How to feed ChatGPT the proper prompts

Given the prominence of ChatGPT across media and creative industries, some people firmly believe that AI will be bring about the end of their careers – copywriters included! While we can’t deny that may happen in the near future, AI is still relatively in its infancy stage (compared to the dystopian future imagined in Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot). Rather than joining angry mobs with pitchforks and torches, why not take advantage of ChatGPT to supplement our writing? It’s free to use (as of this article’s publishing), and although going premium can cut down queue times, the basic version is fine as is.

That said, there are several nuances to using ChatGPT. It’d be folly to expect a casually plopped prompt to net you something good, so if you want to step up your AI prompt game, then read on!

Constructing the opener
As with copywriting, your opening defines how the AI will interpret the rest of the prompt. According to Grammarly, there are 9 ideal flavours of openers you can choose from:

1.  Create/write a…
The most vanilla prompt. Consider adding restrictions or points to emphasise, which will better focus the AI – otherwise you may find the generated content to be too broad.

2.  Act as a…
Tell the AI to put words and thoughts together like a marketer, a lawyer, a doctor, etc. This helps the AI narrow down which industry and audience you are looking to target.

3.  Complete this sentence…
This prompt is ideal for setting up conclusions or when you aren’t getting the right response from an open-ended question.

4.  Mimic this style…
If you dislike the AI’s default writing tone, you can have it imitate another writer. Someone who’s well-known will give the AI more reference material, but you can also copy and paste excerpts from the person you want to imitate – like yourself for instance!

5.  Give me examples of…
A great prompt for learning more about subjects that you are not familiar with.

6.  Show this as a…
AI has grown to be able to convert raw data into rudimentary graphs and charts, which can be helpful for illustrating and identifying trends… but because ChatGPT is still mostly text-based, don’t expect too much.

7.  Write a list of…
If you need a batch of different responses, asking for a list is an efficient way to get them. Do provide specifications to tighten the range of responses, otherwise you might get some that fly off the mark.

8.  Compare…
Spotting similarities and differences can be a little tricky when dealing with something we aren’t familiar with, so getting the AI to do it for us is very handy.

9.  Tell me about… or Explain…
Considering how quickly the AI can gather information, getting it to do research and summarise it for you is a legitimate tactic. Just make sure you ask for sources so you can fact check the results later!

Professional prompting 101
In addition to how you structure your prompt’s opening, there are several best practices that you should integrate to maximise ChatGPT’s efficiency.

·   Don’t be greedy
Waiting for ChatGPT queues suck, but you definitely don’t want to shove in 5 different prompts at the same time. “This risks the LLM (large language model) unevenly focusing on some elements of the tasks over others,” explains Jodie Cook, senior contributor to Forbes and founder of Coachvox AI. “Counteract this by breaking tasks down into simple, singular prompts… Even when you ask ChatGPT to rework something it has produced, change one thing first. After that, change another thing.”

·   Be detailed and divide labour accordingly
If you know precisely what you want, don’t be afraid to give direct instructions in your prompt – be it about length, a particular point that you want to emphasise, a writing style… all is fair game! “Also ask ChatGPT if the prompt you’re about to give is suitable,” suggests Cook. “As you might expect, ChatGPT composes very good prompts for ChatGPT, so ask it to critique what you’re about to say and get its ideas for amendments.”

Whether for idea generation or for content creation, it’s important to establish the AI’s role by setting its parameters accordingly with your prompt – “Explain why you want something, specify what you want, and the format in which you want it delivered,” describes Cook. “If you’re happy with your subheading but you want ChatGPT to work on the opening hook, state that explicity. Clearly explain which tasks ChatGPT is responsible for, leaving no doubt as to which it should tackle.”

·   Be proficient at revising prompts
Don’t be discouraged if the AI doesn’t give you what you want. Instead of cursing at ChatGPT, it’s more productive to look for faults to revise. Did you give the AI too much leeway which allowed it to deviate from the topic? Did you set strict enough parameters on the points you want covered? Like communicating with a person, your choice of words matter – use simple words and sentence structures to ensure your prompt gets taken at face value, and use punctuation to separate each point…

Furthermore, Cook points out that you can enter a new prompt critiquing what the AI had initially generated for you. “Explain what was correct about the output and explain the edit,” she writes. “Giving one piece of feedback at a time will mean you can make incremental changes until you arrive at something you’re proud to say is yours.”

Merging mind and machine
Let’s try putting in a prompt now – we’ll be using ChatGPT-4 on ChatGate.AI, as it currently has the most advanced technological brain (the official OpenAI version isn’t available to us in Hong Kong without using a VPN, but both use the same open source language model).

Prompt: Write me a 500-word article on how to succeed with content marketing

To succeed with content marketing, it is essential to understand that it's not just about producing content, but about creating value for your audience that aligns with your brand's strategic goals. Here's a comprehensive guide to excel in content marketing:

**1. Define Your Objectives and Audience:**
Start by setting clear, measurable goals for what you want to achieve with your content marketing efforts, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or driving sales. Then, create detailed buyer personas to understand the needs, challenges, and content preferences of your target audience.

**2. Craft a Content Strategy:**
Develop a content strategy that outlines the types of content you will create, the topics you will cover, and the channels you will use to distribute your content. Your strategy should be flexible enough to adapt to changing market conditions or audience preferences.

