Crafting the Perfect Bot Persona: Tips, Tricks, and Ideas

Let us try to recall your time as a kid. Remember how all your favourite toys had a name of their own. Maybe, a white toy pony was named after your favourite food…… I’m guessing “Sprinkles” or maybe your hot wheels car named “Rush”. Definitely, this struck a chord down that memory lane. The reason could be that you are bonded with that memory, that toy. When an object is named by a person, it creates an emotional connection between those two. Research has shown that naming things has great power. The same reason can be applied in this world of artificial intelligence and technology, where work has been done on chatbots and virtual assistants to make them more friendly and relatable. Basically, giving them the bot persona with human touch.  

Names also impact consumer choices. When we talk about a business, the chatbot is the foremost level of contact in terms of online interaction with its customers. And the famous proverb “first impression is the last impression “clearly shows how critical it is to win a customer in the first go. Also, in what way they are perceived by the customers is vital cause that’s how they will view and interact with your business. 

The new era of chatbot has come- the era of personalization. And to know this let’s understand why it’s necessary to name the bot. 

What’s the Hype about Chatbot Personality? 

The hype around bot persona is all about creating a brand-specific and engaging user experience. With the help of conversational chatbots, brands are able to personalize a bot that speaks and acts exactly like their own. This way, users will be more likely to interact with the bot and have a better conversation. Bot persona can be tailored to fit any brand’s needs and create a unique experience for customers. It is important to understand that the personality of the chatbot should reflect the brand’s image and values in order to provide an enjoyable user experience. Furthermore, it is also important to note that with the right query language, users will be able to ask questions more quickly and easily while having a great time interacting with the bot. All in all, having a personalized chatbot with its own personality brings lots of benefits as it increases engagement while providing an unforgettable user experience. 

Why should you create a Bot Persona?  

This question is everywhere!!! Why name a bot when it’s different from a human agent, right?! Here below are four reasons to consider for this naming dilemma.

1) Names Add a Human Touch to the Bot  

When there are tech teams around the world trying their best to make their chatbots and virtual assistants sound like an actual human, then why not get on the next step and name the chatbot. And isn’t it normal human tendency that we feel we know a person when we know their name. Why not apply the same to the bots?!  

2) Bot Names Help Bond with Customers  

Time’s the proof that humans have always named everything from mountains, cultural festivals….to fellow humans. A name establishes an identity and powerful associations in the mind along with an emotional bond. And when chatbots are built to have one-on-one conversations with the buyers, why not name them and help them feel connected instantly! 

3) Names Scream Product Qualities    

When you hear a name; you already have a presumed image of that person. The same applies to when you hear the name of a product. If your product has a name that’s caring, beautiful yet bold then that will help create the same impression of the product. Chatbots do not remain untouched by this rule. When you give your chatbot a name, it sets the tone for the kind of customer service you will provide. A chatbot that begins messaging customers without a name (or) with a robotic name can seem impersonal.  

4) Conversation Flow is Better with a Named Bot  

Bots with names help make conversations simpler and go on in a flow. This practice can also make the customer take the bot more seriously. Let us ask you a question. What would you prefer and be more comfortable with: Siri or Apple Bot 2011?  

The main elements of a Bot persona 

A bot persona is an essential element of any chatbot. 

1) Name/Title

The need for a bot to have a name is fairly obvious. It’s unfortunately not always simple to name it. You must first choose whether a bot should act as the company’s official spokesperson and speak on behalf of the entire organization, or whether it should pose as an actual employee. If your brand name is powerful and well-known, sticking with it might be a smart move. 

The bot may appear to your users to provide the same service as your company as a whole, though. A good name should also be recognizable, descriptive, and in some cases even understandable in other languages.

2) Gender-specific

A further crucial choice must be made because the name of the bot frequently conceals its gender. Female virtual assistants are so frequently created that UNESCO recently published a 145-page paper titled “I’d blush if I could: closing gender divides in digital skills through education” in response to this trend. Designing a gender-neutral bot will allow you to completely avoid the problem. 

3) Language and Personality

When creating the personality of your bot, consider the following typical traits and descriptors: inspiring confidence, focused on finding solutions, encouraging, straightforward, kind, precise, and authoritative, communicative, easy-going, friendly, direct, non-intrusive, and talkative.

4) Voice

A key component of developing a voice user interface (VUI) is selecting the right voice. You can make use of text-to-speech programs or pre-recorded prompts. Although text-to-speech technology has advanced greatly over the past five years, there are still some flaws, particularly with regard to intonation and word pronunciation. However, using it uses a lot less resources than having a voice talent record prompt. 

5) Visual Aspect

It may appear at first glance that bots don’t need a lot of visual branding. However, chatbots have a lot more potential than voicebots do. Your bot should have a logo at the very least. However, to make the interaction more interesting, you should use emojis, stickers, GIFs, etc. wisely. You can even include unique images created just for your bot that can be practical and support various use-cases. By using consistent visuals, you can maintain strong brand association. 

Steps To Help You Name Your Bot  

Now we know why naming a bot is important, it’s time to get down to business. Naming a chatbot can be as simple as naming a human kid. Follow these steps and the next thing we know; you have your named chatbot buddy. 

1) Bot’s Identity Decides Its Name

Identify the functions that your bot is going to perform for your brand. Bots with functionalities like customer engagement can have an easy ring to its name while bots for customer support can be named after your product offerings. Businesses usually try to name their bots after their brand name, which is not wrong, but a unique name will instantly click in people’s mind and form a unique connection. 

2) Assign A Personality to Your Bot 

Create your chatbot’s distinct identity that stands out by developing its personality. Personality includes their tone, appearance or avatar, and many a time its gender. Consider Siri– Apple chatbot. By default, it has a female voice but can be switched to a male voice too. An Amdocs study found that 36% of customers prefer female bots. Chatbots become more interesting and create a specific image with a personality of their own. 

3) Names Can Sound Robotic or Human 

You don’t want to mess up this choice cause that might lead to your bot having a name that’s contradicting to its purpose and believe us that’s not a pretty sight. Opt for a robotic name if you want to let your customers know that they are talking with artificial intelligence. And if you want to opt for something more human-like, then go for human names. 

4) Shortlist Your Best Options 

Let’s see you have only one chance to name your bot. And your only shot should be the best one. Then why not prepare a list of possible names and then shortlist one. You can compare names that you list and checkout which will do better, out in the market. And there you have your winner! 

More points to keep in mind:

1) Keep the names simple and easier to pronounce. If customers find it difficult to pronounce the name of your bot, they are eventually going to ignore it. 

2) Keeping witty or humorous names can make your bot sound interesting. 

3) Don’t go for very obvious names for your bot. Or literally naming your bot with your brand name. For e.g., naming your bot Fitness after a fitness brand. That makes your chatbot look dull and uncreative. 

To Sum Up:  

The bot persona is the heart of your chatbot; it is everything that makes it more than a good piece of code. At the same time, it shouldn’t try to trick your users into thinking that they are talking to a real person instead of a machine. And this all starts with as simple as naming your chatbot. Reach out to us at Kevit.io or mail us at coffee@kevit.io not only for automation but adding more to it.