How To Write AI Prompts To Create Great Content (+ Examples)

1. Instructional Prompts

Instructional prompts are directives that guide the AI to perform a specific task. 

They are clear and concise, often starting with a verb such as "write," "explain," "create," or "generate." Instructional prompts are commonly used for content generation, summarization, and explanations.

Example

• Prompt: “Write a 500-word summary of the main themes in George Orwell’s 1984.”
• AI Output: The AI would generate a summary focusing on themes such as totalitarianism, surveillance, and individualism, condensing the novel's key points into a concise 500-word format.

2. Descriptive Prompts

Descriptive prompts ask the AI to generate detailed descriptions of objects, scenes, concepts, or ideas.

These prompts are useful in creative writing, marketing, and product descriptions where vivid and engaging language is required.

Example

• Prompt: “Describe a sunset over the ocean in a poetic style.”
• AI Output: The AI might generate a passage describing the sun dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, with waves gently lapping against the shore and the sea reflecting the colors of the sky like a mirror.

3. Conversational Prompts

Conversational prompts simulate dialogue or generate responses as if the AI were part of a conversation. 

These prompts are useful in chatbot development, customer service applications, and interactive storytelling.

Example

• Prompt: “How would you respond if a customer asked about the return policy?”
• AI Output: The AI could generate a response like, “Our return policy allows for returns within 30 days of purchase. You can return the item for a full refund or exchange it for another product. Please ensure the item is in its original condition and packaging.”

4. Creative Prompts

Creative prompts encourage the AI to generate imaginative content, such as stories, poems, or artistic ideas. 

These prompts often provide a basic scenario or theme, allowing the AI to explore creative possibilities.

Example

• Prompt: “Write a short story about a robot that discovers it has emotions.”
• AI Output: The AI might create a narrative about a robot in a futuristic world who begins to experience emotions like joy and sadness, leading to a journey of self-discovery and ultimately challenging the societal norms of its robotic peers.

5. Analytical Prompts

Analytical prompts instruct the AI to analyze data, trends, or concepts and provide insights, explanations, or comparisons. 

These prompts are widely used in data science, market research, and academic writing.

Example

• Prompt: “Analyze the impact of remote work on employee productivity using recent studies.”
• AI Output: The AI could summarize various studies that explore remote work, highlighting findings that suggest increased productivity due to fewer distractions and potential downsides like isolation or communication challenges.

6. Comparative Prompts

Comparative prompts ask the AI to compare and contrast two or more items, concepts, or ideas. 

These prompts are particularly useful for reviews, product comparisons, and decision-making content.

Example

• Prompt: “Compare the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars and hybrid cars.”
• AI Output: The AI might list the benefits of electric cars, such as zero emissions and lower running costs, and contrast them with the advantages of hybrid cars, like extended range and flexibility, along with discussing potential drawbacks for each.

7. Exploratory Prompts

Exploratory prompts guide the AI in delving into a topic, exploring different facets, and providing a comprehensive overview. 

These prompts are ideal for research, brainstorming, and educational content.

Example:

• Prompt: “Explore the history and evolution of artificial intelligence from its inception to the present day.”
• AI Output: The AI could generate an overview that covers key milestones in AI development, from early theoretical work in the 1950s to the advent of machine learning, neural networks, and modern applications like natural language processing and autonomous vehicles.

9. Transformative Prompts

Transformative prompts ask the AI to convert or transform content from one format or style to another. 

This might involve rephrasing, summarizing, translating, or adapting content for different audiences.

Example

• Prompt: “Rewrite this technical article for a non-expert audience.”
• AI Output: The AI could take a complex technical article on quantum computing and rephrase it using simpler language, analogies, and explanations that make the topic accessible to a general audience.

10. Scenario-Based Prompts

Scenario-based prompts present the AI with a hypothetical situation and ask it to generate content based on that scenario. These prompts are effective in role-playing, training simulations, and strategic planning.

