Lara Cattlin · Follow
Published in · 4 min read · Jan 16, 2024
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We’ve almost all been there. You’re staring at your screen, trying to get ChatGPT to cough up something useful, but all you get is digital gibberish. It’s like trying to order a gourmet meal in a restaurant where the chef only speaks Klingon. Frustrating, right? Well, I’m about to give you the cheat sheet that’ll turn your ChatGPT prompts from head-scratchers to gold mines.
First up, the secret sauce. A good prompt is like a well-crafted tweet — short, spicy, and packs a punch. Here’s your go-to formula: Context + Specific Information + Intent + Response Format.
Example Time:
- Context: “You’re my fitness coach”
- Specific Info: “Armed with dumbbells and a yoga mat.”
- Intent: “Whip up a 20-minute full-body workout.”
- Format: “Step-by-step, please.”
Throw them together and voilà:
As my virtual fitness guru with my dumbbells and yoga mat, craft a 20-minute full-body workout, step-by-step.
An image prompt in ChatGPT 4 might be something like:
An artistic and modern digital workspace with a laptop open to a ChatGPT interface, notepads with written prompts, a cup of coffee, and fitness equipment like dumbbells and a yoga mat in the background, symbolizing the blend of technology and personal development.
You can add some very descriptive elements to your image prompts. Dalle, the image generator for ChatGPT, does Okay with very descriptive prompts, but they can sometimes confuse it. The more descriptive prompts do extremely well on platforms like Midjourney.
Creating killer prompts isn’t rocket science. But knowing a few tricks of the trade can be a game-changer. Whether you’re after a witty one-liner or a deep dive, it’s all in how you frame your ask.
Start with an Outline
Think of ChatGPT as your eager but slightly clueless intern. You need to give it direction. Instead of a vague “Write about Italy,” try “Outline a killer blog post on Italy’s hidden gems.”
Examples are Your Best Friend
ChatGPT is like a parrot — it learns from examples. Feed it a few, and watch the magic happen.
Details, Details, Details
Don’t leave ChatGPT hanging. The more specific you are, the less it has to guess. Instead of “Tell me about Greek mythology,” try “Give me a 5-paragraph primer on Greek gods for a mythology newbie.”
Personality is Key
Boring prompts get boring answers. Spice it up. Ask it to channel David Attenborough or your favorite author.
Role Play
ChatGPT loves to play dress-up. Need dating advice? Tell it it’s your love guru first.
Transforming basic prompt ideas into powerful and effective ones involves using the Magic Formula: Context + Specific Information + Intent + Response Format. Here are some example prompt starters:
1. Ideas for Blog Posts about [X]
- Context: “You’re my creative writing assistant.”
- Specific Info: “Focusing on the topic [X].”
- Intent: “Generate unique and engaging blog post ideas.”
- Format: “List format, with a brief description for each idea.”
Prompt: As my creative writing assistant, focusing on the topic [X], I need you to generate unique and engaging blog post ideas. Please provide these in a list format, with a brief description for each idea.
2. Minute-long Ad Script for [Y]
- Context: “You’re my marketing guru.”
- Specific Info: “Product [Y] targeting age group [Specify age group].”
- Intent: “Create a compelling minute-long ad script.”
- Format: “A written script, including stage directions and dialogues.”
Prompt: As my marketing guru, for the product [Y] targeting age group [Specify age group], create a compelling minute-long ad script. The format should be a written script, including stage directions and dialogues.
3. Product Descriptions, Campaign Plans, SEO Strategies
- Context: “You’re my digital marketing strategist.”
- Specific Info: “For our new product line in [Specific Industry].”
- Intent: “Develop product descriptions, campaign plans, and SEO strategies.”
- Format: “Detailed bullet points for each category.”
Prompt: You’re my digital marketing strategist for our new product line in [Specific Industry]. Develop product descriptions, campaign plans, and SEO strategies. Present your ideas in detailed bullet points for each category.
4. Analyze Metrics for a Fashion Brand
- Context: “You’re my data analyst.”
- Specific Info: “Focusing on the latest fashion campaign metrics.”
- Intent: “Analyze and interpret the data to improve sales.”
- Format: “A comprehensive report with charts and actionable insights.”
Prompt: As my data analyst, focusing on the latest fashion campaign metrics, analyze and interpret the data to improve sales. I need a comprehensive report with charts and actionable insights.
5. Follow-up Emails for [Event]
- Context: “You’re my event coordinator.”
- Specific Info: “Post-[Event Name] attendee engagement.”
- Intent: “Craft follow-up emails to maintain attendee interest.”
- Format: “Email templates with a personal touch.”
Prompt: As my event coordinator, post-[Event Name], craft follow-up emails to maintain attendee interest. I would like email templates with a personal touch.
6. Newsletter Structures, Social Media Posts, Personalized Greetings
- Context: “You’re my content creator.”
- Specific Info: “For our online community engagement.”
- Intent: “Design newsletter structures, social media posts, and personalized greetings.”
- Format: “Visual outlines and text drafts for each content type.”
Prompt: You’re my content creator for our online community engagement. Design newsletter structures, social media posts, and personalized greetings. Provide visual outlines and text drafts for each content type.
By incorporating the Magic Formula into your prompts, you not only provide clarity but also enable more targeted and effective responses. This approach ensures that your requests are well-defined and tailored, leading to results that are more aligned with your specific needs and objectives.
I have a GPT bot available to those with the link, feel free to give it a try.
Mastering prompt engineering is crucial for squeezing the juice out of AI in creative and financial projects. Remember, it’s about context, specifics, intent, and format. Add a dash of personality, and you’re golden. Now go forth and prompt like a pro!
