We've all probably read and heard more than we want to about AI at this point. We've seen it used to generate images like the one on this post, we've seen it used to generate text and we've heard how it's becoming sentient and dangerous and scary and how we're all going to be replaced by the bots, oh my God, help me, they're coming for me.
Just kidding, false alarm.
Anywho, I've talked before about AI and the things it's good at — ideation, organization — and those it's not good at i.e. finished copywriting and storytelling.
In short, ChatGPT can be useful for coming up with blog topics, creating outlines, writing engaging social media captions and other short-form or organizational writing. I use it this way, for example, to give me several options when I'm trying to come up with an SEO-optimized outline or a high-engagement headline.
So recently, on the You Probably Need a Robot newsletter, I saw where a company called MyAskAI.com has developed a chatbot customizer. It allows you to input some of your own copywriting or your favorite reference links or documents, then it uses the information it finds there to formulate answers to questions that site visitors might ask.
The service is divided into separate pricing tiers depending on how much reference material you want it to access, how many inquiries you expect it to field, and other factors. I wanted to try out the free tier just to see what it could do. That allowed me to add three links, so I added the following:
Then I named my custom AI RealEstateWriterBot and asked it "How can I write better property descriptions?" Here's its answer:
To write better property descriptions, you should lead with the wow factor and highlight the best aspects of any home through a well-crafted property description. You can imagine that you are telling a prospective buyer about the home and start with something great, then fill them in on other highlights. It's important to avoid cribbing a property description from another agent as they are proprietary and theft can open you up to ethical and licensure violations. If you're not a natural born writer, find someone in your office or even in your family to give your property descriptions a once-over or hire a copy editor or proofreader very affordably on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork to correct any errors.
I couldn't have said it better myself, and, of course, the point is that I did say it myself. Because it's not pulling from the internet at large, your custom AI chatbot can provide more tailored information for your audience. It's more reliable because you're the one informing and educating it.
In terms of engagement and driving folks to your website and content, this is a pretty nifty product. While I don't think it's worth pouring a lot of money into at this point, I'm definitely considering adding it to my front-facing website as a way to keep people there longer and get them interacting with my content.
How could you use a personalized AI chatbot in your business?
Walk potential clients through the buying and selling process
Answer questions about real estate investing
Answer questions about specific neighborhoods
Provide information about first-time homebuyer and down payment assistance programs
Provide information for specific niches you serve, like military relocation or farm and land
And the list goes on and on.
Remember, the trick to this is having a body of information that you consider reliable and that you'd want folks to access for this information. That could come from your own blog or from a trusted resource.
The advantage of using your own blog (or transcripts from your video or podcast content) is that at the end of the answer, your personal AI provides the links from which it accessed its answers. That's an opportunity for you to drive traffic to your blog or website for further information.
You can also generate more longform information, depending on the customization options you choose. That could give you the opportunity to generate the equivalent of customized blogs for inquiries at your site.
I would imagine a disclaimer would be in order to ensure that you're not held liable if the chatbot makes some kind of crazy promise or says something that's not quite accurate. That, however, could give you the opportunity to create a call to action, something like:
Remember, I'm just an AI chatbot. If you want real answers customized to your specific questions, contact Sara Smith at XYZ Realty, 404.555.7787 or ssmith@xyzrealty.com.
Let me know what you think. Would you use a custom chatbot on your website?
If you need transcription services or custom blog writing, remember, I'm always here to help!