MARKETING
18 of the Best AI Chatbots for 2023
Table of Contents
Whether on Facebook Messenger, their website, or even text messaging, more and more brands are leveraging chatbots to service their customers, market their brands, and even sell their products.
But, the if/then logic that powers many chatbots’ conversational abilities limits them from answering unique and new questions, which can hang your customer out to dry and leave them dissatisfied with your customer service.
Fortunately, the next advancement in chatbot technology that can solve this problem is gaining steam — AI-powered chatbots. In this post, we’ll discuss what AI chatbots are and how they work and outline of the best AI chatbots to know about.
What is an AI chatbot?
An AI chatbot is a program within a website or app that uses machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to interpret inputs and understand the intent behind a request. Chatbots can be rule-based with simple use cases or more advanced and handle multiple conversations.
The rise of language models like GPT and LaMDA (the podcast below discusses how they work) has made way for conversational AI chatbots with advanced capabilities that can mimic a human conversation style, find information online, and produce unique content.
Click here to listen to the full episode
The most important thing to know about an AI chatbot is that it combines ML and NLU to understand what people need and bring the best solutions. Some AI chatbots are better for personal use, like conducting research, and others are best for business use, like featuring a chatbot on your website.
With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best AI chatbots for 2023. Read on to find the right one for you.
1. ChatSpot
Price: In Alpha for HubSpot users
ChatSpot is HubSpot’s new conversational CRM bot.
Key Features
- Chat-based commands help sales, marketing, and service professionals maximize productivity
- Draft follow-up emails, compile analytics reports, or even prospect
- Connects to HubSpot software and leverages your existing data
2. ChatGPT
Price: Free; ChatGPT Plus $20/month
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s conversational chatbot powered by GPT-4.
Key Features
- Uses natural language processing to understand the context of conversations to provide related and original responses in a human-like conversation
- Multiple use cases for things like answering simple questions, ideating and getting inspiration, or generating new content (like a marketing email)
- Improves over time as it has more conversations.
3. Bing Chat
Price: Free (requires Microsoft Edge)
Microsoft describes Bing Chat as an AI-powered co-pilot.
Key Features
- Uses NLP and machine learning to understand conversation prompts
- The compose feature can generate original written content and images, and its powerful search engine capabilities can surface answers from the web
- It’s a conversational tool, so you can continue sending messages until you’re satisfied
4. Bard
Price: Free
Google’s Bard is a multi-use AI chatbot.
Key Features
- Powered by Google’s LaMDA (instead of GPT)
- Use it for things like brainstorming and ideation, drafting unique and original content, or getting answers to your questions
- Connected to Google’s website index so it can access information from the internet
Note: The four chatbots mentioned above are conversational and generative bots best suited for internal business use for things like ideating, producing content, and getting answers to your queries. Below we’ll go over AI chatbots that are customer-facing.
5. Kommunicate
Price: Start : $40 /mo; Grow: $100 /mo; Business: Custom Pricing
Kommunicate is a human + Chatbot hybrid platform
Key Features
- Conversational AI and NLP capabilities, which allow businesses to automate aspects of customer support, such as answering frequently asked questions or routing customers to the right support agent.
- Offers a range of integration options, allowing businesses to seamlessly incorporate it into their existing workflows.
- provides advanced analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to track and analyze customer interactions and support metrics.
Kommunicate is a platform for real-time, proactive, and personalized support for growing businesses. It helps to engage with their customers across omnichannel channels.
6. HubSpot Chatbot Builder
Free Chatbot Builder Software
HubSpot has a powerful and easy-to-use chatbot builder that allows you to automate and scale live chat conversations.
Key Features
- Customers can get answers to frequently asked questions, book meetings, and navigate through your site.
- Conversations are stored in your CRM so you can qualify leads and trigger automation flows.
- Easy integration across your marketing, sales, and service tools because HubSpot is a CRM platform.
Keep in mind that HubSpot’s chat builder software doesn’t quite fall under the “AI chatbot” category of “AI chatbot” because it uses a rule-based system. However, HubSpot does have code snippets, allowing you to leverage the powerful AI of third-party NLP-driven bots such as Dialogflow.
