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How to use bots in your chat platform

With so many applications that can work together, it’s easier than ever to connect your programs to a single chat platform. Now you can share files, talk across chat platforms, schedule meetings and more, without having to leave your choice of chat. New versions of these integrations, called bots, are being made every day, allowing you to do more with every chat. Plus, if you can’t find the right one, we’ll show you how to create a bot that can work on your platform.

 


Here are a few of our favorite uses for chat bots. Many of these can be used with an array of different chat platforms, and across programs. And, if you’re just getting started on chat platforms, we’ll discuss some important steps to take when getting started, whether with existing software or if you’re learning how to create a bot.

Chat across channels

Let’s say your team is on one chat platform, but your clients are using a different one. Previously, it would be almost impossible to keep everyone on the same page, and chats would be inevitably missed or lost as you jumped between programs. But now, you don’t have to ever leave your choice of chat.

 

Cross-channel chat bots allow you to keep all of your different programs running on the platform of your choice. These platform-agnostic channels give you all the functionality of the individual platforms too. So you can easily share files, gifs, and emojis. Plus, your channels and thread organization can cross over too, so you won’t accidentally send something to a client that should have stayed with your internal team.

Find a contact without the frustration

Tracking down a coworker, whole team, or even someone who’s mentioned a project doesn’t have to be frustrating. With the right bot you can search across your entire organization for exactly who you want to chat with. Depending on the bot you choose, you can even get the added functionality of recording background information on your coworkers, including how they like to be contacted, what team they’re on, and which projects you are both working on together.

Instantly jump into a meeting

With so many different video conference platforms out there, it can be difficult to juggle which client is using which service. But there is an array of bots that will integrate directly with your chat platform so you don’t even have to leave the software to get to your meeting on time. Many of these bots even allow you to easily set up a video chat, share a meeting invite, and even allow for a text chat channel tied directly to your meeting.


Manage your team’s time


Keeping everyone on the right workflow, and keeping it updated, can be a pain. Using a spreadsheet with group access or, even worse an email thread, aren’t cutting edge anymore, and can cause more headaches than necessary. The right bot can take all of that pain away by integrating your team’s time tracking, managing recurring meetings, and making it simple to sync across time zones. So, no matter where your team is around the globe, you can make sure that they’re working on the right projects at the right time.

Learn how to create a bot

While there are plenty of bots out there already, if you have your own, specific team needs, you can set up a bot to handle it. And, if you use the right toolset, you won’t have to be a professional developer to make your bot work for you.

The first step when you’re planning out how to create a bot is landing on what you want it to do. Making a simple user flow will give you a great high-level view of what you want to achieve. A user flow doesn’t have to be any more complicated than you want it to be; it’s just a document that lays out the steps you want someone using your bot to go through to have your desired outcome.

Once you have your plan of how to create a bot together, you can start building. Many chat platforms out there have what are called “low-code” development platforms. These let you create your app from scratch, but without having to fully understand the code running in the background. With many of these platforms you’ll choose from a series of steps, which will corelate to what you have in your user flow. You can then use a visual builder to literally put those steps together and connect each one together. It’s kind of like you’re building a maze; you choose the twists and turns, and the person using your software makes the choices to end up where you want them to be.

Once you’ve built your bot, it’s a good idea to test it thoroughly before you publish it. Many chat platforms let you do a dry run with your own chat software to make sure that you have all of the kinks out. After you have your bot up and running, you can publish it to yourself, your team or organization, or the whole world!

Of course there are a few more steps in the mix, but chat platforms have extensive information about what you need to do to Create your first bot.

Get started with bots

One of the best ways to find out what bot fits your needs is to download one, install it on your chat software, and test it out for a few days. Many platforms, like Microsoft Teams, have thorough documentation about how you can Add a bot.

Once you’ve added the extension to your choice of platform, give yourself a set period of time to test it out. If it’s something you’ll use a lot, a week can be the perfect amount of time to understand if it’s going to fit you and your organization’s needs. By that point you should have a good understanding of how it works, what parts don’t work perfectly, and which parts of the bot you really love. Should a certain bot not make the cut, you can use those three factors to find another software solution.

Whether you create your own bot, or use one of the many that are out there, these software solutions can help you be more efficient and effective on any chat platform. So download your first bot today and turn yourself into a productivity machine!
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