1、01 Build Your Best Playbook02 Build Your Best PlaybookTABLE OF CONTENTSABOUT THIS BOOKWHAT IS A DRIFT PLAYBOOK?THE ANATOMY OF A PLAYBOOK STEP 1:HOOK YOUR SITE VISITORSTEP 2:GUIDE THE VISITOR DOWN THEIR PREFERRED PATH STEP 3:CAPTURE THE VISITORS EMAILSTEP 4:QUALIFY YOUR SITE VISITORS0304 06 071617220

2、3 Build Your Best PlaybookABOUT THIS BOOKWhen it comes to adopting a conversational website strategy,no two approaches are quite the same.But like any human interaction,certain approaches work better than others.To determine what those best practices are,we analyzed the top 20 Drift playbooks for en

3、gagement,email capture,and meetings booked across all of our customers from the past year.Below,youll find benchmark data for what“good”website conversations look like and get the strategies you need to turn more of your site visitors into loyal fans of your brand.04 Build Your Best PlaybookWHAT IS

4、A DRIFT PLAYBOOK?Before we get into the data,lets take a moment to level set about what a Drift playbook is.Playbooks are the backbone of digital conversations.They are the automated message workflows and campaigns that proactively reach out to your site visitors and connect leads to your team.When

5、you have a conversation on a website,you are interacting with a playbook.While traditionally,humans would build all of the components that go into a playbook taking educated guesses about what site visitors may want to do next and building a flow that catered to them now,playbooks can be powered by

6、AI.This allows for more dynamic conversations that automatically meet the buyer where they are based on their buying stage and previous website activity.While the end goal of every playbook will differ based on the web page(e.g.resource page vs.pricing page),targeting conditions(e.g.paid ad traffic

7、vs.organic traffic),and audience(e.g.job title,company size,buying stage),the overall mission of a playbook remains the same:to qualify your site traffic,get each site visitor the information they need in the method they prefer,and make your marketing and sales teams jobs easier by shortening the sa

8、les cycle.05 Build Your Best PlaybookEXAMPLES OF DRIFT PLAYBOOKSNote:In order to maintain consistency across our tips for this book,we specifically looked at our top-performing bot playbooks.Bot playbooks are the most common type of Drift playbook.1.BIONIC CHATBOTS2.FASTLANE3.SERVICE06 Build Your Be

9、st PlaybookTHE ANATOMY OF A PLAYBOOKEvery Drift playbook is created from the same key components:1.Hook:The opening message of your playbook.Its the first greeting a site visitor sees when they arrive on your website.While the hook refers to the overall message,it can be made up of multiple componen

10、ts,known as blocks.2.Responses:These are the various ways a site visitor can communicate with your bot.They can take the form of a button response or an open-text response.3.Paths:This is how you move your website visitor towards the ideal next step based on their response to your bots message.4.Ski

11、ll:This is an action the bot takes based on the response your site visitor gives.Examples include email capture,phone capture,book a meeting,help doc look-up,or support ticket creation.5.Flow:This refers to the order in which your playbook serves up different questions or skills.When combined in the

12、 right way,these components come together to create a comprehensive and individualized website experience that gives your site visitors a rush of dopamine and keeps them coming back for more.Now,lets build a playbook using the step-by-step approach taken by our top customers07Build Your Best Playboo

13、kSTEP 1:HOOK YOUR SITE VISITORLets think back to the caf analogy:Its unlikely that youd ever become a regular at a place where the barista failed to acknowledge you by name or remember that youre lactose intolerant.The same can be said for your website.All of your site visitors come to your website

14、for a reason,and the best way to prove that youre paying attention to them is to show them that youre there to help.If you dont,you increase the chances of them walking away potentially down the street to your competitor.Thats why a good bot hook is so important to your playbook strategy.HOW DO YOU

15、KNOW IF YOUR BOT HOOK IS“GOOD”?We measure bot hook engagement by its conversation rate.This percentage is calculated by dividing the number of people who start a conversation with a bot by the total number of people who see the bot.Generally,a good conversation rate is around 3%.08 Build Your Best P

16、laybookTHE ANATOMY OF A DRIFT HOOKAs we mentioned earlier,your hook can consist of one component or multiple.We call these components blocks.Whether you have one or multiple will largely depend on the goal of your bot.Single block hooks are best used when there is clear intent from the site visitor.

