My name is Yvonne, and I run several businesses, including two travel blogs. After dealing with the ups and downs of Google’s algorithm, I realized that building a community is essential. I decided I needed to get closer to my audience, but I was already overwhelmed with tasks and didn’t have time to respond to everyone on my socials.
That’s when I discovered Manychat. While I mainly use it for Instagram, you can also use it to automate tasks on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and even SMS campaigns. Manychat might just be the ultimate tool for building a community while generating leads, so I want to shout from the rooftops about how cool it is!
In this article, I’ll describe how to use Manychat and give some tidbits from my experience. Manychat
What is Manychat and what is it used for?
Manychat is a no-code chatbot platform that helps automate and manage conversations across multiple social networks and messengers.
Creators use Manychat primarily because it makes it easy to create chatbots that handle tasks like answering frequently asked questions, sending personalized messages, automating follow-ups, and more. And having properly designed chatbots is indispensable for driving traffic, increasing engagement rates, creating better customer experiences, and boosting overall business growth.
Key features of Manychat
1. The dashboard
The Manychat dashboard is your central control center. It gives you a snapshot of your chatbot’s performance and quick access to key features:
- Navigation bar: Helps you quickly move between sections like Contacts, Audience, and Broadcasting.
- Metrics overview: See basic stats like subscriber count and recent interactions at a glance.
- Quick actions: Create new broadcasts or flows right from the dashboard.
☝️My tip: Regularly check the dashboard for real-time updates to keep your chatbot performing optimally, and pay special attention to it after you make changes. Did they hurt or help?
2. Growth Tools
Growth Tools are specific features designed to capture new potential customers/readers and subscribers. They include widgets and integrations such as pop-ups, embedded forms, and the Instagram and Facebook Comment Growth Tools.
For example, users can be prompted to comment with a specific word, like “Info” or “Yes,” on an Instagram post. When someone uses that keyword, the Growth Tool recognizes the content and triggers the associated automation, such as sending a direct message or starting a sequence.
3. Automation tools
These tools manage ongoing interactions. Once Growth Tools capture a new lead, automation engages, nurtures, and converts that subscriber.
Key features of automation tools:
- Sequences: Automate a sequence of messages sent over time – perfect for nurturing leads or delivering content in stages.
- Conditions: Add logic to your flows, allowing you to personalize responses based on user behavior or data. Example: if a user clicks on a link but hasn’t signed up for your newsletter, the chatbot might send a follow-up message.
- Rules: Create automated rules to perform specific actions when certain events occur, such as tagging a user or sending a follow-up message. Example: when a user asks about accommodation tips, a rule can tag them as “Interested in accommodation” so you can send them targeted content on hotels.
- Automation triggers: Beyond those used in Growth Tools, triggers can be based on a wide range of user behaviors, such as clicking a button, visiting a page, or making a purchase, to initiate further automation.
☝️My tip: When using Manychat, don’t limit yourself to just comment automation. There are many different features available. For instance, if someone mentions your brand in their story, you can send a “Thank you” message or start a conversation to engage with them.
4. Using templates
Manychat offers a range of pre-built templates designed to help you quickly set up and deploy chatbots for various purposes. You can customize them to your brand’s voice and requirements.
☝️My tip: Two of my favorite pre-built templates include converting comments into sales and using Instagram stories to generate more leads. Both of these templates work by setting up a specific keyword that users comment or DM, triggering an automated message to their DMs and starting a conversation. I love using this method to offer a free ebook and collect email addresses quickly and efficiently.
5. Drag-and-drop visual flow builder
Speaking of customization, this builder is one of Manychat’s most user-friendly features, allowing users to design chatbot interactions visually, without any coding.
How it works:
- Visual interface: The flow builder provides a canvas to drag and connect different elements like messages, actions, and conditions, creating a seamless conversation flow.
- Pre-built elements: Use blocks like text, images, videos, and buttons to build your bot’s responses. You can also integrate complex features like delays, quick replies, and user input forms.
- Real-time testing: As you build your flow, you can test it in real time to see how it will interact with users and then make adjustments.
6. Live chat features
Manychat allows you to monitor conversations and step in when necessary, providing a personal touch for complex questions. You can also assign chats to team members, track responses, and set up notifications to ensure someone steps in when necessary.
☝️My tip: I don’t use this as much as I should. Still, I love that the tool records the conversation regardless of whether you start a conversation in Manychat or Instagram. The person is automatically subscribed and added to your contacts – perfect for broadcasts (which we’ll cover in a bit).
7. Automated A/B testing
Manychat’s A/B testing is facilitated by the Randomizer, a tool that tests messages, button text, or entire flows.
The Randomizer distributes a percentage of your audience down each path, enabling you to compare results and optimize your chatbot’s performance over time. It’s useful for ongoing flows like sales funnels or quizzes, helping you fine-tune your messaging strategy based on real user interactions.
8. Sequence and broadcasting options
Sequences allow you to send a series of messages over time, which is ideal for nurturing leads through a predefined journey, like a drip campaign. You can organize these sequences visually and control the timing between each message.
