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Ever heard of chatbot copywriting? If not, then getting your chatbot tool up and running is probably beyond what you think it is. Because, most of the time, it involves perfecting the chatbot’s messages. What words to use, and how to order them just right in a sentence, are just 2 of the things you must focus on when setting up your bot.

In this edition of the Clepher blog, you will discover how a couple of tips on how to produce the best chatbot copywriting output for your chatbot. Frankly, we feel every chatbot builder needs to give you chatbot copywriting strategies. And that’s why, as you read through the post, you get to know useful copywriting tips. The goal? Propel your chatbot’s messages to greater heights. In turn, getting your messages across to improve your business’s results.

Introduction To Chatbot Copywriting

Putting yourself in your customers’ shoes, you will definitely notice if you are talking to a chatbot or a human being. In general, the chatbot must sound as human as possible. And it must do its best to showcase some sort of empathy toward the customer. And preferably, it must be able to understand what they feel… Something that’s possible in the near future through sentiment analysis. But most important, chatbot copywriting is a style of writing that caters to spice up a chatbot’s conversational messaging. It’s definitely different from the type of blog writing, sales copy, or writing news articles.

How do chatbots work?

If you’ve been a long time reader of our blog, we’ve gone over this many times. But, in short, on its basis, chatbots function through matching the replies to the messages or queries the users send. Essentially, they simulate a chat conversation with a customer. Now, savvy as you are, not every chatbot is as useful. And 9 out of 10 times, it’s due to the lack of using the proper style of writing the chatbot needs in order to make the messages come across.

What does this mean? To better understand, let’s dive a bit deeper into the subject of chatbot copywriting.

So, what is Chatbot Copywriting about?

Chatbot copywriting refers to a style of writing that’s conversational. Chatbots have to read and sound as professional as possible. The conversation has to be seamless. It must (almost) seem like talking to a real human being. Moreover, copywriting done right means it’s engaging, but it should never lose sight of the #1 goal: getting the message across.

And this is different in every chatbot or part of your chatbot. I mean, one Flow of messages can be designed to help the customer out with a service-related issue. While another Flow of messages, in the same chatbot, is designed to qualify leads, automate sales, and improving conversions.

Through the tips you’re about to read in this blog post, you can improve the copy of your chatbot.

Chatbot Copywriting Tips

So, what’s considered good chatbot copywriting? Let’s find out in the list of tips below.

1. Defining the chatbot’s purpose

Understanding the purpose of what you do is a universal ruler. A chatbot has objectives that must show in the composition. The chatbot’s copywriter should be able to define goals and be aware of the bot’s KPIs. The goal could be enhancing customer service. It could also be about moving customers further through the sales funnels. This and more will affect how the chatbot you create speaks and performs. Let KPIs, or Key performance indicators, if you will, be your guide to attaining the goal.

Take note of the following concepts: Chatbot activity and retention rate. Bounce rate, goal completion rate, and chatbot click-through rate. Other important metrics are conversation length and the non-response rate. Both being essential metrics to jot down in your notepad.

Follow the tips, and you can move forward.

2. Keep it simple

You can use flowery words to liven up your copy, but not too much. “Keep it simple” is a strict rule that can never be broken when it comes to chatbot copywriting. If you read your copy and see it is way too complicated, then tone it down with simple terms. The simpler it is, the better and the more powerful.

Let’s use the analogy of how the military prepares for war. To execute the plan better, they focus on the core objectives. If there is one goal, identify what this is. Concentrate on your goal. A core vision will take away those who aren’t essential.

This same approach will help you get a chatbot focussed on one. The secret is determining the goal. Then, find out how you can do this. Apply this well in the chatbot copy. At the end of this article, we link to a PDF called “Give your Chatbot a Soul”, it helps you uncover the goal of your chatbot by answering a few simple questions.

3. Create a distinct personality

Chatbot copy has to come with flair. You aren’t writing a blog or a news article. Writing the conversational bits and pieces for your chatbot should not be boring. So, it’s important to inject a distinctive personality. See, when the users inquire through your bot, it must (kinda) feel there is a real-life assistant. It should attend to their concerns in a lively way, rather than being a boring robot. One of the techniques is to give the chatbot a name relevant to your brand. You can even add emojis, memes, and graphic designs. They make the conversation even more enticing.

4. Be concrete with your chatbot copywriting

Giving way to concrete copy reverberates to the cognition of your readers. Notice how public figures tweet. They are straightforward and substantial. Try adapting this ‘vibe’ over to your chatbot copy, and you’re likely to win in getting your message across. Use concrete imaginable terms easy to visualize, such as “floor.” Second, use shorter sentences. Never be afraid to press Enter to reveal white space. Frankly, it is better than cramming up the words in a paragraph or line. Preferably, use words that are short and have 1 syllable. The reader should be able to go through the entire chatbot message without any difficulty. Zero difficulties are a must. Avoid using jargon! Concept words are a no-no. The term “personality” is a concept word. Avoid sending many messages too, or incorporating many buttons as their options.

