Last week, I shared how AI sometimes misses the mark when it comes to brand voice. It gets the structure right, but not always the heart of the brand.
This week, I want to share a prompting technique that may get you 70% of the way there. Then you step in, as editor, to shape the message and make it unmistakably yours.
Cara, a marketer for an insurance agency, replied to last week's newsletter asking me why their AI-generated content always sounds generic and bland.
We hopped on a quick call and I asked what prompt she was using.
She said, "I asked it to write a blog post on trucking insurance."
That right there? The problem.
The power is in the prompt.
Your expertise, the years you've spent honing your skills, knowing what good looks like, how it should feel, who it's for, that's what makes a prompt perform. Not just the tool.
When you give AI a weak prompt, you get weak results. And then, it's easy to assume the AI isn't that helpful.
But give it a strong, clear, detailed prompt? You'll be impressed with what it gives back.
Here's the shift:
Old Approach: Write a blog post about trucking insurance
Better Approach: You are a seasoned insurance content marketer with 8+ years of experience writing for transportation and logistics firms. Your goal is to write a 1,200 word SEO-optimized blog post for independent trucking company owners.
Here's the key context:
- Audience: owner-operators and small fleet managers
- Focus: common risks in the industry and how to choose the right type of coverage
Write in a professional yet approachable tone.
Requirements:
- Include a checklist and a real client example
- Use target keywords like "best trucking insurance" and "commercial truck risk management"
- Avoid jargon and keep it actionable
Output as:
- Introduction
- Key risks overview
- Coverage checklist
- Client example
- CTA for contacting an agent
See the difference?
That second version follows a clear, strategic structure.
The skill to be building here is prompt engineering, learning how to train and talk to the tool so it can serve you at a high level.
COPY + SAVE THIS PROMPT FORMULA
1 / Role & Expertise
You are an expert [role/title] with [X] years of experience in [domain].
2 / Objective
Your goal is to [action verb] [what you want the AI to produce or solve].
3 / Context & Background
Here's the key context:
- [Brief bullet about the situation or challenge]
- [Any relevant data, audience insights, or constraints]
4 / Tone & Style
Write in [tone, e.g. conversational, persuasive, professional, witty] style
5 / Requirements & Constraints
- Include [number] variations/sections/examples.
- Use no more than [X] words per section.
- Avoid [what to avoid, e.g. jargon, fluff, cliches]
- Ensure [specific element, e.g., call-to-action, bullets, headline].
6 / Desired Output Format
Present your answer as:
- [Section name]
- [Section name]
...
7 / Iteration & Clarification
If anything is unclear, ask me one clarifying question before proceeding.
That structure walks the model through who, what, why, how, and in what form, while giving guardrails around tone, length, format, and next steps.
Use and adapt it to any domain, and you'll get stronger, more targeted AI output every time.
Hit reply and tell me how you're using AI right now, or where it's falling short. I'm curious! :)
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