Prompting Tips

Getting Started with Prompts

Think of prompting like giving directions to a really smart friend who's eager to help but needs clear guidance. There are two main approaches, and knowing when to use each will save you time and frustration.

Two Approaches: Structured and Conversational

Structured: When you know exactly what you want and can describe it upfront, go big. This works great for structured tasks like reports, emails, or planning.

You are a friendly nutritionist. I'm a busy parent with two kids under 10. 
Create a weekly meal plan that:
- Takes 30 minutes or less per meal to prepare
- Uses ingredients I can find at any grocery store  
- Appeals to picky eaters
- Includes 3 vegetarian options
Format as a simple table with prep time for each meal.

Conversational: When you're exploring ideas or not sure exactly what you want, start simple and build through conversation.

First prompt: "Help me brainstorm ideas for my daughter's 8th birthday party"
Follow-up: "I like the outdoor scavenger hunt idea. Can you give me 10 specific clues for kids that age?"
Refine: "Make those clues easier and add some that work indoors in case it rains"

Never Accept the First Answer

This might be the most important rule. AI's first response is rarely its best. Think of it as a rough draft that gets better with your feedback.

Initial: "Write a follow-up email to a client who missed our meeting"
Refine: "Make it more understanding and suggest two specific times next week"
Polish: "Remove the formal language and make it sound like how I actually talk"

Controlling the Conversation

Keep Building: When the conversation is going well, keep refining in the same chat. The AI remembers context and gets better at understanding what you want.

Fork with Edit: Hit "edit" on your original prompt to try a different approach without losing your progress. Perfect for "what if I asked this differently?"

Start Fresh: If the conversation gets muddy or the AI seems confused, start a new chat. Sometimes a clean slate works better than trying to redirect.

Prompting Frameworks

Sometimes you need more structure than just "tell the AI what you want." Think of frameworks as templates that help you organize your thoughts and give the AI everything it needs to succeed.

RTCF Framework

This is your go-to structure for complex requests. It stands for Role, Task, Context, Format.

Role: Who should the AI act as? Task: What exactly do you want done? Context: What background info does it need? Format: How should the response look?

Act as an experienced hiring manager who has interviewed hundreds of marketing candidates at tech companies. Help me prepare for a marketing manager interview at a software company by creating strategic questions and effective response frameworks. I have 3 years in digital marketing, mostly B2B. This role oversees content strategy, lead generation, and a team of 4. Provide 20 likely questions with sample answers showing strategic thinking and leadership skills. Include "what they're really asking" insights. End with 5 questions I should ask them.

Other Useful Frameworks

The Starter Framework:

You are an expert [blank]
Context: [your situation]
Task: [what you need]
Output: [how you want it formatted]
Rules: [any specific do's and don'ts]
Ask me clarifying questions if you need more information

The Comparison Framework: When you need to evaluate options:

Compare these three vacation destinations: Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Portugal
Consider: cost, weather in March, family-friendly activities, flight time from Chicago
Present as a simple pros/cons table
Which would you recommend for a family with teenagers?

When to Use Structured Approaches

Use frameworks when:

You have a complex request with multiple parts
You need consistent results (like formatting reports)
You're working on something important and want to be thorough
You plan to reuse similar prompts

Stick with conversational when:

You're brainstorming or exploring ideas
The task is simple and clear
You want to iterate and refine as you go

Remember: These frameworks evolve as AI models improve. What works great today might be overkill tomorrow. Start simple and add structure when you need it.

Writing Effective Prompts

Good prompts are like good directions—clear, specific, and with enough context that someone can actually help you. Here's how to write prompts that get you what you want.

Be Clear and Specific

Vague requests get vague results. The difference between "help me write something" and "write a 3-paragraph email to my team about the project delay" is night and day.

Instead of this:

Make my writing better

Try this:

Rewrite this paragraph to be more conversational and remove any jargon. 
My audience is small business owners who aren't tech-savvy:
[paste your paragraph here]

Cut the fluff. Skip the pleasantries. "Write a story about a robot and dog" works better than "Could you please help me write a story about a robot and dog if you don't mind?"

Provide Context and Examples

Context is everything. The AI doesn't know your situation, your audience, or your goals unless you tell it.

Basic context:

I'm a freelance graphic designer pitching to a local restaurant. 
Write a follow-up email after our meeting yesterday. 
Keep it professional but friendly, and mention the logo concepts we discussed.

Even better with examples:

I'm a freelance graphic designer pitching to a local restaurant. 
Write a follow-up email after our meeting yesterday. 
Keep it professional but friendly, and mention the logo concepts we discussed.

Here's my usual tone in emails:
"Thanks for taking the time to chat! I'm excited about the direction we discussed..."

Zero, One, Few Shot Examples:

Zero shot: Just ask without examples
One shot: Give one example of what you want
Few shot: Provide 2-3 examples

Each level improves results significantly. One example gets you 12% better responses, multiple examples add another 7%.

Let AI Ask Questions

Instead of guessing what the AI needs, let it interview you:

Help me plan a backyard garden for beginners. 
Ask me clarifying questions one at a time until you have enough information 
to create a detailed planting plan.

or simply:

Before answering, what do you need to know to give me the best response?

