Chatbot personality

During the chatbot implementation process, it is crucial to think not only about the technical framework, but also the chatbot’s looks and personality. You should both follow your corporate guidelines, and adjust the chatbot visually for your target audience. 

Avatar

Depending on the chosen platform, an avatar would usually be located at the top of the chat window and/or next to messages that the chatbot is sending to your users. You can choose to create a brand new avatar, perhaps a robot-like design, or just use your company’s logo. We do not recommend using realistic photos that may mislead your users into thinking that they are talking with a human.

 

In the case of Facebook Messenger chatbots, the avatar is the profile picture of your Facebook Page. The avatar is not available in SMS-based chatbots. For other platforms, we are able to set up chatbot-specific profiles and adjust the avatar.

Name

By naming your chatbot you can give it more personality and make it more memorable for your users - and your team as well!

In the case of WebMessenger based chatbots, the name will appear in the header (in this case Demo Bot), and along with every answer/message that is given by the chatbot.

 

 

In order to find a suitable name for your chatbot, it can help to think about what would represent your company’s voice and values best. Which name could be easily connected to your company? Do you have a mascot with some great name you can use? In the past, our customers have came up with great ideas by creating internal surveys and competitions. It is also a great way to engage your colleagues and spread awareness of the project internally.

If you have decided to use a specific name, it is advisable to include it in the welcome message. Make also sure that your users are aware that they are talking to a chatbot. Example: “Hi I am Loki, {your company}'s career assistant and I am here to help you learn more about {your company} and to find your next job.”

In a case, your chatbot was built on Facebook Messenger the name of the Facebook page will appear only in the header. You can still give the chatbot a unique name and include it in the welcome message.

In the case of other platforms like SMS or WhatsApp, your users will have power over how your chatbot is saved in their contact list, but as with Facebook Messenger, you can introduce the chatbot’s name in the welcome message as well.

Colours

We recommend using the colours according to your company brand guidelines. You may need to get approval from your Brand or Design team and confirm the colour scheme you can use for your chatbot. We recommend using colours that will stand out and not blend with the rest of the website easily (especially for the Call-to-Action). 

If you have chosen a WebMessenger based chatbot, we can implement a few visual adjustments, please follow this article to learn more. In the case of a Facebook Messenger based chatbot, you can adjust the feel and the look of the plugin. Read more about it here.

We are not able to visually influence WhatsApp, WeChat or SMS-based chatbots

Voice

There are a few things that we recommend taking into account when writing your chatbot answers, small talk replies or when phrasing questions. 

  • Who is speaking? Align with your company’s brand and voice. Are you using: We (company voice), I (chatbot voice), or staying neutral in your answers?

  • Formal or Informal? Who is your target group? Are you addressing students, entry-level, or senior-level candidates? Can you use more informal language or is it preferable to stay formal?

  • Emojis: We recommend using emojis and exclamation points. The more personal and conversational you can be, the better for the UX.

  • Consistency: Make sure to align internally and provide the chatbot with a consistent voice while creating new answers or providing direct answers to your users.