10 Tips on Creating an Addictive ChatBot 2/2
TIP 6: Variable Rewards:
Solving the same problem in the same exact way can introduce a new problem: boredom.
This is what most routines look like and why most of us find routines so unappealing. We try to solve this problem by being spontaneous, taking trips, new relationships, etc. What if our products solved our problems in a very reliable, consistent way yet were somehow spontaneous?
Research shows that dopamine surges when your brain is expecting a reward. Introducing variability multiples this effect, creating a focused state which suppresses areas of the brain associated with judgement! This is why some people can play Slot machines all night long.
Give your bot variability! Facebook does this by making sure that your feed is different every time you see it… even if you only have 10 friends.
TIP 7: Investment
It’s like any other relationship… the more time, energy, you have invested in a product/solution the greater the pain of having to move to new product and start over.
This makes certain types of products very difficult to leave (eg: Facebook) because we have so much time, connections, pictures, etc invested.
The more invested your users are the less likely they are to leave.
COPYWRITING FOR CHATBOTS
One of the most critical elements to creating a great bot is copywriting. The right words can keep your users engaged for hours while the wrong ones will leave them running for the hills.
Tip 8: Be Simple in a Complex World
How does the Military prepare for war and get each of their soldiers to execute the plan?
…After all, it is impossible to tell a soldier exactly what to do on an ever changing battlefield.
The Military solves this problem of complexity by focusing on their Core Objective. The most fundamental question they ask is: “If we can only accomplish one goal what would it be?”
This focus on the core allows Generals to strip out anything that is not essential and have a single minded focus. The Generals determine what the Goal is and the soldiers figure out how to accomplish the goal.
TIP 9: Be Concrete Like TRUMP
Have you ever wondered why, Donald Trump won the Republican Primary? There are many reasons, but one of the big ones is Word Choice and Concreteness.
If you examine Trump’s word choice and speaking style you will notice a few things almost right away.
- Concrete Words: He uses words that you can instantly visualize and which are 1–2 syllables long. For longer words, he actually swallows them!
- Ending Strong: Often times he will land on a word that he repeats a number of times and wants to impress upon you.
- Short and Sweet: Almost all of his words and sentences are very short.
It works mostly due to the Low Cognitive Load it requires to understand Trump. Even if you are trying to tune him out, you can not help but to understand his message.
Conversely, compare this to Elon Musk or Stephen Hawking talking about Artificial Intelligence and Black Holes.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Use Concrete Words that you can visualize like ‘wall’
- Use Short Sentence and a lot of white space.
- Use Short, 1 Syllable, Words.
- Try to keep your character count low. User should be able to read the entire message effortlessly.
- Don’t use jargon
- Don’t use concept words like ‘personality’.
- Don’t send multiple messages, with multiple button options.
Tip 10: Get & Keep Their Attention
Your Brain’s guessing machine, is constantly trying to predict what will happen next.
The best way to get someone’s attention is by breaking their guessing machine. As soon as your user’s guessing machine is broken, you will have their undivided attention!
The brain‘s model of reality was broken and shown to be incorrect. This offers you the great opportunity of fixing their model and imprinting a new model in their mind. When done properly, the person will learn something and you will have ‘mind estate’.
To keep an audience engaged, you have to continuously open new knowledge gaps and close old ones. This will keep your audience glued simply to find out what happens next.
Use Comedy:
All comedy essentially breaks your guessing machine and helps you see the world from a different perspective.
- Comebacks: A comeback is when a comedian tells you something unusual and later in the show ties his story back to this ‘unusual phenomena’.
- Missdirections: Comedians will often mislead an audience into making the wrong assumptions and they show them the right ones.
Be Credible
Ironically, it is the one thing that everyone thinks they have, but most do not! Most messages fail due to lack of credibility.
BONUS: Connect Emotionally
We live in a relationship focused work and connecting on a deep level is key.
Relationships are taking center stage and bots offer a great opportunity for personalized relationship marketing.
How to Connect on a Deeper Level:
- Benefit of the Benefit: Don’t sell features but instead focus on the true benefit.
- Focus on the Emotions: Your bot should make your audience feel certain target emotions.
- Your Mission & The WHY? There must be a bigger reason why you are doing ‘x’. What is your mission, your why?
What is the One thing People Want that they Rarely Get?
People like to show smart and value they are. They want to be seen as knowledgable and how do most people respond? They knock them back down, they correct them, they compete with them.
One of the best things you can do, is validate people and give them unconditional positive regard. This will, in turn, foster a very strong connections and relationship.
Appealing to the Ideal Self Image:
We all have an ‘Ideal Self Image’… you know the person we really want to be like one day.. a more perfect version of us.
We actually try to live up to this image and often times judge our own behavior based on it.
When Crafting the Perfect Message it is important to:
- Consider Who the Audience IS
- Consider Who the Audience Wants to Be
You can use the “Why” to connect your core mission, values, and message to your audience’s Ideal Self Image.