**3. Create High-Quality Content:**
The cornerstone of successful content marketing is high-quality content. This means creating informative, engaging, and valuable content for your audience. Focus on originality, depth, and relevance. Use storytelling to make your content more engaging and memorable.

**4. Optimize for Search Engines:**
Ensure your content is discoverable by optimizing for search engines. Use keyword research to guide your content creation, and include those keywords naturally within your content. Pay attention to on-page SEO elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, and header tags.

**5. Utilize Different Content Formats:**
Diversify your content formats to cater to different audience preferences and to keep your content marketing fresh and interesting. Include blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, webinars, and whitepapers in your content mix.

**6. Promote Your Content:**
Creating great content is only half the battle; you must also actively promote it. Use social media, email marketing, influencer collaborations, and paid advertising to increase the reach of your content. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and feedback.

**7. Measure and Analyze Performance:**
Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content. Key metrics to monitor include website traffic, engagement rates, conversion rates, and social shares. Analyze this data to understand what works and what doesn’t, then adjust your strategy accordingly.

**8. Encourage User-Generated Content:**
User-generated content (UGC) can amplify your marketing efforts. Encourage your audience to create and share their own content related to your brand. UGC can increase engagement, build community, and provide social proof.

**9. Be Consistent:**
Consistency is key in content marketing. Maintain a regular publishing schedule to keep your audience engaged and to build momentum. Consistency also helps with SEO and establishes your brand as a reliable source of information.

**10. Stay Updated and Adapt:**
The digital landscape is always changing, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest trends and best practices in content marketing. Be prepared to adapt your strategy to new technologies, platforms, and changes in consumer behavior.

In conclusion, content marketing success hinges on a strategic approach that combines goal-setting, audience understanding, high-quality content creation, SEO optimization, multi-channel promotion, performance analysis, and adaptability. By focusing on providing real value to your audience and continually refining your approach based on performance data, you can build a powerful content marketing program that drives business growth and enhances your brand reputation.

Considering how basic our prompt was, this really isn’t bad – but it’s rather generic and lacks personality. Furthermore, we feel like several of the things the AI covers is too simple… let’s highlight a few points for the AI to prioritise and also include some 2024-specific trends.

Prompt: In the style of Neil Patel, write a 500-word article on how understanding my audience base, emphasising user-generated content, building proper SEO, and other trending best practices in 2024 can help my content marketing strategy succeed.

**Unlocking Content Marketing Success in 2024: Audience Understanding, User-Generated Content, and SEO Mastery**

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is not just beneficial—it's imperative. As we step into 2024, the fusion of audience insight, user-generated content (UGC), and cutting-edge SEO practices is not just a trend; it's a powerhouse strategy for content marketing success.

**Understanding Your Audience Base**
First things first: know your audience. This timeless advice has never been more relevant. With the advent of sophisticated data analytics and AI-powered tools, understanding your audience has transcended past demographics. It’s about psychographics—knowing their behaviors, interests, and pain points. Dive deep into social listening, leverage AI to analyze behavior patterns, and employ predictive analytics to anticipate their needs. Your content should not just speak to your audience; it should speak about them.

**Empowering User-Generated Content**
UGC is the secret sauce of authenticity in 2024. It's peer validation in its purest form. Encouraging your users to create content for your brand transforms them from passive consumers to active brand ambassadors. It builds community, trust, and engagement—all currency in the digital domain. Incorporate UGC into your strategy by prompting users to share their experiences on social platforms, running contests, or featuring customer stories in your campaigns. Remember, authenticity resonates louder than promotion. 

**Building Proper SEO**
SEO is no longer just about keywords and backlinks; it's about intent and user experience. Google's algorithms are getting smarter, focusing on user engagement and content relevance. Voice search optimization, AI-driven content creation, and semantic search are not just buzzwords but essentials. Ensure your content answers questions people are asking, and you'll rank not just on SERPs but in user trust.

**Leveraging Video Content**
Video content continues to dominate. With platforms like TikTok and YouTube, and the rise of short-form video, your content marketing strategy must adapt. Videos are not just engaging; they're also favored by algorithms, often gaining more organic reach than other content types. Invest in quality video production that aligns with your brand voice and resonates with your audience's preferences.

**Interactive Content for Engagement**
Interactive content is the engagement king. Quizzes, polls, interactive infographics, and augmented reality experiences are not gimmicks—they're powerful tools for keeping users engaged and invested in your brand. They not only enhance user experience but also provide valuable data on user preferences and behaviors.

**Consistency and Adaptability**
Consistency in your content marketing strategy builds recognition and loyalty. However, adaptability is just as crucial. The digital marketing world is dynamic, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Keep an eye on emerging trends, platform updates, and new technologies to stay relevant.

**Conclusion**
In conclusion, your content marketing strategy in 2024 hinges on a deep understanding of your audience, leveraging the gold mine of user-generated content, mastering SEO beyond the basics, embracing video content, engaging users through interactivity, and balancing consistency with adaptability. It's a multi-front battle, but with these strategies, you're not just fighting to keep up; you're leading the charge.

Much better, and it’s almost eerie how similar the AI was able to capture the tonality and writing style of Neil Patel! The only thing missing would be to include some case studies and examples, but we’ll let you figure out how to revise the prompt.

Setting up prompts takes a bit of finesse, but as with any skill, it becomes easier once you get the hang of it. That said, don’t just pass off the AI’s writing as your own… they may be a darn good imitation of a human writer, but the duty of editing and quality control is still ultimately up to us!