Setting Roles

Role assignment helps the AI focus and provide specialized knowledge:

Act as a pediatric nurse with 10 years of experience. 
My 4-year-old has been having trouble sleeping and seems anxious about bedtime. 
What are some gentle strategies I can try?

Different roles, different perspectives:

"As a potential customer..." (for business feedback)
"From a teacher's perspective..." (for educational content)
"Act like a friendly neighbor..." (for casual advice)

Tone and Voice

Match your natural voice by providing examples:

Rewrite this formal announcement in my casual style. 

Here are some examples of how I usually write:
"Hey everyone! Quick update on the project..."
"Hope you're all doing well. Just wanted to share..."

Or specify the tone you want:

Rewrite this email to sound more confident and less apologetic:
[paste email]

Key Language Tips

Use specific action words:

Instead of "produce a report" → "List the top 5 issues and write one paragraph explaining each"
Instead of "detailed summary" → "3-paragraph overview focusing on costs and timeline"

Set clear boundaries:

"Focus only on..."
"Avoid mentioning..."
"Include exactly 5 examples"

Favorite power words:

"Elaborate" - adds more detail to existing content
"Critique" - spots problems before they become issues
"Rewrite" - improves tone, clarity, or style

Output Control

Getting the AI to give you exactly what you need is all about being specific about the output. Think of it like ordering at a restaurant—the more specific you are, the more likely you'll get what you want.

Output Formatting

Stop asking AI to "write X" and give it a framework instead. AI is excellent at filling in blanks but terrible at guessing what you actually want.

Instead of this:

Write an essay about remote work

Try this framework:

Write an analysis of remote work using this structure:

Title: [Creative title here]
Thesis: [Main argument in one sentence]
Benefits:
- [Key benefit #1 with example]
- [Key benefit #2 with example]
- [Key benefit #3 with example]
Challenges:
- [Challenge #1 with solution]
- [Challenge #2 with solution]
Conclusion: [Your recommendation]

Keep each section to 2-3 sentences, write for working professionals.

Specific formatting requests:

Create a weekly meal plan formatted as a simple table:
- Column 1: Day of week
- Column 2: Breakfast (under 300 calories)
- Column 3: Lunch (vegetarian options)
- Column 4: Dinner (30 minutes or less prep time)
Include total prep time at the bottom.

Ask for Multiple Options

When you want variety:

Give me 5 different subject lines for this newsletter about our new product launch.
Make them completely different styles: urgent, curious, benefit-focused, 
question-based, and casual.

Different complexity levels:

Explain cryptocurrency three ways:
1. To a 10-year-old
2. To a college business student  
3. To someone with finance experience who wants technical details

Review and Analysis

Use AI as your writing critic:

Here's my draft cover letter:
[paste letter]

First, list the top 3 weaknesses in this draft.
Then rewrite it addressing each weakness.

Get hostile feedback early:

I'm about to present this budget proposal to leadership:
[paste proposal]

Play devil's advocate. What are the strongest arguments against this proposal?
What questions will the skeptics ask?

Pro Tips for Better Outputs

Split complex requests: Instead of "Explain the causes, effects, and solutions for climate change" (that's three different tasks), break it down:

First: "List the top 3 causes of climate change"
Then: "Describe the main effects on agriculture"
Finally: "Suggest two practical solutions"

Use parameters when available:

ChatGPT, use temperature 0.3 for this factual summary 
[or]
ChatGPT, use temperature 0.8 for this creative brainstorming

(Temperature 0 = focused and consistent, Temperature 1 = creative and varied)

Advanced Techniques

Once you're comfortable with basic prompting, these advanced techniques will help you get even better results and work more efficiently.

Getting AI to Help Write Prompts

Better prompts get better answers, so why not have AI help you craft them? This is especially useful for complex or repeated tasks.

Prompt improvement requests:

I want to ask AI to help me write a business plan. 
What would make this prompt better:
"Write a business plan for my consulting business"

Give me a detailed, structured prompt that will get much better results.

Rate and improve:

Rate this prompt on a scale of 1-10:
[paste your prompt here]

What would make this a 10/10 prompt? Rewrite it for me.

Let AI interview you:

I need help writing a proposal for a client project. 
Before you start writing, ask me 5-7 targeted questions that will help you 
create the most effective proposal possible. Ask one question at a time.

Iterative Refinement

Think of this as collaborative editing. Start broad, then narrow down through conversation.

Step-by-step refinement:

First prompt: "Help me write a LinkedIn post about our company's new remote work policy"

Follow-up: "Make it less corporate and more conversational. Focus on the benefits for employees."

Refine further: "Add a question at the end to encourage engagement, and mention that we're hiring."

