Get Creative with AI: How to Write AI Prompts that Deliver Remarkable Content Results

Generative AI can help you create content faster… but it needs your help too. 

Specifically, AI tools require high-quality, relevant prompts to generate the kind of content you want. 

Most AI tools operate on a garbage-in, garbage-out rule. If you provide generative AI with relevant prompts, it will produce relevant content that matches what you had in mind, if not better. If the prompt is terrible, be sure that the output will also be terrible. 

Today’s guide helps you learn the art of writing AI prompts, also known as prompt engineering. 

We examine the basics of a good prompt and teach you how to replicate this in your content-generation endeavors. 

Let’s get to it!

Step-By-Step Tips for AI Prompt Writing 

Writing AI prompts involves providing clear and specific instructions to an artificial intelligence system on what task or goal it should accomplish. The keywords here are ‘clear’ and ‘specific.’ 

Disclaimer: You can use several AI tools to generate content, but in today’s article, we’ll use ChatGPT prompt examples. 

Let's get into 9 handy tips for prompt optimization.

1. Offer lots of context

Imagine you’re a writer at an organization, and the content manager wants you to write a blog post. The manager tells you to write a blog post about content marketing and doesn’t offer any additional information.

Do you think that you’ll meet the expectations they had in mind?

Not really.

Writing without enough context is like trying to find your way out of the Amazon jungle without a map or guidance. 

The same applies to AI. 

Generative AI requires contextual prompts to produce relevant, practical, and factual results. 

You can add context by including the following details:

• The target audience (e.g., dog owner, registered nurse, student, accounting firm, B2B sales agent, etc.)
• Type of content (is it a blog post, email, or social media post?)
• The main message you want to communicate (For example, do you want to sell, inform, survey, or educate?)

Providing enough context enables the AI tool to return relevant, high-quality content. It will also eliminate fluff from your AI-generated content. 

Below are some examples to guide you.

I asked ChatGPT to help me come up with an introduction to a blog post. 

To add more context to my prompt, I specified the target audience, “First-time twin parents.” I was also clear on the section I wanted (the introduction part). The result was relatable, concise, and clear thanks to the context provided. 

I added more context about the voice I was looking for, and this is what ChatGPT delivered.

It needs some tweaking (I’d do away with the first two sentences personally), but the intro is more engaging and conversational. 

2. Offer examples

Like humans, AI content generators understand a topic better when you give examples. For instance, suggest examples of the kind of formatting you want. You could also provide examples to show the type of content or information you’d like. 

If you want to emulate a specific style or format, here’s how to communicate that to ChatGPT.

This is a blog post introduction I loved “provide example of blog post introduction.”
 

Write a similar blog post introduction for “provide your topic.”

3. Communicate the length you’re after

Word count can make a huge difference in your article. For instance, if I’m searching for "how many decimeters are in a meter?” I don’t want a 500-word essay on the history of decimeters and measurements. I want a quick, preferably one-sentence answer telling me how many decimeters are in a meter. 

But if I searched, “what is SEO?” I expect a detailed overview, probably two to three paragraphs telling me what SEO is and how it’s used. 

The intent behind each content piece will help inform the word count. And this word count should be specified in your AI prompt. 

Be specific, for example: "Write a 300-550-word summary of this blog post."

ChatGPT delivers pretty well when you specify a word count. However, it will have a 50-100 margin of error, and it’s up to you to edit the result to fit your word count. 

4. Know the phrases to use

It’s not difficult to get the hang of AI content-generating tools. The expected language for the prompts is not something out of the “Lord of the Rings” book. That said, AI content generators work best when you know which phrases to use. 

Here are a few phrases that will take your prompts from wishy-washy to laser-focused, precise prompts that give you high-quality results. 

• "Let's think step by step"

This phrase is useful when you want the AI to generate a logical conclusion. It also works when you want step-by-step illustrations for a complex topic. 

• "Thinking backward"

If you’re tired of the AI producing wrong results, this is the phrase to use. It helps you examine the AI’s logic and determine the problem. 

• "In (famous person) style"

What if you want to sound like Shakespeare or an authority in your industry? Here’s where the phrase, “in (famous person) style comes in. It tells the AI to reference and borrow from the voice of the specified famous person.

5. Start with action words

Another tip closely related to tip number 4 is to start with action words. Words such as Create, Write, Make, and develop more relevant and actionable results. 

Here’s an example of the output when I failed to use action words in my prompt:

Here’s what I got after using an action word in my prompt

The second output is far much better. It gives me examples and tools to conduct a comprehensive customer market survey. In short, it’s detailed but concise and gives me an excellent base to start my content. 

6. Ask the AI model to roleplay

Asking your AI model to roleplay is another way to create functional and relevant prompts. Role-playing enables the AI to ‘think like the roleplay personality’ to deliver actionable output. 

I asked the chatbot to roleplay a professional cat groomer for this prompt. 

The output came to about (249 words). As requested, the result also reads as if it’s coming from an expert and is all-around concise and interesting. 

7. Use natural language

Use natural language when writing prompts so the AI can understand and interpret the instructions accurately. Avoid using technical jargon or overly complex language that could confuse the AI.

If you must use jargon, including a definition is a good idea. 

Remember, if your AI writing prompt is jargonistic and hard to understand, the content will likely be hard to understand. 

8. Be Firm and Support the AI

AI is a machine; like machines, it needs clear and firm instructions to perform as desired. If you want the best result, you MUST tell the AI, what to avoid, what to do, and what to prioritize. 

For example, if you want to create an exercise routine blog post for a first-time mum, here’s how you can be firm and support the AI with your prompts. 

Create a daily exercise routine for a 25-30-year-old mum. Assume that the mum is 4 weeks postpartum. But exclude any exercises that put pressure on the spine or work the abdominal walls against the force of gravity. 

I didn’t like the first format, so I refined my prompt to get the format I was looking for.

The second ChatGPT prompt was firmer, and the AI delivered as expected. 

9. Refine your AI writing prompt as needed

When starting, the first prompt may not exactly deliver what you’re looking for. So, you’ll be forced to iterate your prompt several times until the AI delivers your expectations.

If your prompt isn’t producing the written results you want, use a thesaurus to change the wording. Sometimes, even a single word tweak makes all the difference. 

Tying it Together with an AI writing Prompt Formula

Here’s the prompt formula that can get you desired results. 

[prompt intent] + [context] + [brand personality/voice] + [data/template/example]

• Prompt intent: what do you want the prompt to achieve? For example, a detailed how-to guide on a specific topic.
• Context: target audience, type of content, and main message you want to convey.
• Brand personality/voice: the voice can be helpful and easygoing, witty with a hint of sass, etc.
• Data/examples/ template: give the AI a roadmap or useful information that makes your content unique. 

Should You Write AI Prompts or Hire a Professional?

AI prompt writing can be simple or complex, depending on your experience level.

But here’s one truth; winging AI writing prompts is not a wise choice.

Why?

For starters, you’ll end up spending countless hours creating a prompt if you don’t know how to write effective prompts. 

This time is better spent on other core business areas. However, if you hire a professional prompt writer, they can generate effective prompts that speed up your content writing process. 

A professional prompt writer uses the best wording, researches the needed data, and fact-checks all prompts to develop high-quality AI-generated content.

Zoey Writers has a team of professional prompt writers who can help you create generative AI prompts. 

Contact Zoey today to learn more about our prompt writing services. 

Also check out: We Asked ChatGTP What the Future of SEO is: Here is a Snippet of the Answer.

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash. Thank you Emiliano!