How can you write chatbot and voice assistant copy that sounds natural?

Chatbots and voice assistants are becoming more popular and useful in various domains, from customer service to entertainment. But how do you write copy for these interactive and conversational interfaces that sounds natural, engaging, and human? Here are some tips to help you craft chatbot and voice assistant copy that resonates with your audience and achieves your goals.

1 Know your user

The first step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to understand your user. Who are they, what are their needs, preferences, pain points, and expectations? How do they communicate, what tone and style do they prefer, what words and phrases do they use? You can use user research, personas, surveys, interviews, and analytics to gather insights and empathy for your user. This will help you tailor your copy to their context, goals, and emotions.

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Melynda Kloc

Grief & Mental Health Ghost/Copy Writer & Storyteller | | Helping Mental Health Pros Connect with Those Who Need You Most, One Deeply Authentic Story at a Time
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This really is the key. Know who you're writing to. If they don't use too many 'robotic' sounding words, you should edit those out. For instance, 'you are', 'it is', 'do not'... You can always humanize the voice by combining these words into everyday, real life, people talk - 'you're', 'it's', 'don't'. It's essential to know the emotional connection that you need to make to the audience so you can hone in on the tone as well. These ai platforms can only go as far as the programming they were written with lets them. It's important to keep that in mind when using the different platforms - you're almost never going to get a perfect snippet that doesn't need edits.

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Erick Dronski

Customer Success Strategist @ Ivanti || Founder || 3x Top Voice
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User research, personas, surveys, interviews, and analytics are all valuable tools for gaining insights into your users' needs, preferences, and pain points. These methods allow you to build an empathetic understanding of your audience, guiding your copy in a direction that resonates with them. Adapting your copy to the way your users communicate is pivotal. Reflecting their preferred tone, style, words, and phrases creates a sense of familiarity, making interactions more intuitive and comfortable for them.

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2 Define your personality

The second step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to define your personality. What is the voice and tone of your chatbot or voice assistant, how do they reflect your brand identity, values, and purpose? How do you want your user to feel when they interact with your chatbot or voice assistant, what impression do you want to create, what relationship do you want to build? You can use personality traits, adjectives, archetypes, and examples to create a consistent and distinctive personality for your chatbot or voice assistant.

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Priyanka Sawhney

Simplifying Deservability | Available for Workshops, Consultation & Coaching |
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A major part of the Brand Strategy is the Brand Archetype. It defines how the Brand wants its customers to feel through its messaging. The archetype & brand voice correlating to that archetype must be fed into AI or chatbot. If it’s not done with care, the Brand Strategy is entirely defeated. The users or customers will feel defeated. A good example can be the healthcare brands: usually with a blend of “Caregiver Archetype” & one more, like the “Magician”. Now if the chatbot fails to nurture or transform the audience (as per these archetype traits), customers will not feel the care & transformation. The brand promise thus fails. Consequently, they will drift apart from the brand. The brand will hence, lose trust & customer loyalty.

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Erick Dronski

Customer Success Strategist @ Ivanti || Founder || 3x Top Voice
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Determining the voice, tone, and traits that reflect your brand identity, values, and purpose ensures that each interaction is aligned with your overarching message. This consistency builds trust and reinforces your brand's character. Considering how you want users to feel during interactions is a strategic approach. Crafting a personality that evokes the desired emotions can help establish a rapport and create memorable experiences. Whether it's informative, friendly, witty, or empathetic, the personality you define sets the stage for user engagement.

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3 Write conversationally

The third step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to write conversationally. How do you mimic natural human speech, how do you avoid sounding robotic, formal, or boring? How do you use language, grammar, punctuation, and formatting to create a smooth and engaging flow of dialogue? You can use short sentences, contractions, questions, exclamations, emojis, and humor to write conversationally. You can also use active voice, simple words, and clear instructions to write clearly and concisely.

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Erick Dronski

Customer Success Strategist @ Ivanti || Founder || 3x Top Voice
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Avoiding robotic or formal language is key. By using short sentences, contractions, and familiar language, you create a rhythm that mirrors real conversations. Incorporating questions and exclamations adds a sense of dynamism, while emojis and humor inject personality and relatability. Using active voice and simple words ensures clarity and accessibility. Clear instructions make it easy for users to understand and follow through, enhancing their overall experience.

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4 Add variety and feedback

The fourth step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to add variety and feedback. How do you avoid repetition, monotony, and confusion, how do you keep your user interested and informed? How do you use synonyms, alternatives, and personalization to add variety to your copy? How do you use confirmations, acknowledgments, progress indicators, and error messages to provide feedback to your user? You can use different phrases, options, and variables to add variety to your copy. You can also use polite, positive, and helpful language to provide feedback to your user.

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5 Test and optimize

The fifth step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to test and optimize. How do you measure the effectiveness, usability, and satisfaction of your chatbot or voice assistant, how do you identify and fix issues and gaps? How do you collect and analyze data, feedback, and metrics to test and optimize your copy? You can use user testing, prototyping, debugging, and analytics tools to test and optimize your copy. You can also use iterative and agile processes to improve your copy based on user behavior and feedback.

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6 Learn from examples

The sixth step to writing natural chatbot and voice assistant copy is to learn from examples. How do you get inspired, learn best practices, and avoid common pitfalls, how do you benchmark and compare your chatbot or voice assistant with others? How do you find and evaluate examples of chatbot and voice assistant copy that sounds natural, engaging, and human? You can use online resources, platforms, blogs, and podcasts to learn from examples. You can also use frameworks, guidelines, and checklists to evaluate your chatbot or voice assistant copy.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you write chatbot and voice assistant copy that sounds natural?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your user

2 Define your personality

3 Write conversationally

4 Add variety and feedback

5 Test and optimize

6 Learn from examples

7 Here’s what else to consider

Copywriting

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How can you write chatbot and voice assistant copy that sounds natural?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your user

2 Define your personality

3 Write conversationally

4 Add variety and feedback

5 Test and optimize

6 Learn from examples

7 Here’s what else to consider

Copywriting

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