Question: I need a solution that allows me to communicate with customers via text messages and automates responses to new leads.

Manychat is a chat marketing platform that handles automated two-way conversations on Instagram Direct Messages, Facebook Messenger and SMS. It can respond to messages 24/7 and offers features like unlimited custom flows, growth tools for lead generation, and integration with CRM and other tools. Manychat uses AI-based features like Intention Recognition and AI Step to automate more, and is geared for businesses that want to help customers and generate leads without running retargeting ad campaigns.

Another option is Heymarket, a business texting service that lets teams manage conversations with customers over SMS and popular messaging apps through a shared inbox. It offers AI-assisted messaging, private comments for team collaboration, and performance metrics to monitor productivity. Heymarket integrates with popular business apps, CRMs and eCommerce platforms, making it a good option for businesses of all sizes that want to improve customer engagement and team productivity.

For a more general-purpose approach, Clickatell offers a broad range of messaging services including WhatsApp, SMS, USSD and Apple Messages. Its platform is designed to handle bulk messaging, automated interactions and live agent support. Clickatell is particularly useful for retail and healthcare, where businesses can personalize customer interactions, generate revenue with in-channel payments and optimize operations.

Last, Podium offers a single interface for AI-powered tools to manage leads, payments and reviews. It's got an AI assistant named Jerry that can handle customer communication 24/7, and it integrates with more than 200 third-party apps. Podium is geared for businesses like automotive and retail that want to streamline lead capture and customer communication to boost sales and satisfaction.