Final polish: "Remove the hashtags and make the tone match this example: [paste example]"

The "elaborate" technique:

Initial request: "Give me 5 marketing ideas for a local coffee shop"

Then: "Elaborate on idea #3 with specific steps and budget estimates"

Saving and Reusing Successful Prompts

Create a prompt library for repeated tasks:

Weekly report template:

You are an executive assistant. Create a weekly team report using this format:
- Key accomplishments (3-5 bullets)
- Challenges faced (2-3 bullets)  
- Next week's priorities (3-4 bullets)
- Metrics (if applicable)

Use data from: [paste weekly notes]
Keep it concise and positive while being honest about challenges.

Content repurposing template:

Transform this [blog post/article/presentation] into:
1. Three social media posts (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram-appropriate)
2. Five email newsletter bullets
3. One elevator pitch (30 seconds)

Maintain the core message but adapt the tone and length for each format.
Original content: [paste content]

Advanced Conversation Management

Forking conversations strategically:

Use "Edit" when you want to try a different approach without losing your progress
Start fresh when context gets muddled or you're going in a different direction
Keep building when the AI is understanding you well

Context stacking:

I'm going to give you three pieces of context, then ask you to synthesize them:

1. Our company values: [paste values]
2. This quarter's challenges: [paste challenges]  
3. Employee feedback: [paste feedback]

Now create talking points for my all-hands meeting that addresses the challenges 
while reinforcing our values and responding to the feedback.

Power User Tips

Chain prompts for complex projects:

Step 1: "Analyze this market research data and identify 3 key trends"
Step 2: "Based on those trends, what are 5 product opportunities?"
Step 3: "Take opportunity #2 and create a one-page business case"

Use AI as different experts in one conversation:

I need to evaluate this business idea from multiple angles:

First, respond as a marketing expert - what are the marketing challenges?
[wait for response]

Now respond as a financial analyst - what are the financial risks?
[wait for response]

Finally, as a customer - would you buy this and why?

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Even experienced AI users fall into these traps. Here's how to avoid the most common mistakes that make your prompts less effective.

Curbing AI-Sounding Language

AI has a tendency to write in a particular style that sounds... well, like AI. Here's how to get more natural, human-sounding results.

Add this to your prompts:

Avoid any sentence structures that set up and then negate expectations 
(like "X isn't just about Y" or "X is more than just Y"). 
Instead, use direct, affirmative statements. Be conversational and occasionally humorous.

Or try this approach:

Write this announcement in a natural, conversational tone. 
Vary your sentence lengths. Some short. Others can be longer and more detailed.
Avoid corporate buzzwords and clichés.

Make it sound like you:

Here are three examples of my writing style:
[paste examples of your actual writing]

Now rewrite this draft to match my natural voice and tone.

Prompt Length Pitfalls

Too long = diluted focus. When prompts get too lengthy, the AI spreads its attention across too many tasks and does none of them particularly well.

Instead of this monster prompt:

Write a comprehensive marketing plan that includes target audience analysis, competitor research, content strategy, social media approach, email marketing tactics, SEO recommendations, budget allocation, timeline, success metrics, and a crisis communication plan for our new fitness app launching in Q2.

Break it into focused chunks:

Step 1: "Analyze the target audience for a new fitness app launching in Q2"
Step 2: "Based on that audience, what are our top 3 competitors and their key strengths?"
Step 3: "Create a content strategy that differentiates us from those competitors"

Common Language Mistakes

Avoid conflicting instructions:

"Brief detailed summary" ← Pick one
"Casual professional tone" ← These don't mix
"Quick comprehensive analysis" ← You can't have both

Be specific, not vague:

Instead of "make it better" → "make it more conversational"
Instead of "improve this" → "fix the grammar and shorten the sentences"
Instead of "professional tone" → "friendly but authoritative, like talking to a colleague"

Information Density Problems

Don't remove context to shorten prompts. Instead, increase information density by cutting fluff:

Wordy version:

Hi! I was wondering if you could please help me write an email to send to my team about the upcoming project deadline that we discussed in our last meeting. I want to make sure everyone knows what they need to do and when they need to do it by. Thanks so much for your help with this!

Dense version:

Write a team email about our project deadline discussed in the last meeting. 
Include specific tasks and due dates. Keep it friendly but clear.

Boundary Setting Mistakes

Use positive instructions instead of negative ones:

Instead of "don't use jargon" → "use simple, everyday language"
Instead of "avoid being too casual" → "maintain a professional tone"
Instead of "don't make it too long" → "keep it under 200 words"

Set clear boundaries:

Focus only on digital marketing strategies
Budget range: $5,000-$10,000
Timeline: next 90 days
Target audience: small business owners

The "Politeness Trap"

AI doesn't need pleasantries. They waste tokens and dilute your message.

Skip this:

Hi there! I hope you're having a great day. Could you please help me with something if you don't mind? I was wondering if you might be able to...

Just say this:

Help me write a follow-up email to a client who missed our meeting yesterday.

Quick Fixes for Better Results

Force AI to pick a side:

Don't give me a balanced perspective. Based on this data, 
should we invest in this project or not? Pick one and defend your choice.

Get coaching, not just answers:

When I share ideas or drafts, don't just improve them. 
Help me understand why certain approaches work better and 
coach me to become a better thinker.

Input Types and Tools Best Practices