Writing robust AI prompts

Like many things in life, when it comes to generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, or Gemini, you get out what you put in. And with these tools, it all starts with the right prompt. For those who don’t know, a prompt is the text that you write into the chat box of a generative AI tool, and getting it right the first time is beneficial for a few reasons. A well-written prompt gets you closer to the output you need on the first iteration, saving you time and frustration. As a result, you’ll use the tool less, which will also help reduce your environmental impact (it’s true, AI tools use a lot of water!).  This article will give you a framework to improve your prompt writing skills and create more robust inputs, and all you need to remember is: PROMPTS.
P - PERSONA
R - REQUIREMENTS
O - OUTPUT STYLE
M - MESSAGE SPECIFICS
P - PERSPECTIVE
T - TWEAKS
S - STORYTELLING

P: PERSONA

To start off with, you need to tell the AI who you want it to be or what industry or subject you’d like it to specialise in. This will help focus the AI tool in terms of the language it’s using, any examples or metaphors it includes, tone of voice, and terminology. For example:

• You’re a marketing expert who helps businesses expand to audiences in the UK. 

• Behave like a business advisor who is an expert at growing small business’s social media followings.

• Act as a children’s rights lawyer specialising in Latin America.


R: REQUIREMENTS 

Next is the easy bit; you’ll need to tell the AI exactly what task you’d like it to complete. For example:

• Give me a list of 5 blog post ideas to entice UK audiences to my business.

• Draft a month’s worth of social media post captions for Instagram and LinkedIn.

• Draft a press release for our organisation’s audience to encourage them to donate to our upcoming fundraiser.


O: OUTPUT STYLE

This step is all about how you want the results you’re getting from AI to look. From presentations to mood boards, social media posts to pie charts, AI can create so many different outputs. Give the AI details about how you’d like your content formatted, to save you even more time and energy. Here’s some formatting ideas:

• Format the presentation to 20 slides, which take no more than 30 minutes to run through. Use minimal graphics and language on the screen.

• Break the proposal into 5 main sections, each with a heading and introductory sentence.

• Make sure the social media captions are no more than 30 words each. 


M: MESSAGE SPECIFICS

It’s a good idea to set the scene and context for the content you’re creating when using AI, such as any relevant background information, as the AI won’t intuitively know this. You can do this by adding attachments to your prompt, such as:
•    Your company style guide
•    A mood board template
•    Previously successful bids
•    Brand communication rules
•    Company social media posts, blogs, website, etc. which convey your company’s tone of voice
Just remember to redact any personal or sensitive information such as contact details, financial or medical information, or sensitive client information.

P: PERSPECTIVE

If you’re using an AI tool to create content for a specific audience, it’s important to include this information in your prompt. To really connect with your audience, your content should reflect their tone of voice, so this is when you think about your audience’s age, gender, location, language, race, socio-economic status...anything and everything that makes up their identity. Focus on those aspects which are the most important parts of their identity relevant to your project. For example:

• Write for parents of young children living in the UK.
• The target audience is women aged 25-40 who are stressed and looking for more peace in life.
• Make sure the tone of each caption will resonate with young people from Scotland, without being culturally inappropriate.


T: TWEAKS

At the end of your prompt, it’s a good idea to give the AI a checklist to run through before it gives you its output. Give it your most important points that you want it to remember throughout the process. Some ideas to include in your checklist are: 

• Make sure the message reflects our company values of compassion, inclusivity, and being mission-driven.

• Check that the content is professional and provides value for the reader.

• If you don’t know something, don’t make it up. Only draw from verified, true, and expert sources. 


S: STORYTELLING

This step is optional, but can really add that personal touch to any content you’re creating. One big thing that humans can do that AI just can’t is add in your stories, experiences, opinions, and ideas. Add these as part of your prompt and the AI tool will slot them into its output where most appropriate. Just remember, don’t ever give an AI tool any private or sensitive information, as there are always risks of data leaks. Some personal touches you could include are:

• Quotes from people who have used and enjoyed your services.

• Behind-the-scenes stories of how your company runs.

• Stories about how your product or services are helping real-life people.

• Your opinion on a recent issue that is relevant to your work.


In summary, adding in a couple or all of these steps will improve the quality of your prompt, and therefore the output you are getting from a generative AI tool as a result. I hope at least one of these steps has resonated with you and will help you get the most out of generative AI tools, while saving you time and prioritising your safety.