🧠 How to Prompt AI: Properly

Everyone thinks prompting is just “asking AI for stuff.”

But there’s a huge gap between typing a request and getting a result that’s accurate.

If your AI responses sound generic, robotic, or just flat-out wrong… it’s not the model’s fault.

Not yours either.

But you’re not giving it directions correctly.

AI doesn’t think for you. It thinks with you.

But only if you know how to talk to it.

Let’s break this down 👇

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WHY YOUR PROMPTS SOMETIMES DON’T WORK

Here’s where most people screw it up (and how to fix it):

They’re too vague

✘ “Tell me something about marketing.”

✅ “Give me 3 social media marketing tips for beginners.”

Be specific. Otherwise, AI’s guessing your intent.

Too much info

✘ Dumping an entire essay = confusion.

✅ Give a short excerpt + say how to summarize.

“Summarize this document in 3 short bullet points. Main idea: [excerpt].”

No format given

✘ “Explain AI ethics.”

✅ “Explain AI ethics in two beginner-friendly paragraphs.”

If you don’t define structure, it improvises and often not in the way you want.

No role or context

✘ “Write sales copy.”

✅ “Pretend you are an expert copywriter, write a sales copy for eco-friendly sneakers targeting college students.”

The role shapes the dataset. Context gives you relevance.

Too many requests

✘ “Write a funny blog about cats, history, health tips, and end with a summary.”

✅ Break it down step-by-step.

Most AI is good at one task at a time. You can always run more prompts. Separately.

_______

THE 5-PART PROMPT FRAMEWORK

Want consistent results? Follow this formula ⤵

Make these 5 things part of your prompt. Go to your AI… let’s say Grok.

Break your prompt down into:

① Context & Role: Who’s the AI acting as?
→ “You’re a nutrition expert helping busy students.”

② Task: What do you want it to do?
→ “Create a simple weekly meal plan.”

③ Audience & Style: Who’s it for?
→ “Use a casual, upbeat tone for beginners.”

④ Format & Length: What structure do you want?
→ “List meals in bullet points for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

⑤ Constraints: What should it not do?
→ “All meals under 15 mins, no fancy ingredients.”

_____

EXAMPLE:

You’re a nutrition expert helping busy college students.

Create a simple weekly meal plan, listed clearly in bullet points for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Keep the tone upbeat, casual, and beginner-friendly.

All meals should take less than 15 minutes to prep with simple, easy-to-find ingredients.

TRY OUT THESE PROMPTS

Creative Writing:
“You’re a fantasy author. Write a suspenseful 3–5 sentence intro set in a magical forest.”

Business Emails:
“You’re an HR rep. Write a concise, empathetic rejection email.”

Learning:
“Explain quantum computing using everyday analogies in 4 bullet points.”

Let me know how it goes!

PERFECT PROMPT CHECKLIST ✅

Before you hit enter:

☑ Did I set context?

☑ Is the task specific?

☑ Did I give format + tone?

☑ Is it the right length?

☑ Did I tell it what to avoid?

BTW… Did you see my newsletter from yesterday?

Read it here if you haven’t already:

So to sum it all up,

Prompting is just giving better directions. The rest is practice.

Train your AI to think like you by being precise, not wordy.

Simple. Clear. Purposeful.

That’s how you prompt AI: properly.

Need more help?

Let’s hop on a call.
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