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It’s hard to imagine digital marketing without chatbots. But their success stands and falls with the right content. In this article, you will learn how to write content for chatbots that not only works, but also inspires. We’ll show you what really matters in conversational content marketing, how to optimize texts for chatbots and why authenticity and structure are crucial. This guide is aimed at self-employed people and marketing managers who want to boost their visibility and really reach their target group. Well-founded, practical and with direct benefits for your digital communication.
Why is writing good content for chatbots so important?
Imagine entering a store and being greeted by an unfriendly, monotone-speaking salesperson. No smile, no interest, no helpful information. This is exactly how it feels for users when chatbots are poorly written. First impressions count – even digitally.
Good content for chatbots is more than just automated text. It is part of your brand communication, conveys trust and helps to convert users into customers. Especially in the context of conversational content marketing, it is clear that every sentence has to be right.
What is "writing content for chatbots"?
When we talk about chatbot content, we don’t just mean FAQ answers or generic phrases. We are talking about a dialogic, natural-sounding communication style that is both targeted and efficient. The challenge: you have to break down complex content so that it works in chat format – in other words, it has to be short, clear and contextual.
This also includes the right tone of voice. A chatbot is not a newsletter. It is a conversation partner, advisor, sometimes a problem solver. It stands for your company. And that’s exactly why the content has to fit.
A key aspect of writing content for chatbots is collecting typical user questions and concerns. To do this, it is advisable to talk to service teams, community managers and other colleagues in order to gather a broad spectrum of real questions. This provides a solid basis on which to formulate suitable, helpful answers and then store them in the chatbot database.
How does chatbot content differ from classic web text?
The big difference lies in the format and the intention:
- Brevity & clarity: Chatbots need short sentences. A maximum of one thought per message.
- Interactivity: The user responds. The bot reacts. This is not a monologue.
- Contextuality: Content must be able to react to previous input.
- Naturalness: Texts must sound “spoken”, not written.
While a web text often has a linear structure, a chatbot works in branched conversation paths. This places completely new demands on content strategy and structure.
Want to delve even deeper into the topic of content? Then take a look at my overview page ” Content marketing for visibility “.
What steps should you take when writing?
1. define the goal What should the chatbot do? Making appointments, product advice, lead generation? Your content must be geared towards this goal.
2. understanding the target group
How does your target group speak? What terms does it use? What problems does it have? A good chatbot speaks the language of your users.
3. personality and conversation
Relaxed, serious, advisory, humorous? Give the chatbot its own personality that suits your company. Keep the communication friendly and empathetic to strengthen user loyalty.
4.sketch dialogs
Plan the dialog like a script. What questions does the bot ask? What answers are possible? What happens afterwards?
5. writing & testing texts
Write each message individually. Use clear language, avoid jargon. And test the conversation with real users.
6. prefer closed questions
Open-ended questions may seem more natural, but they are difficult for chatbots to process as the answer option is hardly predictable. You should therefore mainly ask closed questions or combine open questions with clear answer options. Example: “Where would you like to go on vacation? In Germany, Europe or Asia?”
7. short, concise sentences
Avoid long, convoluted sentences. Clear and short statements are easier to understand and provide a better user experience.
How do you optimize texts for chatbots?
Good chatbot texts are no coincidence. Here are specific tips to improve your content:
- Use simple language: Complex sentences are a conversion killer.
- Use personalization: mention the name if known. Respond individually.
- Avoid dead ends: Every chat history needs at least one next option.
- Incorporate microcopy: Short confirmations such as “All right!” or “You’re welcome” make the experience more human.
- Link meaningfully: Provide further content, but don’t overload the dialog.
How does conversational content marketing actually work?
Conversational content marketing means designing your content in such a way that it is part of a conversation. It’s about actively engaging users instead of just sounding at them. Examples are
- Interactive product advice
- Chat-based knowledge transfer
- Automated lead qualification
- Guided Selling via Dialage
The big advantage: this type of content sticks. It is more emotional, quicker to grasp and creates a connection to the brand.
Which tools help with writing chatbot content?
- Chatbot platforms such as ManyChat, Chatfuel or Landbot often offer their own editors for content.
- Userpilot or Hotjar provide insights into user behavior that you can use for optimization.
- AI tools (such as ChatGPT) can help with the design, but should always be edited.
Creating content for chatbots with AI
Tools such as ChatGPT are able to generate very large amounts of text in a very short time. For chatbots, this means
- ChatGPT can help to formulate potential, typical questions and also create suitable answers.
- AI-supported systems are able to individualize content based on user profiles and behaviour.
- To stay with the example of ChatGPT, this can ensure a consistent style and tone of voice, which is particularly important for a consistent brand identity.
- An AI is also able to incorporate relevant keywords to increase visibility.
What are common mistakes when creating chatbot texts?
- Too much text at once
- Missing common thread in the dialog
- Unnatural language
- No clear call to action
- No emergency exit to human support
Avoid these pitfalls and you’ll already be a big step ahead of your competitors.
Conclusion: Chatbots need real content - not text garbage
Chatbots are not a secondary construction site, but an important touchpoint in your digital communication. Those who score points here with high-quality content will stand out. Use this opportunity to build trust through clever dialog, inspire users and increase conversions.
Q&A: Frequently asked questions on the topic of "Writing content for chatbots"
The tonality should match your brand and your target group. You can use your existing communication channels (website, newsletter, social media) as a guide.
Ideally a maximum of 160 characters per message. It is better to send several short messages than one long one.
Use colloquial language, incorporate emojis discreetly, respond to names and questions, and work with microcopy.
Key figures such as dwell time, click rate, abandonment rate or conversion rate help you to evaluate performance and optimize content.
Yes, especially with regard to data protection (GDPR). Users must be informed about the data processing and, if necessary, consent to it.
Sources & further reading:
Content marketing for the self-employed – Your voice on the web
Discover how you can build visibility, trust and genuine customer relationships with well thought-out content.
About the author:
My name is Isabel Unger, I am an independent digital strategist with a clear focus: visibility for the self-employed & small businesses. My heart beats for SEO, content, structure – and for explaining complex things in a way that makes them understandable and feasible.
On ixtreme.online I share my knowledge, my experience and a lot of plain language – without any technical gobbledygook.
