Back in 2019, I could never have predicted where AI would lead me β or any of us. I just knew it was significant.
And, boy, it flipped our world right over, didn’t it?
Working as a freelance digital innovation copywriter in 2019, AI projects were rare. I mistakenly thought AI was an exciting thing of the future, until I went to CogX and left with my head in a spin and the realisation it was already upon us (and had been for years).
MARKETING SUPPORT FOR CHANGEMAKERS
Since 2019 I’ve worked on brand positioning, tone of voice, and content strategy for digital simulation specialists and experts in creating AI assistants, writing about NLP, LLM, RAG, AI agents, and AI telephony for web copy, AI assistant content, video scripts, case studies, editorial and SEO blog posts, plus micro copy for UX.
βNat’s a fast thinker, able to grasp technical concepts and translate them for a non-technical audience. She’s also a team player and cares deeply about the quality of her work, can manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and has excellent prioritisation skills.“
~ Abbie Heslop, MD of AI
The voyage into conversational AI
When I was first soaking up all I could learn about AI and conversation design, a mentor challenged me to write a chatbot in the voice of a popular animated character. Choosing Disney’s Moana turned out to be a stark reminder you can move in any direction you want in life, if you’re willing to explore beyond the reef π
Writing conversations must be easy, I thought. I talk to other people all the time (too much, my husband would say). And I write β daily. How hard can it be?
With confirmations, error handling, prompts, and barging in, it soon became clear writing for chatbots isn’t as easy as it might seem. Add Grice’s maxims and paralanguage into the mix and I had a lot to learn.
So I read. Listened. Studied the process, and spoke to others already in the industry. Then I accepted the challenge to study a character and take on their voice.
Enter: Moana bot. My first ever untrained attempt to write for conversational AI.
| Moana bot πΊ I see you, tech chief π I’ll show you the way to better copy Give me 2 minutes to sign you up. First, what’s your email address? |
| Tech chief π©βπ» te*******@***il.com |
| Moana bot πΊ Great. Natalie only sends the most thought-provoking tips π Next, tell me your first name |
| Tech chief π©βπ» Joe |
| Moana bot πΊ And your second name? |
| Tech chief π©βπ» Bloggs |
| Moana bot πΊ Almost there If I know your industry I can tailor copywriting tips for you. Wanna share the name of your organisation? |
| Tech chief π©βπ» voyager.co.uk |
| Moana bot πΊ OK, one last thing Before we can start sending emails from Natalie, it’s important we get your explicit consent Confirm it’s your choice to sign up, you haven’t been forced into it by the coconuts |
| Tech chief π©βπ» [YES] I consent to receiving emails from Natalie and know I can unsubscribe at any time |
| Moana bot πΊ You did it! Your data’s safe with Natalie Check your inbox for her first email and start writing better copy for your business today |
Since then, I’ve regularly managed AI assistant content and a day in business without a mention of AI is as rare as spotting a mermaid. Dive deep enough and you’ll find AI treasures in every corner of business. From improving healthcare and education systems, to supporting personal development and helping people feel less lonely. I can’t wait to see how far we can get, working together with AI into the future.
βNat has the right mix ofΒ technical know-how,Β marketing skillsΒ and aΒ genuine personalityΒ to always be a βgo-toβ person when it comes to developing new business ideas or revitalising old ones.β ~ Aanand DavΓ©, MD for simulation and AI specialists
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LET’S TALK!
If you’re using AI to make the world a better or more interesting place, I’d love to support your goals with copy, content, and comms that create a human connection in our new AI world.
