How to create effective prompts

Giving chatGPT context that is important to your outcome needs to be included so the generated content is relevant to your audience and business. Include the prompts below that are relevant to you. 

Prompts are also meant to be combined to help optimize the output.  For instance, you could instruct, "From a biologist's perspective, describe the Galápagos Islands." This would yield a more in-depth exploration of the islands' unique ecosystems and species, compared to the more general prompt "Describe the Galápagos Islands."

At the same time try to keep your prompts straightforward and simple. Overloaded prompts can confuse the AI if it needs to multitask. AI is like a person who can also be confused. 

To help with this you can break down your request or converse with your AI asking it questions to help create content you can later piece together. Or if you are writing a blog post, an option is to first have chatGPT create an outline for you and then prompt it to create one section at a time. More on how to be the ultimate prompt master below to get the best results 👇

Write to AI like you would be talking to a person

This approach is called “interactive prompting” and can deliver really powerful results. Think of how you interact with AI as if you were talking to a friend. Asking the AI multi-step questions allows you to also base your questions on it’s responses. 

This is why generative AI can be a great resource for marketers to brainstorm ideas or do research on any topic. 

Setting the Scene

Provide the AI with a backdrop. This helps in generating responses that are both relevant and rich in content.

Example

• Instead of: "Write about renewable energy"
• Try: "Discuss the rise of renewable energy solutions in Southeast Asia over the past decade."

Be precise about format, tone, or any specific points you want covered such as length.

Example

• "List five benefits of renewable energy in a conversational tone targeting teenagers."
• “The tone should be helpful and concise.” 

Explain Who The Audience Is

Giving context on who the reader is can be helpful for certain responses.

When prompting ChatGPT regarding a specific audience, you'd want to specify the intended audience clearly in your instruction. This gives ChatGPT context on how to adjust the tone, language, and depth of the content. 

Here are some ways to prompt ChatGPT, tailored to various audience types:

• General Audience: "Explain [topic] in a way that anyone can understand."
• Children: "Describe [topic] as if you're talking to a 10-year-old."
• Experts: "Discuss [topic] in detail suitable for professionals in the field."
• Seniors: "Explain [topic] keeping in mind an audience of elderly individuals."
• Non-technical Audience: "Break down [technical topic] for someone without a technical background."
• Marketing Professionals: "Present insights on [topic] from a marketing perspective."
• Educators: "Discuss [topic] in a way that would be useful for teachers."
• Investors: "Describe [business idea or startup] from an investor's point of view."

Instructing chatGPT On Tone

When providing prompts to ChatGPT, it's helpful to be explicit about the tone you want, e.g., "Write a persuasive article about..." or "Explain this concept in a conversational tone suitable for beginners." By setting the tone, you guide the AI's output to be more in line with your desired style

• Formal: Suitable for official documents, research papers, or business proposals.
• Informal: Casual language suitable for blog posts, social media, or casual conversations.
• Conversational: As if speaking directly to a reader or audience in a friendly manner.
• Authoritative: When you want the content to be seen as coming from an expert source.
• Objective: Sticking strictly to facts without any personal opinions.
• Subjective: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
• Persuasive: Trying to convince the reader of a particular point of view.
• Descriptive: Providing detailed descriptions, often used in creative writing.
• Instructive: Direct and clear, like how-to guides or tutorials.
• Humorous: Light-hearted, possibly with jokes or comedic insights.
• Sarcastic or Ironic: Using irony to mock or convey contempt.
• Empathetic: Showing understanding and sharing the feelings of the reader.
• Motivational: Inspiring and uplifting, encouraging action or change.
• Academic: Suitable for scholarly articles, often referencing studies and using more complex language.

Assign the AI a Profession or Identity

You can instruct the AI to draft content as if it's a chef, a software engineer, a travel blogger, or any other persona you'd like it to emulate.

You can direct the AI to generate content as if it's a consumer, a competitor, a social media influencer, or any other viewpoint you wish to explore.

For example, let's have ChatGPT describe a new organic skincare product, but let's approach the topic from the perspective of a loyal customer, a product manager, and a market research analyst. Here's how I'd frame those three inquiries:

• From the perspective of a loyal customer, describe the new organic skincare product.
• As a product manager, how would you talk about the new organic skincare product?
• Through the lens of a market research analyst, describe the new organic skincare product.

