By now, internet users have developed a keen eye for spotting AI content and may dismiss or take less seriously anything that doesn’t feel like the work of a human expert. The paradox of AI helping marketers create content easily while simultaneously introducing the risk of diluting brand differentiation is hard to ignore.
But we’re in the AI era and things are moving fast. AI can be a great companion for faster ideation and creation but its impact for your marketing strategy is still in your hands. You’ve to be intentional about how you use AI marketing tools to generate content that performs across organic and paid search. That starts by controlling AI’s outputs with effective prompting. By providing AI with the right direction, context, and nuance, and critically reviewing its outputs, you can scale great, trust-building content.
This blog post touches on the essential topic of AI prompts, the blueprint for what you get back from an AI writing tool. Whether you’re using AI to generate blog topics, email campaigns, web pages, ads, or social media, the right AI prompts can dramatically increase content quality. Let’s dive in!
- What is an AI prompt?
- How to write AI prompts
- Examples of AI prompts for marketing content
- FAQs about using AI to create content
What is an AI prompt for marketing content?
An AI prompt is a set of instructions or questions you give to a generative AI tool like ChatGPT, Narrato, or Typeface, to guide its output. Think of it as a creative brief you’d hand to a copywriter or designer to ensure full clarity and avoid second-guessing, which can lead to ineffectual content.
Example of a weak prompt
Write a marketing email for our window washing service ACKO, announcing a 20% spring cleaning discount.
Output
Subject: Spring Is Here! Enjoy 20% Off Window Washing
Hi there,
Spring is the perfect time to let the sunshine back in and clean windows make all the difference.
To celebrate the season, ACKO Window Washing is offering 20% off our professional window cleaning services for a limited time. Whether it’s your home or business, we’ll leave your windows streak-free, sparkling, and crystal clear.
Why choose ACKO?
Trained, reliable professionals
Safe, eco-friendly cleaning solutions
Attention to detail, inside and out
✨ Spring Cleaning Special: Get 20% Off
Book now and enjoy brighter views all season long.👉
Schedule your window washing today
[Book Your Appointment]
Hurry—this spring discount won’t last long!
Clear views,
The ACKO Window Washing Team
P.S. Clean windows don’t just look great—they make your
entire space feel fresher and brighter. Now’s the perfect time to book!
Example of a good prompt
Write a marketing email for our window washing service ACKO announcing a 20% spring cleaning discount to homeowners in Preston, Idaho. Highlight the value of spring cleaning and our 10 years of experience, and pull relevant customer quotes as is from [www.ackowindowcleaning.com]. Announce the discount in the subject line and end with a clever call to action to reply for a free quote from Aly, the owner. Write in a humorous tone.
Output
Subject: Take 20% Off Your Spring Window Washing
Hi Preston neighbors 👋,
Spring has officially arrived in Idaho 🌷—which means longer days, fresh air… and the sudden realization that your windows have seen some things this winter.
Muddy snow melt. Wind. Pollen. That mysterious splatter you’re choosing not to think about.
Good news: ACKO Window Washing is here to help (and we promise not to judge).
To kick off spring cleaning season, we’re offering 20% off professional window washing for homeowners in Preston, Idaho. It’s the fastest way to make your home feel brighter, cleaner, and spring-ready without
climbing ladders or risking a “hold my phone” moment.
We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and in that time, we’ve learned two things:
Clean windows make everything look better
Our customers really, really notice the difference
Don’t take our word for it:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“ACKO made our windows look brand new. I honestly didn’t realize how much dirt had built up until the sunlight came flooding in.” — Mark T., Preston⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“On time, professional, and the results were amazing. Best window cleaning service we’ve used in years.” — Emily R., Preston⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Ten years of experience definitely shows. Fast, friendly, and spotless windows every time.” — Jason L., Cache Valley
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean everything. Sometimes, just clean windows do the trick.
👉 Reply to this email for a free quote — it goes straight to Aly, the owner, who’ll help you lock in your 20% spring cleaning discount and get your windows sparkling again.
Clear views, brighter rooms, and one less thing on your to-do list.