17、Think of use cases like a customer asking a support question or registering for an event.These hooks are less conversational,and more to-the-point.If youre using a DriftLink,youre likely building a single block hook.Multi-purpose hooks are best used for broader audiences people you may not know much

18、 about yet.These are best served on your high traffic pages,like your home page,where you have a lot of site visitors coming for different reasons.09 Build Your Best PlaybookOf the top-performing playbooks,these are the seven blocks that are most commonly used:1.Greeting:Welcome visitors to your web

19、page.Note:90%of the top-performing bot hooks include a greeting.2.Offer Help:Let site visitors know that they can ask the bot a question.Note:This hook would not include button responses but instead use open-text responses.It is best used with our Conversational AI solution.Hi there!How can we help

20、you?How can I help you?Hey there!10 Build Your Best Playbook3.Explain Purpose:Communicate the purpose of the playbook to your site visitors and guide them towards your preferred next step for them(e.g.book a meeting,get support,etc.).4.Present Options:Introduce the button options that will follow in

21、 the chat flow.This block is helpful in providing context to the buttons as well as for introducing multiple-choice options.5.Ask Intent:Understand why someone is visiting your website.Offer them the chance to correct your assumptions.Note:This block always appears in the form of a question.6.Confir

22、m Intent:Ensure that you understand the intent behind your site visitors visit.Note:This block always appears in the form of a statement.Its commonly followed up with an Offer Help or Present Options block.7.Introduce Persona:Create a more human-like experience for your site visitor by giving your b

23、ot a personality and introducing it to the visitor.Our experts are here to help!What are you looking for?Im Sally the dogbotWhich option best describes your request?Looks like you may be having trouble signing in.11Build Your Best PlaybookBUTTONSButton responses are what site visitors use to answer

24、the blocks.These could be simple“yes”and“no”buttons or multiple-choice options that guide the site visitor towards another action(e.g.booking a meeting,visiting another page,being routed to support,etc.).The best hooks often include 2-4 response options just enough to cover your bases,but not so muc

25、h that it causes decision paralysis!PATHSThe button a site visitor clicks will guide them down a certain path.This path determines what the next action will be for the site visitor.Because buttons and paths go hand in hand,we recommend sticking to 2-4 paths per hook.12Build Your Best PlaybookHOW TO

26、BUILD A BOT HOOKNow that you understand all of the pieces that go into a hook,lets take a closer look at how you build one.OPTION 1:SINGLE BLOCK HOOKBuilding a single block hook is simple because it only requires one block.Since these hooks are used when theres one clear goal in mind,we recommend bu

27、ilding your hook with the Ask Intent or Explain Purpose blocks.Both types of blocks assume why the site visitor is on the web page and lets them know how the bot can help them find what theyre looking for.Which block you choose largely depends on your preferred tone of voice.Its important to always

28、remember to match your bot hooks to your overall brand voice.Here are some examples:ASK INTENT Need help with _?What are you here for?Want to know more about _?Have questions about _?Do you have a question about _?Interested in _?EXPLAIN PURPOSE Im here to help you _.Our experts are here to help!I c

29、an help get you in touch with a sales expert.Were here to help.Chat with us.Even when using a single block hook,you should aim to have 2-4 button responses.This will allow the visitor to confirm the assumed intent or tell the bot that theyre looking for something else.13Build Your Best PlaybookOPTIO

30、N 2:MULTI-PURPOSE HOOKMulti-purpose hooks allow you to get a bit more creative with your bot builds.Think about your own interactions with people.For example,when you walk into a caf,how do the baristas greet you?Consider what about those interactions keep you engaging again and again,and incorporat

31、e those elements into your conversational website strategy.Some common combinations we see in our customers best performing playbooks are:Greeting Ask Intent Greeting Ask Intent Explain Purpose Greeting Confirm Intent Offer Help Greeting Confirm Intent Present OptionsThanks for stopping by!Have any

32、questions about company name?Thanks for stopping by!Have any questions about company name?I can get you in touch with a sales expert.Hi!I see youre researching company product.Would you like to schedule a meeting with one of our experts?Hi!I see your researching company product.Anything I can help w

33、ith?14Build Your Best Playbook Greeting Explain Purpose Greeting Explain Purpose Ask Intent Greeting Explain Purpose Offer Help Greeting Explain Purpose Present Options Greeting Introduce Persona Explain Purpose Ask Intent Offer Help Hey there Were here to help.Hey there Were here to help.Want to kn

34、ow more about company solution?Hey there Were here to help.Can I point you in the right direction?Hey there Were here to help.Which of these options are you most interested in?Well,howdy there!Im Jesse the Cowbot.Here to be your personal website navigator.What brings you to the site today?Anything I

35、 can help you find?15Build Your Best Playbook Greeting Introduce Persona Offer Help Greeting Offer Help Youll notice that all of these examples include a greeting.We highly recommend including greetings in your hooks as a way to put some humanness into an otherwise digital experience.And,just like w

36、ith the single block hooks,we recommend following up each of these hooks with 2-4 button responses for the site visitor to choose from.Well,howdy there!Im Jesse the Cowbot.Anything I can help you find?Welcome to company name!What can I help you with?LAST NOTE:Whether youre building a single block ho