Broadcasting, on the other hand, is like sending a mass message to your audience. It’s similar to an email newsletter but is done through Messenger, SMS, or other connected platforms. You can target specific audience segments, ensuring your message reaches the most relevant users at the right time.
☝️My tip: Let’s say you have a travel blog about Portugal. You can segment people based on activities, places they’re interested in visiting, etc. From there, you can create a sequence to share (over time) the best articles you have regarding that topic. Another option is sharing your new blog post with your contacts through a broadcast.
9. Audience management and customer segmentation
Use custom fields and tags to organize your contacts based on various criteria, such as their behavior, preferences, or any specific information you’ve gathered. This segmentation is critical to delivering personalized content.
☝️My tip: The cool thing about Manychat is that you can apply filters and tags and see which widgets perform best in conversions. You can also see where your contacts come from, which can help in future automation.
10. AI features
Manychat offers AI-powered features to improve chatbot interactions as an optional paid add-on ($29/month). These features include understanding user intent, providing flow-building suggestions, and ensuring consistent messaging to enhance overall communication quality.
11. Analytics and reporting
You can track key metrics such as impressions, opt-ins, open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates across different messaging platforms. Additionally, Manychat offers insights into the performance of individual message blocks and sequences, helping you refine your strategies.
The platform also integrates with tools like Google Analytics for deeper analysis so you can make data-driven decisions to improve your marketing efforts.
12. Help and support resources
You can get the most out of the platform by reading Help Center articles and Manychat tutorial and using community forums or direct support for more complex questions. I’ve already sent many requests and questions, and I always get a response within 24 hours.
How to set up Manychat: a step-by-step guide
Creating your Manychat account
Visit the Manychat website and click on the Sign Up button. For now, there’s only one sign-up option: Continue with Facebook – you need an active Facebook account to create your profile.
Connecting social media platforms
Next, you can connect to other platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
Make sure you grant the necessary permissions for Manychat to manage your profiles.
Setting up your first chatbot
- Head to your Navigation Bar and click Automation to get started.
- Click New Automation. You can choose from Ready-to-Go (AI-powered templates) or start from scratch.
You’ll be taken to the visual drag-and-drop builder, where you can change, add, and design the conversation flow with text, images, buttons, and other interactive elements.
Configuring key features and settings
Define the triggers that will activate your chatbot: keywords, specific user actions, or scheduled events.
Before launching your chatbot, use theManychat testing tools to ensure everything functions correctly. Once tested, launch your chatbot and monitor its performance.
Pricing
| Free Plan | Pro Plan |
| Free | $15 per month / up to 500 contacts |
| Allows you to engage up to 1,000 contacts. Access to certain advanced features is limited. Once you hit the contact limit, you won’t be able to send messages through automations, Live Chat, or Broadcasts unless you upgrade. | Includes all the advanced features. Provides access to additional channels like SMS and email and removes Manychat branding. As your contact list grows, the cost of the Pro Plan increases. |
Manychat also offers a 7-day free trial of the Pro features.
Recommended bot settings
- Welcome message: Friendly intro, explain bot features, quick access to main options.
- Default reply: Helpful fallback message, guide users back to key actions.
- Menu settings: For easy navigation, include essential links (Support, Products, Order Status).
- Quick replies and buttons: Simplify user choices with clear, relevant options.
- Notification settings: Schedule notifications wisely, avoid spamming, and don’t send messages late at night.
- User segmentation: Use tags and custom fields for personalized content.
FAQ
Is it safe to use Manychat?
Yes, Manychat is safe to use. It complies with data privacy regulations like GDPR and offers tools to manage user consent and data security.
What’s the difference between Free and Pro plans?
The Free plan limits you to 1,000 contacts and offers basic features. The Pro plan starts at $15/month, offers unlimited contacts, advanced features like custom flows, and removes Manychat branding.
How to set up Manychat efficiently?
To set up Manychat efficiently, sign up with your Facebook account and connect platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram in the settings. Use templates to quickly create a chatbot or customize one with the Flow Builder. Define clear conversation flows, triggers, and automation sequences.
Set up welcome messages, default replies, and menu options. Integrate AI Steps for better personalization if needed. Test your bot thoroughly before launching and use analytics to monitor and optimize performance regularly.
What should I do if I create a chatbot and it doesn’t work?
Common issues include integration errors, message delivery problems, and bot flow malfunctions. Check your settings, ensure all integrations are properly connected, and review logs for errors.
Can I use Manychat for affiliate marketing with Travelpayouts?
Yes, there are several ways to do so. For example, you could create an ebook of travel tips or advice, including your affiliate links from Travelpayouts. Then, set up a chatbot on Instagram. When someone types “ebook” in a message or comment, the chatbot will automatically send them a link to download the ebook.
Another option is using Manychat to send broadcast messages to your followers, sharing new blog posts or special deals, including affiliate links. This helps you share valuable content and make money through Travelpayouts at the same time.
Happy chatting!
By setting up chatbots, automating tasks, and integrating platforms like Instagram, Manychat helps you manage interactions with your customers more efficiently. It does all the hard work of engaging and converting users. All you need to do is sit back and relax (and monitor, and fine-tune).
For more tips on boosting your travel business, stay tuned to the Travelpayouts blog, where we regularly share valuable content.
