Garbage In, Garbage Out: Writing Effective ChatGPT Prompts

?? ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) have revolutionised how we approach tasks, from creating business plans to drafting social media posts. However, the quality of your input determines the quality of the output. Here's a guide to crafting effective prompts.

??? Step 1: Lay the Groundwork

Preparation is key. Consider the following before crafting your prompt:

• Objective: Define your goal. Are you seeking information, creating a plan, analysing data, or writing a summary?
• Audience: Tailor your output by understanding your audience. Is it a CEO, end-users in a specific region, or just for yourself?
• Information Needed: Prepare relevant details and/or metrics related to your task. Remember, ChatGPT can process a vast array of information to generate responses so upload any relevant information and data.
• Parameters: Set boundaries to focus the AI's responses, narrowing down the possibilities.

?? Step 2: Crafting Your Prompt

The key is to include as much relevant information as necessary. But balance is crucial, include essential information but avoid unnecessary details. Here are the different building blocks you can include, not every block is necessary, it depends on the task.

Foundational Blocks (Always Required):

?? Task Description: Clearly describe the task and its objective. These typically start with an action verb such as generate, give, analyse, list, etc. Examples;

- “write 10 social media post headlines”

- “summarise a report for me”

- “write an email about...”

?? Context: Offer background information to tailor the response to your needs. Examples;

- “…. the content strategy is for a new product that is being launched to existing customers”

- “…. the press release is in response to a data breach that recently occurred”

- “…. the report is for my immediate manager who is very analytical and ROI driven”

Optional Enhancer Blocks:

?? Intended Audience: Specify who the output is intended for. Examples;

- “the blog article is targeted at new users who don’t necessarily know what a VPN is”- “the newsletter is targeted at cost conscious family travellers”?

- “the presentation is for a highly technical conference with experienced cryptography engineers”

- “The audience for this brief is the Board, please rewrite in a professional and formal tone”

?? Role: Instruct ChatGPT to assume a particular role or perspective for nuanced responses. Examples;

- “As the CEO for the company, review the attached summary and prepare ….”

- “As a seasoned financial analyst, analyse the attached financial statements and provide details...'

- “As the Head of Editorial?proof read the following blog article....'

?? Output Specifications: Define the desired format, structure, tone, and length. Examples;

- “The output should be a table which includes the following column headings….”

- “The output should be a 300 word summary with the following sections….”

?? Tone and Language: Guide the AI on the preferred communication style. Examples;

- “don’t use jargon or acronyms”?

- “The tone and language should take inspiration from the voice of Lululemon communications”

- “ The tone and language should be professional and legalistic”?

?? Now string them together

As a [ROLE] [TASK DESCRIPTION] for [CONTEXT]. The output should be in the form of [OUTPUT] with the intended audience being [AUDIENCE]. Please write in the style of [TONE AND LANGUAGE]

For example;

I need you to create a travel itinerary for 1 week in and around Melbourne Australia in early December. The trip is for a family with 2 adults and one 4 year old boy. We are interested in wildlife experiences such as feeding animals and farm stays. We will have a rental car so we can travel around but don't want to drive more than 2 hours and prefer a relaxed itinerary without too much travel. When staying out of Melbourne we mid priced accommodation options. Prepare a detailed itinerary for each day and recommended times for each activity.

?? Step 3: Experiment and Iterate

Like in growth marketing, experimentation and iteration are key. The first output may not be perfect, so tweak and refine the prompt. Remember, ChatGPT can also assist in improving prompts so ask it for help.

Here's an experiment you can do: go to ChatGPT and ask it to "give me an example of a well constructed prompt where I am the head of marketing and am planning a new product launch" and see what it outputs.

?? Final Thoughts:

Save your prompts and outputs. This habit allows for continuous refinement and improvement, essential in mastering ChatGPT prompts.

?? Share your experiences and prompt tips below! ??

?? #ChatGPT #AI #DigitalMarketing #TechTips #Innovation