The Conversologist

Nope, it’s not about selling on social media. And it’s not about spamming your prospects on social either. So, what does it take to ‘Social Sell'? 

What if an AI bot could talk like a human? Would you spend time conversing with it?

With ChatGPT’s popularity and rise of AI tools, UX and UI design might just accelerate towards a more human-centered approach even more. And what would Conversational Design Look Like in an AI Future?

This is the first livestream edition of the Conversologist Podcast show.  Joining me in this episode is Rebecca Xu, product marketing manager at Opus where we tackle the do's and don'ts when live streaming, harnessing tech to bring out the creativity and audience engagement and more.

Do you see stress as a negative or use it to enhance your life instead? 

What if you could talk to the (near) future and equally, the future talks to us? The Metaverse has a lot to offer but will that allow us to travel through time using avatars and learn about what is yet to come?

Online learning. Rate it, or hate it? From group zooms, to set-and-forget video tutorials, there are so many options. What works best - from a learner’s and a teacher’s perspective - and where could online learning go?

How does AI even work? What is NLP? LUIS? Dialogflow? Watson? Lex? What is machine learning? What about IOT?

Matthew Barker is a self-titled "chatpreneur" in Reno, Nevada. His mission: to deliver the gospel of chatbots to the small to medium business.

Chief Conversologist Jam Mayer chats to the very chatty Matthew about his philosophy of life, pitching with no pitch, coffee shops, and of course chatbots. 

When Apple released its voice interface in late 2011, watching somebody shouting at their phone repeatedly was good comic relief. Many of us would wait for a quiet moment alone before daring to ask our phone a question.

Today, via the likes of Alexa and Siri, more and more of us are confidently using voice as our UI. Searching, calling, composing and sending messages, an interface that is arguably the most natural we have.

More than half of India’s Internet users are doing it. Voice search is seeing massive growth in Asia - India, China, and Indonesia being the top three. And importantly, voice is used more by the younger generation: under 35s are leading the change.

Why should we be listening to the talk about voice? What are the threats? What are the opportunities? What does it mean for the UX writer or chatbot developer?

In this episode Rew Shearer and Jam Mayer touch on the topic. And why not? Podcast is the new blog. 🙂

Hillary Black is Head of Strategy and Content at Black Ops, a leading Detroit-based Chatbot agency.

Their work in conversation design and automation platforms is considered cutting edge, and Hillary as a thought leader in the industry.

In this episode, Chief Conversologist Jam Mayer talks to Hillary about the daily life and challenges of a conversation designer, essential tools, techniques and insights, and even tips on how to get started as a conversation designer.

How do you develop an engaging chatbot personality in the shortest time?

Being an in-house radio copywriter forces you to deliver what we usually tell clients is impossible: good, cheap, and fast.

Rew Shearer’s key to survival in this chaos has been formulae that cut to the chase and streamline the workflow. In this episode Rew discusses his quick trick to developing a chatbot personality that is engaging, effective, and memorable.

Will you accept her challenge? 

The art of digital engagement is changing fast; but so are we, in the ways we use it and the expectations we have.

Chief Conversologist Jam Mayer reflects on the changes, on the challenges faced by digital marketers in this evolving landscape, but also on those truths that remain unchanged.

When a thriving tech startup company decided to drop the word ‘chatbot’ from its lexicon, you know there’s something wrong. ‘Negative connotations,’ according to this developer.

Chatbots were predicted to be the hype of the coming decade. So why the push-back, why the hate - or is it fear? Is it user ignorance, bad experiences, or something else?

In this episode, Jam Mayer and Rew Shearer try to uncover a few of the truths behind why ‘chatbot’ has become the new c-bomb, and let you make up your own mind.

Episode 6: From neuroscience to chatbots: an interview with the Cortex Copywriter

Sydney-based Nathan Mudaliar is a trained neuroscientist who has followed his creative heart into copywriting, screenwriting and yes, chatbots.

In Nathan’s world, copywriting actually is a science. From the effects of words on the dopamine reward centres, to the psychology of tone and nuance, his work is the future of marketing.

Chief Conversologist Jam Mayer talks copywriting, chatbots and cerebella with this episode’s special guest. 

Episode 5: The Personality in Chatbot Marketing

Chatbots are commonplace in business and marketing, covering everything from brand awareness, to customer service, to online sales.

Most chatbot conversation designers will agree an effective chatbot needs a personality. But nearly always, ‘personality’ means a name, a face, and not much else. 

This week we talk chatbot personalities, skeuomorphism and the key to true customer engagement. 

Episode 4: Questions from Hootsuite: Building A Social Organisation: Jam’s Social Media Brand and Marketing Tips

How do I identify my target audience?

Should we get a chatbot?

How do I convince my client that conversational marketing is the way to go?

When Hootsuite came to Auckland on May 20th Jam Mayer was invited to speak in the panel discussion. There were many questions, and not everything got answered.

This episode we tackle some of those questions, and give our perspective. If you’re a busy social media manager, small business operator, if you’re time-poor like the rest of us and trying to get the best ROI from your social, this episode of The Conversologist podcast is for you.