You can also plug these three prompts into ChatGPT with your own information and check out its replies. The answers will demonstrate how ChatGPT adopts different angles to cater to each unique perspective.

Use ChatGPT's Custom Instructions

Chatgpt’s custom features give you the chance to add information that chatGPT will remember when outputting responses. 

Keeping chatGPT on Topic

Sometimes if you have a long conversational thread with chatGPT it can lose track and go off topic or deliver information that might not be accurate. 

You can help get its attention back and on topic with some questions and strategies such as:

Rephrase the Question

• ‍‍Sometimes, simply restating or rephrasing your question can yield a more accurate response.

Be Specific

• ‍‍Clearly define what you're asking for. If you provide more specific details or context, it can help narrow down the AI's response.

Break Down Complex Queries:

• ‍‍If you have a multi-faceted question, try breaking it down into separate, simpler questions. Answering one aspect at a time can help maintain clarity.

Restart the Topic

• ‍‍If you feel the conversation is veering off, just re-introduce the topic or reiterate your main point to get back on track.

Reference Previous Inputs Directly

• ‍‍If ChatGPT overlooks a piece of information you provided earlier in the conversation, directly reference or restate that information. Since the AI doesn't have long-term memory, reminding it of the immediate context can help.

Use Explicit Instruction

• ‍‍You can instruct ChatGPT about the kind of answer you're looking for. For instance, "In the context of our previous discussion on solar energy, explain its benefits."

Feedback Loop

• ‍‍After obtaining an answer, if it's not aligned with your expectations, you can follow up with feedback like "That's not quite what I was asking. Let's try again," followed by your question.

Limit Background Information

• ‍‍While context can be helpful, overly lengthy or complex background information can sometimes confuse the model. Aim for brevity and relevance.

Try Again Later

• ‍‍Occasionally, starting a new session altogether can help. Remember, ChatGPT doesn't have a memory of past sessions, so each session is a fresh start.

While ChatGPT is advanced, it isn't infallible. Patience and clarity in communication can often yield the best results. Every engagement with the system is distinct. If the initial response isn't up to mark, just tweak your instruction and try once more. This approach allows for iterative refinement, helping you obtain the desired outcome. If consecutive responses seem repetitive, consider introducing fresh details or altering the keywords.

Examples of Effective Prompts

These are just to give you an idea of some prompts that incorporate direction where relevant to the desired output. Test by adding your own information and explore different outcomes by tweaking and refining prompts.

Dog Tricks Blog Post

• "I'm planning an article titled: '7 Essential Skills Every Cat Should Master.' For each skill, provide: 1) a catchy title for the skill, 2) a scenario where a cat owner might apply it, and 3) one reason why mastering this skill is vital for cats. Please confirm if this is clear."

Client Email

• "Draft a compelling email to a potential customer who has expressed interest in our time management app but is hesitant due to current financial concerns."

Award Acceptance Speech

• "Pen a 500-word acceptance speech for the 'Digital Strategist of the Decade' accolade. Sprinkle in a few humorous quips that'll resonate with digital marketing professionals."

Sustainability in Fashion Blog Post

• "Compose an informative 1,000-word article focusing on the increasing trend of eco-friendly materials in the footwear industry."

Remote Work Article Intro

• "Design a captivating beginning for an article weighing the advantages and disadvantages of freelancing. Start with a compelling analogy that illustrates the essence of freelancing."

Social Media Captions

• "Craft snappy social media headlines for our brand's summer lineup, centered on these product names: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie."

Blockchain's Impact on Marketing Blog Post

• "Develop an insightful article that dives into how augmented reality is revolutionizing e-commerce strategies."

Event Invitation Email

• "Conjure up enticing invitation emails that motivate patrons to join our festive holiday shopping extravaganza."

Other Solutions That Use Generative AI to Create Written Text

• RYTR
• LongShot
• GetGenie
• Shakspeare
• AtOnce

Prompt Structure Checklist

• Did you offer precise guidelines?
• Were detailed specifics included?
• Did you give contextual information for important background info?
• Is your inquiry structured coherently?
• Have you communicated in a straightforward manner?
• Have you incorporated examples or concepts?
• Have you ensured the text is free from grammatical and spelling mistakes?