The secret to writing effective ChatGPT prompts

You don’t need to write multi-thousand-word prompts to get a usable output from ChatGPT.

Most creators overcomplicate writing AI prompts. They write paragraphs of instructions and still get mediocre outputs.

A good ChatGPT prompt has four parts, and you can cover them in a few sentences.

First, describe the Persona. This is where you tell the AI tool who it is. “You’re a master storyteller” or “You’re Steve Jobs.” This puts GPT in the right mindset.

Next comes the Task. Be specific about what you want. Instead of saying “write me content,” try “Create 10 different headlines for my latest YouTube video about prompt engineering.”

The third part is Context. Explain your goals and challenges. Upload examples of content you like. The more context you provide, the better the output.

Finally, describe the Format. Do you want HTML? Markdown? A table? Being clear about the format saves hours of reformatting later.

Recently, I was writing content for a fitness brand launching eco-friendly workout gear. Instead of asking ChatGPT to “write an article,” I gave it a proper four-part prompt.

I defined the persona (freelance content writer), provided context (new product launch targeting environmentally conscious customers), specified the task (create a long-form article outline), and requested a specific format (bullet points with headers).

The output? A detailed outline I could actually use, not generic fluff about workout gear.

Here’s another example from my days as a fintech copywriter. When creating blog content, I’d specify we needed top-of-funnel content optimized for specific keywords. The AI then generates targeted topics, complete with SEO recommendations.

Want to improve your prompts further? Try this: Take your prompt to a different AI tool and ask it to critique your instructions and ask you questions.

When I ask GPT what’s missing, it spots gaps in my prompts I hadn’t considered.

Sometimes, breaking down big tasks helps too. Instead of asking for an entire content strategy, focus on one element, like headlines. Upload examples of headlines that have worked before.

Let the AI learn from your successes. The quality of AI outputs mirrors the quality of your inputs. Master these four components, and you’ll get dramatically better results.

If this is confusing, I breakdown my ChatGPT prompt engineering process in this video.

​Watch​