37、ok or a multi-purpose hook,the one thing you always want to keep in mind is your site visitor.Consider why the prospect may be visiting your page,what brought them there,and what they may be looking to do next which leads us to the next step.Want to take this chapter to go?Download it here.16Build Y

38、our Best PlaybookSTEP 2:GUIDE THE VISITOR DOWN THEIR PREFERRED PATHNow that youve got the attention of your site visitor,you want to make sure youre delivering on your promise that is,helping them get what they need.To do that,you need to build separate paths that lead to different outcomes.The path

39、s and skills that follow your hook will largely depend on the main goal you hope to achieve with your playbook.Thats why its essential that you set that goal before you even begin building your playbook.Some examples of such goals are booking a meeting,signing up for a webinar,or self-serving suppor

40、t via a help doc.Your“happy path”will be the one that brings your visitor towards that ideal goal.You should first choose a button response that guides your visitor down that ideal path and then include 1-3 additional paths in case they have different needs.For example,if the visitor isnt ready to b

41、ook a meeting,you might want to take them down a path that allows them to get more information on a specific product,submit feedback,or start a free trial.Remember that,even when youre using a playbook,youre still having a conversation with a human.So,once you build your path,read the button respons

42、es out loud and make sure that they are things you would actually say if you were having that conversation in person.PRO TIP:Button responses are a little like putting words into peoples mouths,so make sure that the tone of your button matches the tone of the overall path.For example,you wouldnt wan

43、t to say,“Sounds great!”in response to the bot saying,“Were sorry youre experiencing an issue.Can I route you to an expert who can help?”17Build Your Best PlaybookSTEP 3:CAPTURE THE VISITORS EMAILAt some point in your chat conversation,youll likely want to gather a bit more information on your site

44、visitor in order to gain a better understanding of exactly who is visiting your website.An email address is the minimum amount of personal information Drift needs to register the site visitor as a contact and personalize their buying journey accordingly.Unfortunately,not all site visitors will be ru

45、shing to give you that information.For this reason,its essential that you place your email capture skill in a place that makes it clear what value the site visitor will receive in exchange for their email address.HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR EMAIL CAPTURE RATE IS“GOOD?”A playbooks email capture rate is c

46、alculated by dividing the number of people who submit a valid email address by the total number of people who are asked to submit an email address.We consider a good email capture rate for bot playbooks to be between 35%and 45%.18Build Your Best PlaybookHOW TO CRAFT A TOP-PERFORMING EMAIL CAPTUREThe

47、 success of your email capture skill comes down to timing and tone.1.TIMING:WHEN SHOULD YOU POP THE QUESTION?When it comes to asking“the question,”first think about how the question shows up within the broader context of your bot conversation.Consider the overall goal of the conversation and what yo

48、u hope to achieve by getting the site visitors email.For instance,if capturing the email is necessary for a site visitor to download a piece of content,then you shouldnt hesitate to ask for it upfront.On the other hand,if the email is more of a nice-to-have,then its best to wait until later on in th

49、e bot flow to ask for it.You might do this,for example,if you want to ask a higher priority question that will help you better serve the visitors needs or if you want to build more rapport with them first.19Build Your Best PlaybookNo matter what the goal of your bot is,remember that every chat conve

50、rsation requires a bit of give-and-take.A barista doesnt ask you to sign up for their loyalty rewards program before you place your order because they know that if they did,youd walk right back out the door.Instead,they wait until after theyve given you what you asked for.Similarly,you want to make

51、sure youve already given something to your site visitor that incentivizes them to make the trade.Of the top-performing playbooks for email capture from the past year,70%asked for an email either right after the hook or at the very beginning of the qualifying flow(i.e.the flow of questions that help

52、determine how qualified a site visitor is for your business).2.TONE:HOW SHOULD YOU ASK THE QUESTION?“Its not what you say,its how you say it.”Those are the words you want to live by as you plan out your email capture message.When asking for your site visitors personal information,make sure to think

53、about how the recipient will perceive the question.Ideally,you want to ask the question in a way that builds on your relationship with the site visitor,instead of breaking it down.Consider these two questions when crafting your bot copy:20 Build Your Best Playbook1.Why do you need their email addres

54、s?Dont be cagey about why youre asking the site visitor for their email address.Building trust is key if you want to get the visitor to share their email with you,so be transparent about why youre asking for it.Will the email help you find their account faster?Connect them to the right sales rep for

55、 a more productive conversation?Stay connected in case of a disconnection?Let them know by adding that context to your question!2.What type of email address do you need?At this point in the conversation,specificity is key.Do you need a business email,or will any email address do?By being clear in yo