Example

• Prompt: “Imagine you are a marketing manager for a new product launch. Create a marketing plan for the first quarter.”
• AI Output: The AI might generate a detailed plan that includes target audience identification, marketing channels, budget allocation, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring success.

1. Identify The Purpose Or Goals

Before you write an AI prompt, clarify what you’re creating and why you’re creating it.

Ask yourself:

• What goal are you trying to achieve with the content?
• What should your target audience know after reading the content?
• Do you want them to take a certain action like clicking a link or purchasing? 

This will help the AI tool produce the best possible content and align the AI-generated content with your brand goals.

2. Give Clear, Specific Instructions

"The secret of getting successful work out of your trained men lies in one nutshell—in the clearness of the instructions they receive." — Robert Baden-Powell.

The same applies to AI. As would be expected, inputting vague or ambiguous prompts can lead to a misaligned response. 

For example, “Explain the meaning of life.” wouldn’t generate a response as useful as “Explain some popular philosophical perspectives on the meaning of life.” 

To ensure you provide detailed instructions for the AI tool, ask yourself: What is my desired outcome? 

When you have that question clearly answered, describe the task that should be completed. This includes specifying if the response should be a certain length or format (bullet list, 280 characters, etc.), what action you would like for your audience to take, and even the tone and style you would like the AI to write the content in. 

Pro-Tip: The longer and more detailed the question or task, the better the output!

3. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Asking “yes or no” questions generates less detailed responses than asking open-ended questions. 

For example, instead of asking, “Is coffee bad for you?” (impossible), try asking, “What are the top benefits and risks of drinking coffee?”. 

Asking open-ended questions gives the tool the freedom and space to answer in as much detail as possible.

4. Check Your Grammar And Spelling

Just like humans, grammatical or spelling errors can confuse artificial intelligence.

Thus, always proofread your prompt to ensure your grammar and spelling are correct, and the language is easy to understand. It should come as a no-brainer, but avoid using abbreviations or slang terms.

5. Include Contextual Information

No matter how advanced AI tools are, they can’t understand the context around your request unless you describe it. 

To help them understand, provide some background and contextual information related to your topic and the nature of your desired output. 

For example, who is your AI content writer acting as? Who is the target audience for the content? Include the answers to these questions in your prompt.

1. Creative Writing Prompt

 "Write a 1,500-word short story set in a dystopian future where emotions are outlawed. The protagonist is a government official who secretly experiences emotions and begins to question the society they help maintain. Using a reflective and melancholic tone, the story should explore themes of rebellion, identity, and the human condition."

This prompt is designed to spark creativity while giving the AI a clear direction regarding the setting, character, and themes. By specifying the tone and word count, the prompt ensures the generated content aligns with the desired narrative style and depth.

2. Code Generation Prompt

"Generate an R script that connects to a MySQL database, retrieves data from a table named 'customers,' and writes the output to a CSV file. Ensure the code includes error handling for database connection issues and invalid queries."

This prompt clearly outlines the task and expectations for the AI. By specifying the programming language (R), the task (retrieving data), and the need for error handling, the prompt guides the AI to produce functional and reliable code that meets the given requirements.

3. Comparison Prompt

"Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using Kubernetes vs. Docker Swarm for container orchestration in enterprise environments. Focus on factors such as scalability, ease of use, community support, and integration with cloud platforms. Provide a 1,000-word analysis that includes real-world examples."

This prompt instructs the AI to generate a detailed comparison of two complex technologies, focusing on specific criteria relevant to enterprise environments. The prompt ensures the AI delivers a thorough and informative analysis by setting a word count and specifying the need for real-world examples.

4. Dialogue Prompt

"Create a dialogue between two characters—one is an AI researcher, and the other is an AI that has developed self-awareness. The conversation should explore the ethical implications of AI gaining consciousness, touching on topics such as free will, morality, and the potential consequences for humanity. Use a thoughtful and philosophical tone."

