You've probably tried an AI tool and been disappointed with the results. The problem isn't the AI — it's the prompt. The way you instruct AI determines the quality of what you get back. Here are 10 rules that will dramatically improve your results.
Rule 1: Be Specific About What You Want
Vague prompts get vague answers. Instead of "write about marketing," try: "Write a 500-word blog post about email marketing best practices for SaaS companies targeting small businesses."
Include: topic, format, length, audience, and purpose.
Rule 2: Assign a Role
AI performs better when given a persona. Start your prompt with "Act as a [specific role]."
Example: "Act as a senior financial analyst with 15 years of experience in tech startups. Analyze this P&L statement and identify the three biggest concerns."
Rule 3: Provide Context
The more context you give, the more relevant the response. Include:
- Your industry and role
- The target audience
- Constraints or requirements
- Background information
Rule 4: Use Examples
Show the AI what you want by providing examples. This technique is called "few-shot prompting" and it's one of the most effective methods according to prompting research.
Rule 5: Specify the Format
Tell the AI exactly how to structure the output: bullet points, numbered list, table, JSON, email format, etc.
Rule 6: Set Constraints
"Keep it under 200 words." "Use a conversational tone." "Avoid jargon." "Write at a 6th-grade reading level." Constraints focus the AI's output.
Rule 7: Chain Your Prompts
Complex tasks work better as multiple steps. First ask for research, then for an outline, then for the full draft. Each step builds on the previous one.
Rule 8: Ask for Multiple Options
"Give me 5 different headline options for this article." Seeing multiple approaches helps you pick the best one and gives you material to iterate on.
Rule 9: Iterate and Refine
Your first prompt rarely produces the perfect result. Use follow-ups: "Make it more concise." "Add more data points." "Change the tone to be more authoritative."
Rule 10: Use Templates
Don't start from scratch every time. Use proven prompt templates for common tasks. Our free prompt library has 77 expert-crafted templates for marketing, sales, development, finance, and more.
Prompt Formula That Works
Here's a formula you can use for almost any task:
[Role] + [Task] + [Context] + [Format] + [Constraints]
Example: "Act as a conversion copywriter [Role]. Write a landing page headline [Task] for a project management SaaS targeting remote teams [Context]. Give me 10 options in a numbered list [Format]. Each should be under 10 words and focus on time savings [Constraints]."
Ready to see these rules in action? Browse our prompt library — every prompt follows these principles.