7. Intercom
Price: Starts at $74/mo
Intercom’s rule-based chatbot lets you create segmented custom messages to share with audiences based on visitor behavior.
Key Features
- It uses machine learning and behavioral data to respond to site visitors and provide a personalized experience.
- Use your business data to train the bot to carry out tasks and provide answers relevant to your business.
- Code-free builder to easily create a custom branded bot and leverage 250 out-of-the-box integrations.
8. Watson Assistant
Price: Free – $140/month
IBM Watson Assistant is an AI-powered conversational bot that gives you impressive recommendations for further training so it gets better at its job.
Key Features
- NLP and machine learning to gather context.
- Train it with industry and business-specific data so it gives chatters business-relevant information.
- It can run on your website, messaging channels, customer service tools, and mobile app, and you can quickly get started with the low-code builder.
9. Drift
Price: Contact for pricing
Drift is an automation-powered conversational bot to help you communicate with site visitors based on their behavior.
Key Features
- Rule-based and AI chatbot with a classifier that categorizes conversations by context for more meaningful conversations.
- Can handle context switching if the conversation flow or subject changes.
- Customizable chat widget for mobile and desktop with helpful out-of-the-box integrations.
10. Infobip
Price: Contact for pricing
Infobip’s chatbot building platform helps you design your ideal conversation flow with a drag-and-drop builder.
Key Features
- AI and machine learning help you train your chatbot.
- Rule and intent-based bots that understand the context of and replicate a conversational experience.
- Omnichannel usability for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Etc.
11. Botsify
Price: Starts at $49/month
Botsify is an easy-to-use chatbot builder with multilingual capabilities.
Key Features
- AI and ML-powered self-learning chatbot.
- Use chatbot forms to gather visitor information for further nurturing.
- Create a chatbot across six services (website, messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, WordPress, and SMS).
12. Appy Pie Chatbot
Price: Starts at $6/per bot per month
Appy Pie Chatbot helps you design a wide range of conversational chatbots with a no-code builder.
Key Features
- GPT-3 powered intuitive chatbot with contextual understanding.
- Leverages your business data to give accurate results to queries.
- Deploy a chatbot on your website or mobile app.
13. Bold360
Bold360 helps brands build omnichannel chatbots to deliver business-related answers.
Key Features
- NLP technology interprets complex language, remembers context, and generates natural responses.
- Chatbot maintains your brand personality and uses your business information to have quality and relevant information.
- Live agent chat routing for conversions that need a human touch.
14. Zendesk Answer Bot
Price: $49/per agent per month
Zendesk Answer Bot integrates with your knowledge base and leverages data to have quality, omnichannel conversations.
Key Features
- Use Flow Builder to create custom AI-powered conversation flows.
- Deep learning capabilities to contextualize conversations and understand intent.
- Escalation to live agents who get insights and suggestions from AI to bring quick solutions.
15. Salesforce Einstein
Price: Available through cloud products
Salesforce Einstein is a conversational bot that natively integrates with all Salesforce products.
Key Features
- Powered by predictive intelligence and machine learning.
- Builds contextual understanding and leverages existing Salesforce data to surface the best responses.
- Routing to human agents for more pressing conversations.
16. LivePerson
Price: Contact for pricing
LivePerson’s AI chatbot is built on 20+ years of messaging transcripts.
Key Features
- The intent manager leverages data to understand the context of conversations.
- Create automated conversation flows across different messaging channels (website, mobile app, Apple Business Chat, etc.)
- Point and click builder to quickly and seamlessly create your bot.
17. Inbenta
Price: Contact for pricing
Inbenta’s chatbot uses a lexicon and semantic search engine to power conversations.
Key Features
- Its chatbot leverages machine learning and Inbenta’s own NLP engine to detect the context of conversations.
- Use the dialog manager to craft custom conversation paths.
- Escalate conversations to live support agents across multiple channels (your website, Slack, etc.)
18. Ada
Price: Contact for pricing
Ada is an automated AI chatbot with support for 50+ languages on key channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, and WeChat.