— Aly & the ACKO Window Washing Team
P.S. Your windows want to let the sunshine in. Reply now before spring turns into “maybe next year.” 😄
There are noticeable differences in the emails generated using the weak prompt and the good prompt. The former is generic and fails to resonate, save for the 20% discount enticement. The latter gives you a number of strong reasons to consider the discount offer — ten years of experience, social proof, a direct line to the owner, and an engaging conversation.
Takeaway: With clear and sufficient instructions, AI can generate content that resonates.
How to write AI prompts for marketing content
As AI doesn’t know your brand, campaign, or even what exactly you want, it needs detailed guidance to create quality content. When promoting AI, you’ll have to think about the details/elements to include and how to structure them. If you’ve sample content you want AI to learn from or mimic, add those URLs or documents in the chat.
Elements of an AI prompt
- The task: Tell AI what needs to be done, like “Create a blog outline”, “Generate ten Instagram captions”, or “Summarize the recommendations in this document”
- The audience: Who it’s for, like Board Members, Active Seniors, Kindergarten Teachers, or another target audience.
- The goal/expectation: What the content should do, i.e., “A comprehensive report with actionable insights” or “An enticing summary that encourages readers to watch the podcast”
- The brand of voice/tone: If you want your content to sound a certain way, like peppy and upbeat for a product announcement blog or sombre for an awareness message, specify it in your prompt. And if you’ve a distinct brand voice, share how your content must sound by uploading your brand guidelines document and training AI in your brand voice.
- Reference documents: These cover product documents, brand guidelines, and files that AI can use to create content based in your unique insights.
You can get more prescriptive and say “Think like an experienced Creative Head of a large organization and tell me how to present our product marketing content innovatively before an audience of CMOs……….” or “[]….Write the ad copy in the style of David Ogilvy…”
AI image prompts
AI is a practical tool for automating repetitive tasks in visual creation, like scaling a single visual concept across formats and placements, and quickly ideating themes for mood boards. As AI image generators get better at creating complex, hyper-realistic images, designers can explore how refining and curating AI-assisted imagery might help juggle multiple tasks and boost productivity.
Creating visuals using AI still requires using prompts. AI image prompts combine technical and storytelling details — styles, composition, medium, mood, story arc…and more. Equipped with visual literacy and storytelling abilities, creatives may only need to focus on structuring and iterating on prompts effectively to produce consistently high-quality visuals at scale.
These are the elements of an AI image prompt:
- The image type/medium, such as photo, illustration, or 3D render
- The main subject (person, animal, object, or scene)
- The action/context, describing what the subject is doing or the environment they’re in
- Technical details like lighting, composition, mood, color palette, and more, to define the look and feel
Example: Create an illustration for a blog header. The main subject is electric buses in a modern city with people walking, waiting at bus stops, and cycling nearby. Use clean, realistic styling, natural daylight, and a cool, sustainable color palette. The mood should feel lively, forward-looking,
How to organize an AI prompt for marketing content
AI models are heavily influenced by early instructions and everything that comes afterwards is interpreted through the lens of what they’ve already been told. So, put the main details in the beginning to get AI thinking in the right direction, like “Who am I, what am I doing, how should I behave?”.
Well-organized prompt:
Act as a senior marketing leader and write a thought-leadership article on co-creating AI content to CMOs. Help CMOs understand why co-creation between humans and AI leads to better, more trustworthy marketing content. Use an authoritative, pragmatic, and clear tone of voice. Avoid hype or exaggerated claims about AI.
Poorly-organized prompt:
Write a thought leadership article on co-creating AI content, in an authoritative, pragmatic, and clear tone of voice. Address CMOs, explaining how co-creation between humans and AI leads to better, more trustworthy marketing content. Avoid hype or exaggerated claims about AI.
While the second prompt will still produce good content, there’s a risk it may lack the POV and executive-level framing that distinguishes the message and its author. As an exercise, you could move around the constituents of a prompt and review results from each structure to identify optimizations that work best for your specific task.
Examples of AI prompts for content marketing
AI prompts for email marketing
Draft a re-engagement email for existing customers who haven’t opened our emails in 90 days. Acknowledge inactivity, remind them what they’re missing using this link [insert link], and offer them 10% off on all new products using this link [insert link]. Keep it short, to the point, and easy to read quickly. Use a friendly and respectful tone. Avoid cliches like “We miss you” or “It’s been a while”.
