10 Simple Tips to Improve Your AI Prompts

As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into our daily work lives, many of us find ourselves interacting with AI assistants like never before. Whether you're using tools like Voilà or other AI platforms, crafting effective prompts is key to getting the results you want. But if you're new to working with AI, it can feel a bit like training a very smart but sometimes clueless intern.

Don't worry - with a few simple techniques, you can dramatically improve your AI interactions and get more useful, creative outputs. Here are 10 easy tips to level up your prompting skills:

1. Be Specific About What You Want

   When asking an AI for help, being specific is your best friend. Instead of vague requests, give clear instructions about exactly what you're looking for. For example, rather than asking for "tips for business owners," try something like:

   "Provide 5 actionable marketing tips that small law firms can use to acquire more local clients in their first year of business. Include specific examples for each tip."

   The more details you provide upfront, the better tailored the AI's response will be to your needs. Tools like Voilà make it easy to craft these more detailed prompts without a lot of extra effort.

2. Set the Tone and Style

   AIs can adapt to different tones and writing styles, but you need to tell them what you want. Are you looking for something formal and professional? Casual and conversational? Specify the tone in your prompt:

   "Write a social media post announcing our new product launch. The tone should be exciting and engaging, encouraging readers to learn more. Use a friendly, conversational style as if you're chatting with a colleague."

3. Provide Examples of What You Like

   If you have examples of the kind of output you're looking for, share them! AIs are great at pattern matching. You could say something like:

   "Write a product description for our new ergonomic office chair. Use a style similar to this example: [insert example text]. Focus on the comfort features and health benefits."

4. Ask for "Interesting" or "Surprising" Content

   AIs tend to give fairly standard, expected responses by default. But you can push them to be more creative by specifically asking for interesting or surprising content. Try adding phrases like "Give me an insightful perspective on..." or "Provide a surprising fact about..." to your prompts.

   

5. Break Complex Tasks into Steps

   For more complicated requests, it can help to break things down into steps. You might say:

   "Help me write a blog post about the benefits of meditation. First, outline 3-5 main points to cover. Then, for each point, provide a brief explanation and a relevant scientific study or statistic to support it. Finally, suggest a compelling introduction and conclusion."

   This step-by-step approach often leads to more thorough and well-structured outputs.

6. Specify Length and Format

   To avoid getting responses that are too long, too short, or in the wrong format, be clear about what you want. For instance:

   "Write a 300-word email to our customers about our upcoming sale. Format it in HTML, with appropriate tags for headings, paragraphs, and a call-to-action button."

7. Use Clear "Do" and "Don't" Instructions

   Sometimes it's helpful to explicitly state what you do and don't want. For example:

   "When writing this article about healthy eating, DO include at least three practical tips readers can implement today. DON'T mention any specific diet plans or brand names."

8. Ask the AI to Question You

   Great writing often comes from personal experiences or unique perspectives. To tap into your own knowledge, try asking the AI to interview you. You could say:

   "I want to write a blog post about my recent trip to Japan. Ask me 5-7 questions that will help draw out interesting details and anecdotes from my experience."

   Then answer those questions, and use the AI to help craft those responses into a cohesive piece.

9. State the Obvious

   Remember, AIs don't have common sense in the way humans do. Sometimes you need to explicitly state things that might seem obvious to you. For instance, if you're having an AI help with a professional document, you might need to say:

   "This is a formal business proposal. Don't use any slang, emoji, or overly casual language."

10. Offer a (Hypothetical) Reward

    This might sound silly, but research has shown that "tipping" an AI - even just hypothetically - can lead to better results. You might try something like:

    "If you do an excellent job on this task, I'll give you a $200 tip. Now, please help me draft a compelling cover letter for a marketing manager position."

    Of course, you don't actually have to pay anything - it's just a prompt technique!

Bonus Tip: Iterate and Refine

Remember, working with AI is often an iterative process. If you don't get exactly what you want on the first try, use the initial output as a starting point. Ask the AI to expand on certain points, rephrase sections, or take the content in a different direction.

For example, you might say:

"That's a good start, but can you make the third paragraph more persuasive? Add a specific example or statistic to support the main point."

Putting It All Together

Let's look at how we might combine several of these techniques into a single, effective prompt. Imagine you're working on a presentation about the future of remote work. You might craft a prompt like this:

"Help me create an outline for a 15-minute presentation on 'The Future of Remote Work in 2030'. The presentation should be insightful and surprising, avoiding obvious predictions. Include 3-5 main points, each with a brief explanation and a relevant statistic or expert quote. The tone should be professional but engaging, suitable for a conference of HR professionals. DON'T focus on current remote work trends - instead, imagine bold but plausible scenarios for the future. If you do an excellent job, I'll give you a $500 tip!"

This prompt combines specificity, tone-setting, a request for interesting content, structural guidance, clear do's and don'ts, and even the "tip" technique.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the art of prompting takes a bit of practice, but these techniques can dramatically improve your results when working with AI tools like Voilà. Remember, the key is to be clear, specific, and creative in your instructions. Think of the AI as a brilliant but sometimes literal-minded assistant, and guide it towards the kind of output you're looking for.

As you experiment with these techniques, you'll likely discover your own favorite prompting strategies. Don't be afraid to get creative and try new approaches. With a little patience and practice, you'll soon be crafting prompts that unlock the full potential of AI to enhance your work and spark your creativity.

So next time you're faced with a blank page or a complex task, remember these tips and let your AI assistant help you break through that barrier.

Happy prompting!