Key Features
- Uses pre-trained machine learning models that you can refine to meet your business needs.
- Intent detection understands context and uses profiles and metadata to personalize conversations.
- Connected to your business’ crucial data to bring appropriate solutions.
Want to learn more about artificial intelligence? Check out this learning path.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
MARKETING
YouTube Ad Specs, Sizes, and Examples [2024 Update]
Introduction
With billions of users each month, YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine and top website for video content. This makes it a great place for advertising. To succeed, advertisers need to follow the correct YouTube ad specifications. These rules help your ad reach more viewers, increasing the chance of gaining new customers and boosting brand awareness.
Types of YouTube Ads
Video Ads
- Description: These play before, during, or after a YouTube video on computers or mobile devices.
- Types:
- In-stream ads: Can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Bumper ads: Non-skippable, short ads that play before, during, or after a video.
Display Ads
- Description: These appear in different spots on YouTube and usually use text or static images.
- Note: YouTube does not support display image ads directly on its app, but these can be targeted to YouTube.com through Google Display Network (GDN).
Companion Banners
- Description: Appears to the right of the YouTube player on desktop.
- Requirement: Must be purchased alongside In-stream ads, Bumper ads, or In-feed ads.
In-feed Ads
- Description: Resemble videos with images, headlines, and text. They link to a public or unlisted YouTube video.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that play outside of YouTube, on websites and apps within the Google video partner network.
Masthead Ads
- Description: Premium, high-visibility banner ads displayed at the top of the YouTube homepage for both desktop and mobile users.
YouTube Ad Specs by Type
Skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Placement: Before, during, or after a YouTube video.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Action: 15-20 seconds
Non-skippable In-stream Video Ads
- Description: Must be watched completely before the main video.
- Length: 15 seconds (or 20 seconds in certain markets).
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Vertical: 9:16
- Square: 1:1
Bumper Ads
- Length: Maximum 6 seconds.
- File Format: MP4, Quicktime, AVI, ASF, Windows Media, or MPEG.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 640 x 360px
- Vertical: 480 x 360px
In-feed Ads
- Description: Show alongside YouTube content, like search results or the Home feed.
- Resolution:
- Horizontal: 1920 x 1080px
- Vertical: 1080 x 1920px
- Square: 1080 x 1080px
- Aspect Ratio:
- Horizontal: 16:9
- Square: 1:1
- Length:
- Awareness: 15-20 seconds
- Consideration: 2-3 minutes
- Headline/Description:
- Headline: Up to 2 lines, 40 characters per line
- Description: Up to 2 lines, 35 characters per line
Display Ads
- Description: Static images or animated media that appear on YouTube next to video suggestions, in search results, or on the homepage.
- Image Size: 300×60 pixels.
- File Type: GIF, JPG, PNG.
- File Size: Max 150KB.
- Max Animation Length: 30 seconds.
Outstream Ads
- Description: Mobile-only video ads that appear on websites and apps within the Google video partner network, not on YouTube itself.
- Logo Specs:
- Square: 1:1 (200 x 200px).
- File Type: JPG, GIF, PNG.
- Max Size: 200KB.
Masthead Ads
- Description: High-visibility ads at the top of the YouTube homepage.
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- File Type: JPG or PNG (without transparency).
Conclusion
YouTube offers a variety of ad formats to reach audiences effectively in 2024. Whether you want to build brand awareness, drive conversions, or target specific demographics, YouTube provides a dynamic platform for your advertising needs. Always follow Google’s advertising policies and the technical ad specs to ensure your ads perform their best. Ready to start using YouTube ads? Contact us today to get started!
MARKETING
Why We Are Always ‘Clicking to Buy’, According to Psychologists
Amazon pillows.
MARKETING
A deeper dive into data, personalization and Copilots
Salesforce launched a collection of new, generative AI-related products at Connections in Chicago this week. They included new Einstein Copilots for marketers and merchants and Einstein Personalization.
To better understand, not only the potential impact of the new products, but the evolving Salesforce architecture, we sat down with Bobby Jania, CMO, Marketing Cloud.