Write an event invitation email for our annual customer appreciation night. State our gratitude for their continued patronage, its impact in FY2025-2026 using this link [insert link], and briefly mention the event details in this page [insert link]. Keep the tone warm and include RSVP instructions.
Generate five subject lines for a flash sale email. Use urgency and savings as key themes. Use a playful tone. The subject lines should entice Gen Z consumers to open the email.
Create a case study email for our media sector clients, highlighting the outcomes our product delivered for a major publisher as explained in this page [insert link], and including one testimonial. Remind clients about the benefits of using our product in a few words from this link [insert link] and encourage them to read the full case study in a crisp CTA.
AI prompts for blogs
Detailed prompt to create a blog brief
You’re an experienced B2B copywriter. Your task is to generate a comprehensive blog brief for a blog post titled “20 Incredible Examples of AI in Marketing”.
This blog post is being created for Narrato.io to drive traffic and position the company as an authoritative source of information on the use of AI in marketing operations.
Business goal: Generate qualified organic traffic and build brand authority for Narrato in the AI marketing space
Funnel stage: Top of the funnel (TOFU)
Audience: CEOs and marketing heads of small and medium sized companies
Tone and style: Educational, friendly, clear
SEO strategy
Primary keyword: AI in content marketing
Secondary keywords (use as relevant or suggest better options): AI for marketing, AI for marketing content, AI for content creation, AI content automation, AI-powered content marketing
Output format
Use bulleted and numbered lists for clarity. Make sure the content can be easily copy-pasted into Microsoft Word.
1. Overview: 2-3 sentences
2. H1 titles: Suggest 3 keyword-rich H1 titles that match search intent
3. Word count: Provide a word count range that prioritizes providing value to the reader
4. Structure:
- Use H2s and H3s
- Make a few H2 and H3s question-based, mirroring how people search in LLMs, AI search engines, or conversational assistants
- Explain both the best use cases for AI in marketing and outstanding examples of AI in marketing
- Recommend visuals where needed
- Include 3-5 FAQs at the end of the blog post
5. Style and quality notes:
- Short paras
- 8th-9th grade reading level
- Numbered lists for examples
Detailed style tips
- Use KISS formula. Instead of “AI-powered marketing platforms leverage advanced machine learning algorithms to optimize content workflows.”, say “AI tools help marketing teams create, edit, and publish content faster.”
- Specify benefits clearly with statistics and findings. Instead of “Marketing teams that leverage AI report better productivity and efficiency”, say “Marketing teams that use AI in their daily work save seven hours a week on average.”
- Avoid hyperbolic statements on the benefits or potential of AI for marketing. Rather than saying “AI unlocks unprecedented creativity and scale”, use grounded alternatives like “AI reduces manual effort in daily marketing work to help teams focus on strategy and creativity.”
AI prompt to create an educational blog post
Create a 1,200-1,600 word blog on how a 401(k) loan works for an audience of employed individuals who need cash for major purchases. Explain 401(k) loan eligibility, limits, repayment terms, interest rates, and credit checks, risks and considerations, and alternatives to a 401(k) loan. Use a friendly tone, explain jargon, and clarify using examples. The goal is to give readers sufficient knowledge to help reasoning and make well-considered decisions. Get the latest information and facts on taking a 401(k) loan from these sources [URL1], [URL2] & [URL3], plus also use your own.
AI prompt to add FAQs to a blog post
Create 10 FAQs for a blog titled “How to Prepare for AI Search” for SEO managers. Address a variety of questions they would have about developing an AI search strategy. Provide brief, actionable answers in a conversational tone.
AI prompts for social media
X
Write an X post, Instagram post, and a Facebook post announcing our new product launch, taking information from this product messaging document [insert link].
Use a catchy hook, relevant hashtags, and a CTA to explore our product at [insert link].
Write a short story for an Instagram Reel about a customer’s experience with our product, using information from this review [paste review]. Keep it concise and easy to follow in under 30 seconds. Do not add details not mentioned in the review.
Draft a short post sharing industry insights from our latest research report. Use a professional, confident tone similar to the example below (match style, not wording):
“Marketing leaders are under growing pressure to move faster without sacrificing quality. Recent data shows that teams investing in process improvements consistently outperform those relying on manual workflows alone.”