5. Keeping it short and sweet 

You’ve heard about this tip in the previous paragraph. And now, because it’s so darn important when it comes to chatbot copywriting, we’ll elaborate on this even more. Short and sweet copy makes a message come across fast, increasing the chances the chatbot delivers on the goal it’s set out to attain.

Ask yourself the following question; Do I really need to introduce my company via a chatbot?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, you can always have a Flow of messages on standby. That, when triggered, gives prospects and customers all the information they need on your company. But, all this information is should already be on your official website, correct? So why not link to the About Us page instead?

Keep it simple.

6. Learn how to keep their attention

Weirdly enough, some customers talk with a chatbot to kill time. Of course, they’ll learn about what you do as well.

Now, according to data on Cision.com, the average human being only has eight seconds of attention span. Some people even say it’s less than 3 seconds nowadays. Regardless, it’s a sharp decrease from the 12-second measurement in the year 2000.

So, how do you plan to keep their attention span going with the chatbot copy? Some say you have to keep it with humor. And boy, that works! Using comedic remarks with open-ended loops is even better. In other words, you have to open new gaps as you close the older ones. Meaning, aside from keeping their eyeballs glued to the chat, you want to keep them guessing what’s next.

Here are a few tips on how to maintain “comedy” in the chat (without turning very unprofessional):

• The comeback is a technique where the comedian blurts out the oddity. And then comes back to this idea later in the spiel.
• Misdirection is a technique by misleading the readers before showing them the correct ones.
• The Yes And technique, meanwhile, focuses more on improvisations, adlibs, and so much more.

7. Have your clear call-to-action or CTA

A crystal clear call-to-action, or CTA if you will, is important. It encourages your customer to take action. Whether it’s buying the product you’re offering, or leaving their email address in order to receive some free value from you.

But, how do you do it successfully? A good CTA helps to guide prospects and customers to solutions, or the answers to their questions. Then, in the middle of the conversation, they must enter into the buying phase. For instance, you can write, “Let me know how I can help you” to start a conversation. You may continue further by saying, “Did you know that we offer [discussion of services] that’ll help you with what you need?”

They may reiterate their unanswered problem. And, the chatbot can get into the Flow by blending solutions and products offered. Right before the end of the conversation, suggest that they visit one of your web pages. Write, “Interested in our services? You can visit our Services page for more details.”

8. Credibility and connecting deeper

Do you believe that chatbots can make meaningful connections with the customer?

Over at Clepher, we do. We even dare to say that a chatbot can even surpass what a human agent can do. And it’s like magic. One of the magical ingredients is “Credibility”, and it’s important. In fact, several factors lead to this quality.

• First, the layout and design of your live chat window must look professional and formal. Not too formal, as they might push away interested customers.
• Second, the profile picture of the person used in the chat should be likable. If possible, go with someone smiling.
• Third, use real pictures of real people, it works wonders. However, if you’re using a made-up chatbot personality, feel free to use a cartoon or animated character.

Okay, not so much of a chatbot copywriting tips, but very important to think about when building your chatbot.

Moving on to the tone of your chatbot, depending on the industry your business is in, you need to think of your tone. For instance, having a comedic chatbot automating coffin sales may not be the best choice. Of course, that example is at one end of the spectrum. Usually, the chatbot’s words must be midway, somewhere between professional and friendly.

Find out about your mission. What is the product about? How can it improve lives?

To help you, we created something cool, it’s a small PDF called “Give your Chatbot a Soul”.

Needing a plan?

To get the most from your Facebook Messenger chatbot, you need a plan. And while with the help of a conversational bot designer you can layout the bot’s interactions to meet your customers’ needs…

…it all starts with this: 

“What is the goal of my Facebook Messenger chatbot?”

Go here for a unique Guide. Join the Facebook Group, and go to the Files Section. Look for a PDF called Give Your Chatbot a Soul”, thank me later!

Conclusion

Now that you have learned a thing or 2 about chatbot copywriting, it is time to wrap things up. Take good note of the copywriting tips you’ve read above. It is essential to keep the chatbot script always updated. Those who are asking questions to your bot will notice when things get repeated. That’s why it’s a good thing to use conditions and show a different kind of message to returning prospects and customers. This brings in some variety into your chatbot, a recommendation… But, don’t forget to keep the marketing campaign and its messages consistent.

Finally, keep things simple, dumb things down… Use Hemmingway App to get your message down to a readability score of grade 5. Then split up that ‘optimized’ message and put that in your chatbot… Remember, your chatbot gives the best results when it’s having a conversation! The rule of thumb says never to go over 4 short messages originating from the bot, having the last and final message be one with Quick Replies and Buttons. Keeping this short increases retention, the more they click the longer they stick!

Alright, and that concludes this article about chatbot copywriting tips. If you’d like to put this into practice, why not check out our chatbot service? Hop over to Clepher right here.

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