Dig deeper: Salesforce piles on the Einstein Copilots
Salesforce’s evolving architecture
It’s hard to deny that Salesforce likes coming up with new names for platforms and products (what happened to Customer 360?) and this can sometimes make the observer wonder if something is brand new, or old but with a brand new name. In particular, what exactly is Einstein 1 and how is it related to Salesforce Data Cloud?
“Data Cloud is built on the Einstein 1 platform,” Jania explained. “The Einstein 1 platform is our entire Salesforce platform and that includes products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud — that it includes the original idea of Salesforce not just being in the cloud, but being multi-tenancy.”
Data Cloud — not an acquisition, of course — was built natively on that platform. It was the first product built on Hyperforce, Salesforce’s new cloud infrastructure architecture. “Since Data Cloud was on what we now call the Einstein 1 platform from Day One, it has always natively connected to, and been able to read anything in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud [and so on]. On top of that, we can now bring in, not only structured but unstructured data.”
That’s a significant progression from the position, several years ago, when Salesforce had stitched together a platform around various acquisitions (ExactTarget, for example) that didn’t necessarily talk to each other.
“At times, what we would do is have a kind of behind-the-scenes flow where data from one product could be moved into another product,” said Jania, “but in many of those cases the data would then be in both, whereas now the data is in Data Cloud. Tableau will run natively off Data Cloud; Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud — they’re all going to the same operational customer profile.” They’re not copying the data from Data Cloud, Jania confirmed.
Another thing to know is tit’s possible for Salesforce customers to import their own datasets into Data Cloud. “We wanted to create a federated data model,” said Jania. “If you’re using Snowflake, for example, we more or less virtually sit on your data lake. The value we add is that we will look at all your data and help you form these operational customer profiles.”
Let’s learn more about Einstein Copilot
“Copilot means that I have an assistant with me in the tool where I need to be working that contextually knows what I am trying to do and helps me at every step of the process,” Jania said.
For marketers, this might begin with a campaign brief developed with Copilot’s assistance, the identification of an audience based on the brief, and then the development of email or other content. “What’s really cool is the idea of Einstein Studio where our customers will create actions [for Copilot] that we hadn’t even thought about.”
Here’s a key insight (back to nomenclature). We reported on Copilot for markets, Copilot for merchants, Copilot for shoppers. It turns out, however, that there is just one Copilot, Einstein Copilot, and these are use cases. “There’s just one Copilot, we just add these for a little clarity; we’re going to talk about marketing use cases, about shoppers’ use cases. These are actions for the marketing use cases we built out of the box; you can build your own.”
It’s surely going to take a little time for marketers to learn to work easily with Copilot. “There’s always time for adoption,” Jania agreed. “What is directly connected with this is, this is my ninth Connections and this one has the most hands-on training that I’ve seen since 2014 — and a lot of that is getting people using Data Cloud, using these tools rather than just being given a demo.”
What’s new about Einstein Personalization
Salesforce Einstein has been around since 2016 and many of the use cases seem to have involved personalization in various forms. What’s new?
“Einstein Personalization is a real-time decision engine and it’s going to choose next-best-action, next-best-offer. What is new is that it’s a service now that runs natively on top of Data Cloud.” A lot of real-time decision engines need their own set of data that might actually be a subset of data. “Einstein Personalization is going to look holistically at a customer and recommend a next-best-action that could be natively surfaced in Service Cloud, Sales Cloud or Marketing Cloud.”
Finally, trust
One feature of the presentations at Connections was the reassurance that, although public LLMs like ChatGPT could be selected for application to customer data, none of that data would be retained by the LLMs. Is this just a matter of written agreements? No, not just that, said Jania.
“In the Einstein Trust Layer, all of the data, when it connects to an LLM, runs through our gateway. If there was a prompt that had personally identifiable information — a credit card number, an email address — at a mimum, all that is stripped out. The LLMs do not store the output; we store the output for auditing back in Salesforce. Any output that comes back through our gateway is logged in our system; it runs through a toxicity model; and only at the end do we put PII data back into the answer. There are real pieces beyond a handshake that this data is safe.”
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