Highlight 2–3 key findings and avoid exaggerated claims.
OR
Style reference (follow this tone and structure, not the wording):
“Marketing teams today are under pressure to move faster while maintaining quality. New data shows that teams who invest in smarter workflows consistently outperform those relying on manual processes.”
Now write:
Draft a short post sharing 2–3 industry insights from our latest research report. Use a professional, clear tone and avoid hype.
[Attach the report]
Generate 10 engaging social media posts that ask followers to share their favorite product and the one reason they keep coming back to it. Each post should use a slightly different hook, be short, conversational, and easy to answer, and encourage comments naturally (no “comment below” clichés.
AI prompts for ad copy
Create an ad for our summer sale using the AIDA model. Target busy parents looking for quick shopping solutions.
Write two ad variations for our new organic skincare line. One for eco-conscious millennials, one for value-focused families.
Draft a retargeting ad for visitors who viewed our product but didn’t purchase. Highlight free shipping and easy returns.
Write a Google ad promoting our [limited time offer], targeting keywords like [‘keyword 1’] and [‘keyword 2’], and emphasizing [specific discount or exclusive deal]. Include a clear [call-to-action].
AI image prompts
AI prompt for blog header
Create an illustration for a blog header. The main subject is a war-torn urban landscape after conflict. The scene shows a quiet aftermath at dawn, with subtle signs of life returning. Use a muted color palette and soft natural light. Avoid graphic imagery or active violence.
AI prompt for a landing page graphic
Create a soft illustration for a landing page showing a person reading in a cozy indoor setting. Include shelves of well-worn books, a blanket, and a cup of tea to suggest comfort and familiarity. The mood should feel calm and personal, highlighting the joy of reading and rediscovering books. Use warm tones and a simple, friendly illustration style.
AI prompt for a campaign photo
Generate a realistic photo for a campaign centered on women empowerment. The scene takes place in a modern open office where a diverse group of women are standing or collaborating confidently, with natural, candid expressions. Use soft natural lighting and an eye-level camera angle to convey strength, equality, and authenticity. Keep the color palette neutral and leave subtle negative space for campaign text.
AI prompt for a banner ad visual
Create a realistic photo-style image for a banner ad with a Thanksgiving theme. The scene shows a warm family dining table set for Thanksgiving, with shared dishes and soft candlelight. Use warm, golden lighting and a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Keep the composition wide with clear negative space for ad copy.
AI image prompt for X post
Create a realistic photo-style image for X inspired by Paris in spring. Show a street scene near a Parisian café with blooming trees and soft morning light. Use fresh, pastel colors and a relaxed, romantic mood.
FAQs
Q. Why am I not getting good results from AI-generated content?
A. AI-generated content can fall flat when it’s too generic or doesn’t satisfy user intent. Review whether the AI was given curated reference materials, clear audience context, and specific guidance on what to include.
Also check whether the output was reviewed and refined by a functional expert, such as a copywriter, customer success manager, or ads manager. Finally, look beyond the content itself to identify other factors like distribution, format, or timing that may be limiting the impact of otherwise strong ideas.
Q. Do I need to use prompts every time I use AI to create content?
A. Yes. But you don’t need to think up prompts for recurring tasks everytime. Save prompt frameworks that have worked for you, and tweak details rather than creating from scratch. If you’re using Typeface, you can define your task and the AI agent will follow-up with questions to fill the missing pieces.
Q. How do I know my AI prompts are working?
A. You can tell that your AI prompts are working when the content checks all the boxes — accuracy, tone, structure, and other user satisfaction metrics — and requires minimal editing. For more confirmation, test your GenAI ads to see if they’re landing. The real test is when the content goes live: monitor clicks, dwell times, shares, demo requests, and conversions (alongside user satisfaction metrics) to validate that AI-human collaboration is producing results.
Q. What are the common mistakes when writing AI prompts for marketing content?
A. Common mistakes to avoid when writing AI prompts are:
- Being too vague or subjective (E.g., Instead of saying “Use a professional and engaging tone”, which can be interpreted subjectively, say “Use a confident and pragmatic tone”)
- Cramming too many details, which can overwhelm the AI and lead to unfocused or generic content
- Not providing grounding context, missing the opportunity to embed exclusive insights for differentiated content
