provide several options to choose from, then provide follow-up options based on the initial choice.

Others are more open-ended. The chatbot will search for keywords within the query to provide the appropriate response.

Natural language processing and machine learning allow chatbots to better understand the user’s intent. Then the chatbot will deliver what it deems the best answer based on existing data and past experiences. 

As the user refines their input, the chatbot can “learn” more about the why behind the query and improve its results over time.

Sales is a very personal, high-touch process for many companies. It’s valid to consider that a bot might not have a place here, given the lack of empathy and warmth compared to a human. But the reality is that, while it won’t replace your human salespeople, a bot can provide real value across all stages of the sales funnel. 

Reduce time and costs in the sales process

The customer experience is key to growth. McKinsey research notes that companies that get personalization right drive 40% more revenue than average companies. What’s more, customers expect personalized offers and interactions from businesses — and 76% get flustered when companies can’t deliver.

AI chatbots can help to drive personalized experiences simply by giving customers what they want when they want it. Users can take more control over their experiences and connect with companies at their convenience.

The sales cycle can be a lengthy ordeal, especially when customers are asking routine questions whose responses could be automated. When sales agents have to respond to these inquiries, they’re taking time away from potentially hotter leads or other activities that could lead to revenue.

Using chatbots to do some of the heavy lifting allows agents to refocus their time and effort. Providing timely information that could move the sale forward can reduce the overall sales cycle time, not to mention associated costs.

Sales don’t happen only during business hours. When you have an online business, customers can discover and buy from you at all hours of the day and night. And when they’re ready to buy but need a little push toward the checkout, your chatbots can help you capitalize on those opportunities.

A chatbot application allows you to connect with your high-intent customers around the clock across multiple channels. Buyers explore your website are at their highest moment of intent, which is a great time to engage with them in a personalized conversation.

Unlike your human sales team, chatbots can engage in multiple conversations at once. They can field various inquiries without losing the context of each conversation.

Bots can also do that, but in a timely manner, with no risk of lag time. If your salespeople ever wished they could clone themselves, this is truly the next best thing.

With every engagement with a chatbot, your chat technology will help you learn more about your customers. See how they’re interacting with the bot, the questions they’re asking, the products or services they’re looking for, and other insightful nuggets. This data can be a goldmine of information to create more personalized experiences and improve customer service.

Chatbots are increasingly being used as lead generation tools. They can capture customer data upfront and send it to your CRM, as well as help you score and qualify leads based on their actions and queries. This helps sales teams know where to focus their efforts.

When you have leads with high purchase intent, the bot can send them straight to a live person to help seal the deal.

Improving sales can also take the form of reducing potential losses and churn. Chatbots can help here by offering customers incentives to stay instead of canceling their service.

For example, your chatbot can provide help and suggestions, offer a timely resolution to a specific problem, or even provide a discount on services. And when appropriate, your chatbot might even try to upsell the customer if another product or service might better meet their needs.

With these benefits in mind, let’s look at some examples of how to use online bots to improve sales and revenue.

Unlike humans, robots don’t need sleep. That’s why their main advantage (according to consumers) is providing ongoing, 24/7 customer support. Chatbots can immediately greet website visitors and serve as a guide at any part of the journey. It’s similar to being greeted when entering a store, making customers feel seen and heard.

At the very least, chatbots can instill a strong first impression. And when the customer is ready to engage, they’ll already know how to do it.

When customers need a quick answer to make a decision, chatbots can help tip the scales in your favor.

Bots can be trained to answer common questions and direct users to additional resources on your website, such as blogs or FAQs. This allows your sales team to avoid using their time to answer the same questions over and over. It also helps your customers buy with confidence while leaving a lasting positive impression about their experience.

A chatbot API gives you the flexibility to adapt your chat technology to your needs. Rather than settle for a ready-to-use, out-of-the-box solution, you can customize your chatbot to suit your specific use cases, sales workflows, and available resources.

Chatbots can step into the role of the salesperson by offering personalized recommendations and upsells. Based on a user’s actions and queries, the chatbot can also review chat histories to see which products have already been recommended. 

As a further advantage, AI-driven customer profiles get better with time. The more data the chatbots collect, the more information it has when comparing future interactions and outcomes. Chatbots can predict which products a customer will purchase based on past profile data.

Successful sales hinge on timing. Sales teams need to be able to strike while interest is high. For companies that rely on bookings and appointments, chatbots can help secure these on the spot.

Customers can immediately and seamlessly schedule a reservation or appointment with little to no friction. The chatbot collects some information upfront and does the heavy lifting for the customer, ensuring they won’t need to search elsewhere for their needs. 

This automated process can be useful for webinars, restaurant reservations, spa bookings, hotels, and any type of service appointment.

The Meltwater Blog

Media In The UAE: UAE Media Landscape Guide

The 10 Biggest Swedish Influencers: Find Influencers in Sweden

How to Use Chatbots to Improve Your Sales

Top South African Fitness & Sports Influencers

What Is Customer Intelligence? Definition and Examples

How to Write SEO Optimized Content

What Is Customer Intelligence Analytics? Benefits & Examples

Ultimate Guide to Market Segmentation & Personas

Discovery Explainer - Surfacing Insights with AI

Consumer Intelligence: Definition & Examples

The Fundamentals of Deep Learning

The UK Media Landscape: Media Companies, News Outlets, Ownerships