56、ur request upfront,you can diminish the need for back-and-forth later on.PRO TIP:We recommend including two email capture requests within your qualifying flow.This ensures that youre getting the email that will be most helpful for understanding your site visitors while also weeding out any spam emai

57、l addresses that may have been submitted.21Build Your Best PlaybookEMAIL CAPTURE EXAMPLESOnce youve considered timing and tone,youre ready to draft your email capture copy.As always,remember to keep your overall brand voice in mind when writing your message.Here are some examples from our customers

58、top-performing playbooks to get you started:Before we start,what is your business email?Could you please provide the email address for your account?What is the best email address to contact you at?In case we get disconnected,is there an email address we can reach you at?Just one last thing.We need y

59、our email address to send you details about the program Great!To send you some information about how we work with organizations,what is your email address?Want to take this chapter to go?Download it here.22Build Your Best PlaybookSTEP 4:QUALIFY YOUR SITE VISITORSHOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR QUALIFYING FL

60、OW IS GOOD?As we mentioned with the email capture skill,the order in which you ask for and offer things to your website visitors matters.If you ask your site visitor for a meeting before understanding who they are and what theyre looking for,chances are that the meeting wont happen and will be unpro

61、ductive even if it does.This leads to a frustrating experience for both you and the buyer.So,how do you make sure that youre not jumping the gun in your conversations?It all comes down to your qualifying flow.This is the part of your bot conversation where you determine how strong of a fit your site

62、 visitors are for your business.By taking the time to consider which questions you need to ask to best understand who your site visitor is and what theyre looking for,you can build a bot flow that guides your site visitor to the right resource for them be it a human or self-serve content.With the ri

63、ght qualifying flow in place,your buyers will want to spend more time with your brand instead of looking for another option.PRO TIP:With the help of AI,Drift can remember these qualifying flows so that your site visitors dont have to go through the same one every time they come back to your website.

64、Its our way of making them feel like a regularA successful qualifying flow gathers all of the basic information about your buyer before a human-to-human meeting takes place.When crafted in the right way,your qualifying flow will make conversations more productive right off the bat.Not to mention tha

65、t it will also deflect unwanted site traffic away from your sales reps,23 Build Your Best Playbookwhich helps ensure that your reps are only talking to the people who are most likely to buy.While the quality of your qualifying flow will be measured differently based on your playbooks end goal,for th

66、e sake of this guide,we determined a qualifying flows success by the rate of meetings booked through the bot conversation.You can calculate this meetings booked rate by dividing the number of people who opt to book a meeting by the total number of site visitors invited to schedule one.Weve determine

67、d a good meetings booked rate to be around 11%.THE RIGHT WAY TO ORDER YOUR QUALIFYING FLOWCrafting a successful qualifying flow comes down to finding the right balance of questions enough to get you the information you need but not too many that you exhaust your site visitor and risk them leaving th

68、e conversation altogether.Weve found that the best qualifying flows are limited to 3-5 qualifying questions.And,unless there are any additional,non-critical questions you want answered,asking for a meeting should always be last on that list.24 Build Your Best PlaybookWhen thinking about what questio

69、ns to ask,consider what information is the most important for you to know in order to qualify your site visitor,and leave all the other questions to your sales team.Of the top-performing playbooks,these are the four qualifying questions that most commonly preceded the meeting question:1.Phone captur

70、e(90%)What is your phone number?2.Email capture(85%)What is the best email address to contact you at?3.Product specific(40%)Which of our features interests you the most?4.First Name/Last Name/Full Name(30%)Can I get your full name?25 Build Your Best PlaybookPRO TIP:Just like when placing your email

71、capture,remember that,when building your qualifying flow,every conversation requires a bit of give-and-take.So,make sure that,before you even start your qualifying flow,youve already given the site visitor an incentive to answer your questions.This could be something like delivering a piece of conte

72、nt,providing support,or answering basic product questions.Want to take this chapter to go?Download it here.26 Build Your Best PlaybookPLAYBOOK COMPLETECongratulations!By following these four steps,youve successfully built a basic,high-performing Drift playbook.But,the work of a playbook pro is never

73、 done.Even after your playbook goes live,make sure that you are continuously checking your chat data report and leveraging A/B testing to monitor your playbook performance and optimize for more conversions.By following all of these steps to a tee,you will be able to deliver the right experience to e

74、very buyer,every time and youll have your own group of regulars in no time.GO BEYOND THE PLAYBOOKSWhile this book covers data-backed playbook best practices,we also tapped some Drift power users to speak to their favorite conversational website plays plays that go beyond the playbooks.Check out the recordings to get more insight into how you can create a comprehensive conversational website experience that builds trust and revenue for your Listen to the ExpertsBook a Demo