Prompt like a pro

AI prompt writing tips for content people

If you’ve ever gotten a clunky or robotic output from an AI tool, it’s not the model — it’s the prompt. Learning how to guide the tool is the new digital literacy for communicators.

Here’s the good news: Communicators already have the skills it takes to be great at prompting.

Marketers, writers and editors are trained to think about audience, tone, clarity, structure and intent. Those are the exact ingredients of a good AI prompt. If you've ever written a creative brief, crafted a messaging guide or tailored content for different buyer personas, you're already halfway to mastering prompt engineering.

Prompting isn’t just a tech skill — it’s an extension of what we do best: Asking smart questions, framing messages for impact and guiding tools to achieve specific outcomes.

Mastering the art of prompting is like learning to search the internet in the early 2000s — it’s the secret to getting better, faster, more relevant results. And in today’s AI-powered writing environment, strong prompting skills are a serious differentiator. 

Prompting is no longer optional — it’s foundational. Think of it as your new professional superpower.

Prompting is a skill — and it's worth mastering. Too many communicators give up on AI after one bad output. The real problem? The input. Vague prompts yield vague results. The more clarity, detail, and context you provide, the better the results you'll get back.

A strong prompt should include:

• The role you want AI to play (e.g., "Act as a senior B2B content strategist")

• The task or format you want (e.g., “Write a 75-word LinkedIn post”)

• The audience or purpose (e.g., “For CFOs exploring ERP migration”)

• Tone or brand cues (e.g., “Professional but approachable, using plain language”)

Layer your requests and refine. Don’t expect perfect output on the first try. Prompting is iterative. You can:

• Ask AI to “try again with a more confident tone”

• Request it to “shorten this by 50% and make it punchier”

• Build from bullet points by saying “Expand this list into a blog outline”

AI is a flexible collaborator — but only if you give it clear direction and course-correct along the way.

Use frameworks to build consistency. Just like templates in content marketing, frameworks in prompting can streamline your process. Some go-to frameworks:

• "Act as...": Gives AI a persona to adopt for tone and expertise

• "Write in the style of...": Helps match tone (e.g., “Write this in the style of Harvard Business Review”)

• "Break this into sections with subheads": For organizing long-form content

• "What are five alternate ways to say this?": For ideation, simplification, or reframing

  
  

Incorporate your own content. To get closer to your actual voice or brand standards, feed the tool your content samples. Paste in a few past blog posts, LinkedIn posts or email campaigns and ask AI to mimic the structure, tone, and voice.

Example: “Here are three of our recent newsletter intros. Now write a new one using a similar style, focused on our latest ERP report.”

5. Know when to stop and take over. AI can generate a lot, but you’re still the filter. Learn to:

• Spot generic language or unsupported claims

• Identify where tone feels off-brand

• Customize calls to action or messaging nuances for your specific audience

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AI should give you momentum — not final product. You’re the finisher. The strategist. The voice.

Examples in action

• Drafting a presentation: Use AI to write speaker notes based on bullet points or a meeting brief.

• Creating personas: Ask AI to generate buyer personas based on target demographics.

• Writing headlines: Request 10 subject line variations and A/B test them in email campaigns.

Common prompt mistakes to avoid

• Being too vague (“Write something about AI and marketing”)

• Not specifying the format (“Make this a short blog vs. an outline or headline list”)

• Expecting perfect tone without direction (“Match our brand voice: curious, clear and confident”)

Prompting is no longer optional — it’s foundational. Think of it as your new professional superpower.

With strong prompts, you can:

• Reduce time spent on first drafts

• Kickstart creativity when you’re stuck

• Experiment with variations faster than ever

  
  

I would suggest starting small: Try rewriting a single paragraph with AI this week using a structured prompt. See how much easier it gets — and how quickly your content game levels up.

And never hesitate to tell AI what you want to do and ask it to suggest the best prompt. Afterall, who knows better than AI how to work with AI?