This prompt generates a meaningful, engaging dialogue that delves into profound ethical questions. By providing context about the characters and the tone, the prompt encourages the AI to produce an intellectually stimulating conversation relevant to contemporary AI ethics debates.

5. Summarization Prompt

"Summarize the key findings of a recent study on the impact of remote work on employee productivity. The summary should be no more than 300 words and include the study's methodology, main conclusions, and any limitations or caveats mentioned by the researchers."

This prompt directs the AI to concisely and accurately summarize a specific study. When you specify the word limit and the elements to include (methodology, conclusions, limitations), the prompt ensures the AI delivers a focused and informative summary that captures the essence of the research.

Online Course Prompts

When using your course topic as a prompt, it should be broad enough to capture the breadth of content you’ll cover in your course but also specific enough to ensure it is relevant to your desired audience.

Here is a simple format to follow when creating your course topic prompt: 

[Brief description of what your course will cover] + [target audience for your course]

Good examples of course topic prompts:

• Social media marketing for small business owners 
• Watercolor painting for beginners
• Advanced yoga teacher training 

Bad examples of course topic prompts:

• Marketing 
• Painting 
• Yoga

Try out your course topic now with our Course Outline Generator!

Lesson Content Prompts 

Lessons are the building blocks of your overall course. Writing the prompt for your lesson topic should focus on one specific idea that you want your audience to take away from your course. 

Let’s say you are creating a “Social media marketing course for small business owners”. 

Here is a simple format to follow when creating your lesson content prompt: 

[Brief description of what your lesson will cover] + [2-3 desired learning outcomes that the lesson will achieve]

Good examples of lesson content prompts:

• How to create a social media strategy, including defining a target audience, setting goals, and measuring success
• The benefits of working with social media influencers include identifying and approaching potential partners.

Best practices for writing engaging Twitter posts, including length, format, and frequency

Bad examples of lesson content prompts:

• Social media marketing 
• Creating content on social
• Twitter ideas 

Build a course lesson with our Lesson Content Generator!

Social Media Prompts

When creating great social posts with AI, be sure to get specific! Is it a ‘how-to’ guide, an inspirational quote, or a promotional post? What is the message you want to get across in your post? 

By providing these details, your first draft will be oozing with valuable information. You can then use our tool to adjust the tone or length of your post. 

Here is a simple format to follow when creating your social media post prompt: 

[Type of post you want to generate] + [the audience for your post] +  [a short description of what message you want to convey in your post] 

Good examples of social media prompts:

• Inspirational quote about running helps first-time marathon runners get motivated
• How-to post about how beginners can make sourdough bread
• Helpful tips for entrepreneurs who need help launching their business 

Bad examples of social media prompts:

• Marathon running 
• Sourdough bread 
• Business 

Create a social media post now with the Social Media Content Generator. While you’re there, explore all six of our free AI tools at the AI Creator Hub, where you can easily build your online business!

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How to Write a Perfect Prompt for AI?

Be specific and clear about what you want. Include details like the topic, tone, length, and structure. Avoid ambiguity and provide context if needed. The more precise your prompt, the better the AI will perform.

How to Optimize AI Prompt?

Start by refining your instructions to be as detailed as possible. Use clear language, specify the format and tone, and set expectations for length. Testing and tweaking your prompt based on the AI’s output can also help improve results. A smart strategy is to use one AI, like Claude, to help generate or refine your prompts before using them with another AI, such as ChatGPT.

How to Write a Good Prompt for ChatGPT?

A good prompt for ChatGPT should be clear, detailed, and specific. Mention the topic, the writing style (e.g., formal or conversational), and any particular points you want covered. For better results, provide context and set expectations for the output.

How to Tell ChatGPT to Write Like a Human?

Ask it to use a conversational tone, include personal anecdotes, and avoid overly technical language. You can specify, “Write in a natural, engaging style that feels relatable and human, with clear explanations and examples.”