What is a prompt?
A prompt is simply what you type into ChatGPT. The more useful detail you include, the better the result.
A useful prompt usually includes
- Who you are — your business type
- What you want to achieve — the task
- Background information — relevant details
- How you want it presented — length, tone, format
- Any restrictions — what to avoid
See the difference
Poor prompt:
"Write a Facebook post about painting."
Improved prompt:
"I'm a self-employed painter and decorator on the Isle of Wight. I've just completed a living-room redecoration. Write a friendly Facebook post under 100 words describing the work. Keep it natural and avoid exaggerated sales language."
The second one tells ChatGPT who you are, what you've done, how long the post should be, and what tone to use. You'll get something you can actually use with minimal changes.
Try it now (3 minutes)
Take this basic prompt: "Write an email to a customer."
Now improve it by adding: your business type, who the customer is, what the email is about, and how long it should be. Type your improved version into ChatGPT and compare the result to what the basic version would give.
You don't need to write a perfect prompt first time. Start with what you know — you can always ask ChatGPT to improve it afterwards (that's Lesson 4).