Integrating chat into your product is a great way to get people to sit up and take notice of what you have to offer. Real-time chat is on the rise, and it allows users to find the information they need right then and there. Searching through products or services is great, but nothing can beat having someone with experience telling you to do and what not.
With that in mind, how do you write the winning text that will rock your chat? Read on to find out.
Use a style of writing that fits with the ethos of your brand
Whilst you want your chat to get you more sales and customers, you don't want it to undermine your brand. If you have a fun and chilled-out brand, don't opt for a sales-oriented text that will be at odds with it.
What you need to do is develop a style of writing that hits all the right notes and chimes with what your brand is all about. Take the time to get it right, and your chat will feel like a natural extension of your brand. Then your customers really feel like you're reaching out to them, and offering the expert helping hand they've been looking for.
For example, Sephora uses the messaging app Kik to chat 1:1 with her customers. The brand offers makeup tutorials, advice, and helps you find the product that you need. In just a few clicks, you're able to find whatever Sephora product that comes to your mind.
If you use humor, do so sparingly
Humor is a great way to get people to engage with you, but you need to use it the right way. You should write down the text you come up with and take notes of your witty ideas and clever puns. What you don't want to do, however, is to use all of them in your scripts.
If people feel that you're just sending lots of jokes and quips, they'll soon get bored and go in search of the information they need themselves. You'll also find that your material gets stale a lot quicker. Use humor sparingly, and when it pops up in a message it will be a nice surprise that makes the reader smile. Exactly what you want if you're going to take your business to the next level.
For example, National Geographic's TV show Genius decided to use a Messenger bot on their Facebook page, allowing you to chat with the featured Genius. This means that you get to hear amusing comments from Einstein or Picasso. You can even send a selfie to the Picasso bot, and have him paint a portrait of you.
Use seasonal phrases around the major holidays to catch the eye
Chat lead generation is all about making the customer feel like an individual that you care about. Stock answers and obvious template responses certainly aren't the best way to go about things. If there's a holiday coming up, modify your text so that it takes this into account. Happy Easter, Merry Xmas, even April Fools; they're all great ways to show that you're a human and you're here to help.
Avoid that spammy look and feel by not being overly sales-orientated
There's nothing worse than reaching into your pocket to see what your friend has to say, only to realize that you've just been spammed. People hate it, and if your chat gives them the same feeling, then you can rest assured that they'll be going to one of your competitors sooner rather than later.
If you're constantly overtly pushing to convert someone, people will soon switch off. The problem is compounded because rather than simply missing a sale, you're also sending customers to your competition. They still want what you have to offer, they just no longer want to get it from you. Think about this before you decide to get too far into the sales-oriented style of writing.
One of the most annoying things a chat can do to a customer is to continue messaging even though you've left the conversation or simply aren't replaying. Instead, there should always be an option for the customer to click, to end the conversation and stop receiving messages.
Create engaging conversational text
There are several great ways to go about creating engaging text. The key is to make it quick and easy to read, and not overly wordy and verbose. Your text needs to be conversational, so focus on a natural free-flowing style that doesn't inundate the recipient with information.
If you want to be able to get your message across, you need to ensure the other person remains receptive. You could, of course, cram everything you want to say into a 300-word message, but is the recipient really going to take it all in?
The chances are half of what you say will be completely glossed over and missed. Breaking your messages up into 1-2 sentences at a time is the best way to guide your customers along your funnel. This technique is widely used by the best paper writing sites, and they surely know how to create good texts. So why not adopt this style to your needs. It also gives customers ample opportunity to ask anything that might be on their mind, or clarify anything they're unsure about.
Besides, it's what will enable you to make them ask questions and stay online longer. Once they do that, you're far more likely to have a loyal long-term customer on your hands.
There's no need to repeat your slogan over and over again
Slogans are a great way to position your brand in front of someone's mind, but you don't need to use them when you're chatting. If someone is chatting with you, it means they've approached you. And if they've approached, they're already sold on the initial idea. What you need to do now is to make it as easy and hassle-free for them as possible to get the information they need.
Expansive detail, simple redirecting links, and a couple of key facts are all that's needed at this point. If you're sending 200 word long explanations with 4 sources and 3 quotes, you're massively overdoing things. People want simple one-line text messages as they would send to their friends in a group chat. Nothing more, nothing less.
Make your chat have a personality of its own so it feels human
None of your friends write like robots, so why should your business? And if your friend started messaging like an android, you'd soon switch off and disengage wouldn't you?
Filling your chat with personality is one of the best ways to make people feel like they're getting something of value. If it's just a list of facts, then they're not going to get much out of it or take much in. If they're chatting and encountering a little bit of human personality, they'll enjoy the process and are more likely to buy what you're offering.
Exclamation marks add emphasis and make it feel more human
Users love real-time chat because it makes them feel valued, and makes it easy for them to get the answers they're looking for. Use turns of phrases and exclamation marks that make your chat sound excitable, cheery, and happy. The clever thing about this is that it will make you far more approachable too.
The longer someone spends chatting to you, the more likely you are to be able to find a way to convert them. So use an affable and personable style that makes people want to reply, and makes it hard for them to click the close button.
Small talk is underrated
If you want to rock your chat, you need to engage in the ancient art of small talk. Asking someone how they're doing, what they've been up to, and how they're feeling are all great ways to break the ice. Approach writing just as you would an in-person meeting with your customers. The sooner you can break the ice, the easier you'll find it to get them on board and to move them along your funnel.
Finish with a friendly thank you
Last but not least, you need a friendly way to sign off. Wishing someone a good day and sending a thumbs up emoji is a great way to go about it. Aim to sign off just as you would to a friend, thank them for their time, and make it clear they can contact you anytime they need a hand. It's these little touches that bring your text to life and will have people coming back to you over and over again for years to come.
Final ThoughtsLive chat is no longer a nice bonus or a novelty, it's something that an ever-increasing number of your customers are coming to expect. This means that if you want to keep pace with your competitors, you need to get on board with the latest customer service development.
Focus on a friendly, conversational, and concise style of writing. Use a little bit of humor here and there, include links and key facts, and keep it simple. You're not sending emails here; you're texting. Do it in a way that matches the style of your brand, and your business will be heading in an exciting new direction before you know it.
