An AI chatbot that references content across all of a content creator's social media profiles and websites while emulating their tone and voice to provide the most appropriate, authentic, and accurate responses to questions from their audience.
Following a project focused on a messaging service for content creators, we spoke with them to discover the market of the product we intended to develop. As we learned more about the different kinds of interactions between a content creator and their audience, we discovered that content creators are not only seen as prominent personalities; depending on their vertical, they can be seen as subject matter experts who can share knowledge and recommend effective products.
There have already been funnel-like services which can automate this; for example, some services allow workflows to be created which look for certain keywords in direct messages (i.e “Link”) and automatically respond with something like a featured product. However, while these services save time for the content creator, there are still moments where more personal or detailed messages from their audience fall through the cracks, leaving questions unanswered and potential affiliate conversions unfulfilled.
We created a platform that helps content creators maximize engagement and revenue by turning their rich content into an interactive AI chatbot. We observed that for creators producing videos, reels, podcasts, and blogs, it can be overwhelming for their audience to find answers across multiple platforms. We wanted our AI chatbot to make this process more simple and pleasant by providing instant responses while seamlessly integrating affiliate links and promotional products.
After research and speaking with content creators with a primary presence on various platforms, we identified the following insights to drive the direction of the product.
Regardless of true experience in an area, because they possess a significant following and create content around a particular topic, creators are often asked specific questions which aim to tap into their perceived expertise on the topics of their content.
Unless a creator has implemented a method of automatically replying to certain keywords of messages, they can at times be too busy to reply—leaving their audience with unresolved questions and, in some cases, leaving money on the table by not replying with relevant links to products the creator is affiliated with.
Content that creators produce can maintain importance and relevance, but can get algorithmically unfavored due to factors such as a distant publish date, and they seek ways to elevate the prominence of this content without needing to "repost".
From the insights we identified, we determined that there were 2 personas of creators we wanted to focus on for iSonic: web publishers and social media creators. To ensure that the iSonic product aligned with these personas through development, I created the following 2 personas to use as a North Star.
Web publisher
45 years old | Travel content creator
Runs blog website with 15,000 monthly viewers, posting articles about destination guides, reviews, and tips
Partners with destinations and accommodations to promote them
Has social media, but mainly uses it to direct followers to his blog
Social media creator
27 years old | Beauty content creator
Runs an Instagram with 200,000 followers, posting short-form video content about routines, tips, and recommended affiliate products
Has a storefront where she sells her own brand of beauty products
While the product is still being developed and information to share is limited, I have completed the design of the product experience, so it is only a matter of time before I have more to share.
I also designed and developed iSonic's landing page which will serve as one of the first impressions of the service, and once it is published, I will link it here, so stay tuned!
When creating the logo for iSonic, I wanted to convey the idea of service that operates with speed and efficiency while also tying back to the premise of the product: to connect a creator to their audience through engagement with their content.
This identity, paired with references to the symbols of the brand's name, gave rise to its logo.
The product is currently being developed, and we are currently underway with exciting initiatives to direct the product towards launch.
As we look to scale iSonic and build a beta user base, we will assess how we market the service and onboard creators in order to clearly communicate the iSonic's benefit and provide a smooth experience to get creators up and running.
As our user base expands, we will obtain feedback through qualitative and quantitative assessments of the user experience in order to guide further actions and iron out wrinkles before the official launch.
Since we see iSonic as a method for creators to both maximize their income and discover the curiosities of their audience, we will implement data visualizations to help them recognize these insights and clearly understand actions to take.
