Online shopping has evolved. Consumers no longer just browse websites or rely on traditional search queries to find products. They want to engage in conversations. Whether through chat apps, voice assistants, or AI-powered messaging, shoppers increasingly expect brands to provide personalized, real-time interactions.

This shift fuels conversational commerce, a new approach bridging the gap between engagement and purchase. Brands that embrace this strategy are meeting customers where they foster personal connection—on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant—and driving higher conversions through tailored, interactive shopping experiences.

​​Last year, we launched Conversational Ads in beta, ushering in a new era of customer-brand interaction. Now, we're taking the next step with our Open Beta, expanding Conversational Ads to all Smartly users. The platform is equipped with new AI-powered capabilities that streamline setup, enhance the chat experience, and learn what customers want in real time.

What is Conversational Commerce?

Conversational commerce uses messaging apps and AI-driven chatbots to enable real-time shopping experiences. Unlike static e-commerce pages, conversational commerce supports two-way interactions that help customers find what they want, quickly and intuitively.

It simplifies the path to purchase by:

• Offering personalized product recommendations
• Capturing zero-party data in the flow of conversation
• Reducing friction in checkout processes

According to Forrester, 73% of marketers plan to increase their conversational commerce investments by 25–50% in the next two years. The trend is clear: personalized conversations are the new storefront.

Per Forrester’s Q4 2024 Conversational Commerce survey, brands are feeling the pressure to unify their creative and media efforts. The stakes are high—but so is the opportunity. Download the infographic to discover what’s driving investment, and what’s holding marketers back.

Why the Future of Advertising is Conversational

Traditional advertising relies on one-to-many messaging, where a single message is broadcast to a wide audience. While this approach still has its place, consumer expectations have shifted toward personalized, interactive experiences that mirror real-world conversations. 

The evolution of advertising has gone from one-to-many broadcast messages, to one-to-few targeting via digital channels, and now to one-to-one interactions powered by AI. Conversational commerce represents this next wave, where each shopper receives tailored responses in real time.

Instead of passive consumption, today’s consumers seek two-way engagement, where they can ask questions, receive tailored recommendations, and make smoother purchase decisions.

According to Smartly’s 2025 Digital Trends Report, 74% of marketers plan to use conversational ads in 2025, reflecting a growing recognition of their effectiveness. The reasons are clear: messaging platforms provide direct, frictionless communication, significantly improving conversion rates and customer satisfaction. As consumers seek out one-on-one interactions, these platforms are a prime space for brands to engage in real-time conversations that feel natural and unobtrusive.

3 Benefits of Conversational Ads for Brands

1. One-to-One Personalization at Scale

Conversational ads use chat flows that dynamically ask questions, like gift recipient, style, budget, or product category, to help customers find the right product faster. It's like a personal shopping assistant guiding users through a large or complex catalog.

2. Higher Engagement in Private Messaging Channels

Ads appear on users' feeds and click into private messaging channels like Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct. These are spaces where consumers already communicate with friends, making it a natural place for personalized, 1:1 engagement.

3. Optimization Through Zero-Party Data & AI

AI helps brands structure more intuitive chats, uncover behavioral insights, and refine messaging to inform broader marketing strategies through zero-party data.

How Smartly is Leading the Way

Smartly’s Conversational Ads make it easy for marketers to launch and scale personalized chat experiences across platforms like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct—all within a single, streamlined workflow. Unlike traditional chatbot tools that require heavy customization or dev support, Smartly’s solution is built for marketers from the ground up, with tools that enhance setup, boost performance, and surface valuable consumer insights.

We’ve brought powerful new capabilities to the platform:

• AI Assistant — Quickly ideate and structure your chat flow using generative AI. Whether you're building a product finder or a guided gift assistant, AI Assist helps you set up impactful conversations directly in the Smartly UI.
• AI-Powered Catalog Enrichment — Extend your product feed with data pulled from your website, using AI to add data or tags like style, use case, or recipient. This makes product discovery more intuitive and personal for shoppers.

These tools don’t just streamline setup; they make every campaign smarter.

