AI Prompt Writing 101 for Marketers: Using ChatGPT

• Regan Johnson

Have you ever had an idea but can’t get it to roll off your tongue? If the answer is yes, artificial intelligence may become your best friend.Artificial intelligence has changed the marketing space, and it’s likely to play a role in your job in some fashion. Learning how to use it effectively starts with AI prompt writing.

Success starts with the prompt. ChatGPT and other AI tools need clear, thorough instructions to produce useful output.

It’s not as scary as you might think. After plenty of experimenting with AI tools over the past few years, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. We’ll walk you through AI prompt writing based on what’s worked for us and what’s blown up in our faces.

What Is AI Prompt Writing?

AI is any automated tool that uses machine learning make your life easier. In marketing, AI assists thousands of teams every day with content generation, data analytics, and more.

ChatGPT is the most well-known artificial intelligence, but there's an AI for almost anything nowadays. No, really, there is. If you have a task that you would like an AI to complete, TheresAnAIForThat.com offers links to various AI resources. 

No matter the platform, AI still relies on human direction to produce useful results. That’s where prompts come in.

Prompts give an AI context. They tell the AI what you want it to do. When it comes to AI prompt writing, clear and specific instructions generally give the tool a better foundation for its response.

Prompts are the starting point for expressing your ideas and creativity. There's work to be done and knowledge to acquire!

Types of AI Prompts for Marketers

There are several kinds of prompts, each with unique uses:

1. Instructional prompts: Express explicit command
   Example: List 10 benefits of the keto diet.
   
   
2. Exploratory prompts: Starting points for imaginative content
   Example: What would it be like if pigs could fly?
   
   
3. Scaffolding prompts: Provide a starting framework
   Example: From a child’s perspective, narrate a story about fairies and dragons.
   
   
4. Interactive prompts: Ease interaction and engagement for inspiration
   Example: Help me brainstorm ideas for a fake brand.

There are other ways to categorize AI queries, but these are the main ones pertinent to marketing. Wait, we almost forgot ...

How to Write a Mega Prompt

A mega prompt sounds intimidating, but is simply one detailed prompt. It combines several prompting techniques into one!

Providing context to the AI bot is more important than ever with this prompt type.

There are seven parts to a mega prompt:

1. Persona: Who are you writing to? What's motivating them to read your content?

• Examples: Demographics, job titles & responsibilities, etc.

2. Task: What is the topic or the message you’re trying to convey?

• Examples: Format of content, target keyword

3. Steps: What elements will you use to achieve your response? 

• Example: Quotes, article outline

4. Context: How do you want to convey your message?

• Examples: Tone, word count

5. Goal: What is the goal of the prompt? 

• Example: Drive relevant traffic to your website

6. Format: How should the response be formatted? What writing style should the response be written in?

• Examples: APA style, heavy use of bullet lists

7. Response acquired!

Quick AI Prompts for Fast Results

Short prompts are one-word statements that an AI can identify. There are four short prompts to use with ChatGPT for AI marketing and content creation applications:

• Continue: Ask the AI to keep going when a response stops before the task is complete. 
• Expand: Receive more details from a response. Nice way to generate long-form content.
• Analyze: Break down text.
• Summarize: Explain text in a nutshell.

When you want to use a short prompt in ChatGPT:

1. Type your prompt
2. Type a colon after it
3. Press Enter to send the prompt
   
   

Advanced AI Prompt Writing Techniques

Ready for more? There are advanced AI prompting methods you can use to get more specific responses from AI tools.

1. Prompt chaining: a series of prompts in a step-by-step format

Example: First, write a fairytale. Second, introduce a villain., etc.

2, Explicit specification: makes expectations clear (tone, style, and formatting)

Example: Write a heartwarming story showing appreciation for our customers. Use a positive tone and make it personal.

3. Contextual prompts: adds contextual information (background information, character traits, and setting)

Example: You are a runner in the depths of a forest determined to finish the race.

4. Iterative refinement: facilitate interaction and engagement (brainstorming or seeking inspiration)

Example: Can you suggest a plot twist for a murder mystery story?

AI Prompt Writing Limitations and Tips

Artificial intelligence isn’t perfect. No matter the task, humans should intervene to help strengthen an AI’s functions.

Remember: Prompts are pathways, not the destination. Prompts influence an AI’s learning and essentially what is produced.

Limitation: ChatGPT will produce errors.

Tips: 

• • Review all responses for errors, as you will most likely need to make changes.
  • You can prompt ChatGPT to change portions of the output.
    • Example: "Please rewrite the second sentence to be in a more informal style and tone."
  • Ask the tool itself if it has suggestions for how to write a more effective prompt. AIs appreciate empathy too!

Limitation:  ChatGPT may not retain every detail you provide.

Tips:

• • Remind the AI of your prompt.
  • Make a spreadsheet to organize your prompts, and share among the team so all can benefit.
  • Check out AI marketing prompt cheat sheet sites -- there are many.

How to Use AI Prompting Responsibly

Artificial intelligence continues to evolve, along with the rules surrounding how it can be used. Governments have also introduced regulations for AI, including the European Union’s AI Act, which entered into force in 2024 and has been implemented in phases 

Even in its infancy, there are ethical concerns we’re starting to wrestle with when it comes to artificial intelligence and marketing, including: 

• Plagiarism:  Make sure your work is original and properly cited. As AI-generated content becomes more common, your own expertise and perspective still need to come through 
• Contextual understanding: An AI may not comprehend context, cultural nuances, or ethical considerations like a human would. Evaluate responses to ensure they make sense.
• Bias and sensitivity:  An AI may reflect bias, stereotypes, and harmful contexts. Make sure your prompts and responses use inclusive language. 
• Misinformation: Do not prompt an AI with misinformation and expect it to be corrected. Verify that all information is accurate when offered a response.
• Safety and harm: Avoid prompts that incorporate mentions of self-harassment, violence, or illegal activities. Use positive language when prompting an AI.
  
  

Put Your AI Prompt Writing Into Practice

AI prompting may seem daunting, but can be useful for the right types of tasks. There are various kinds of prompts to use with ChatGPT, both short and MEGA! Just remember: Review each and every response you get from an AI conversational tool!

Ready to Put AI to Work?

Want to make AI a more useful part of your marketing? See how p80 can help you use AI with purpose while keeping your strategy and expertise at the center.

 

 

 

(Editor's note: This article was originally published in July 2023 and was recently updated with fresh insights.)