What’s Next: The Future of Conversational Commerce at Smartly

We’re already building the next wave of innovation. Next on our roadmap:

• Automated AI Chatbot — A fully automated shopping assistant powered by AI to handle real-time customer queries and deliver personalized suggestions around the clock.
• Consumer Insights — Turn zero-party data from chats into actionable insights and creative recommendations. Identify behavioral trends, uncover new product opportunities, and improve campaign strategy—all within Smartly.

By combining the power of automation, personalization, and insight, Smartly is redefining how brands connect with customers—one conversation at a time.

Success Story: Hunkemöller’s 1:1 Messaging at Scale

Hunkemöller, a leading European lingerie brand, used Smartly's Conversational Ads to connect with holiday shoppers on Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct. Hunkemöller used AI to categorize products based on style, which was then added to their catalog.

“Conversational Ads were a complete game-changer for us,” shared Tom Cornelisse, Performance Marketing Manager at Hunkemöller “The unique AI-powered consumer insights we uncovered also turned into recommendations for our future campaigns.”

Using conversational commerce, Hunkemöller asked shoppers targeted questions like gift recipient, style preference (“cozy” or “elegant”), and price range. With the AI-enhanced catalog, Hunkemöller delivered personalized gift recommendations that felt intuitive and timely.

The results were striking:

• +29.5% lift in initiated checkouts
• +9.3% lift in sales

Beyond conversions, Hunkemöller uncovered key insights into consumer behavior. For instance, women tended to buy cozy items for themselves, while men shopped for higher-value gifts. These behavioral signals are now helping shape the brand’s future campaigns.

Get Ahead with Conversational Commerce

We’re expanding our Conversational Commerce offering and expanding support for Marketing Messages on Messenger in Open Beta and working to support WhatsApp later this year. This solution is a great complement to Conversational Ads, enabling advertisers to close the loop by re-engaging customers they have an established relationship with, directly in their inbox with timely offers and promotional messages. Early testers have already seen impressive results introducing Marketing Messages into their strategy:

"We’re reactivating churned customers by meeting them where they are. With Meta Marketing Messages we're able to bring them back to Marley Spoon in a natural and engaging way, with a frictionless experience,” shared Rodrigo Sciammarella, CRM Lead, Marley Spoon SE. “The results have been strong, and we’re excited to keep growing this channel for other products and markets."

The future of online shopping is real-time, interactive, and deeply personalized. Brands that embrace conversational commerce today will be the ones that build lasting customer relationships and drive stronger business results.

Conversational commerce isn’t just the future—it’s here. Brands that act now will stay ahead. Explore how Smartly’s AI-powered Conversational Ads can help you engage, convert, and learn from every shopper interaction. Download the Forrester Report to explore key insights or book a demo to see how Smartly’s Conversational Ads can power your next campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions About Conversational Commerce

What is conversational commerce?
Conversational commerce is a marketing and sales approach that uses chat apps, voice assistants, and AI-powered messaging to deliver personalized, real-time shopping experiences. It simplifies product discovery, boosts engagement, and drives conversions by enabling two-way interactions with customers.

How do conversational ads work?
Conversational ads are one form of conversational commerce that direct users from social feeds to private messaging channels like Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct, where they interact with AI-powered chat experiences. These ads ask dynamic questions, such as product preferences or budget, to guide users to the right products.

What are the benefits of conversational commerce for brands?
Key benefits include:

• One-to-one personalization at scale
• Higher engagement in private channels
• Zero-party data capture and AI optimization

These benefits help reduce friction in the customer journey and increase conversions.

How is Smartly different from other conversational ad platforms?
Smartly’s Conversational Ads are built for marketers, not developers. With features like AI Assist to generate chat flows and AI-powered catalog enrichment, brands can quickly launch, scale, and optimize conversations without coding or dev support.

What kind of results can brands expect from conversational commerce?
Brands like Hunkemöller have seen a 29.5% increase in initiated checkouts and a 9.3% lift in sales using Smartly’s Conversational Ads. Additionally, the AI-powered insights help inform future campaign strategies.

Is conversational commerce only for Meta platforms?
Currently, Smartly supports platforms like Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct, with expansion plans underway for WhatsApp. This ensures brands can meet customers where they’re already engaging in conversations