AI Can Help, But It Won’t Do Your Job For You
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a lacklustre AI-generated output and thinking, This is terrible, you’re not alone. The quality of what generative AI produces depends entirely on how well you prompt it. Garbage in, garbage out. But here’s the kicker — perfecting your AI prompts isn’t the real secret to better content. You need a good marketing strategy.
You can prompt like a pro, but if your content lacks strategic direction — clear buyer personas, a compelling value proposition, and a well-defined demand generation strategy — it won’t move the needle. AI is a tool to execute good marketing, not create it from scratch.
So, let’s talk about how to write better prompts while making sure your content is backed by a strategy that actually drives revenue.
Step 1: Provide Context (Tell the AI Who It Is and How to Think)
Would you ask a new intern to write a press release without explaining your brand voice, audience, and goals? No. AI is the same. Context is everything.
Bad Prompt: “Write a blog post about ERP software.”
Better Prompt: “You are a B2B technology marketing expert writing a blog post for CFOs at mid-market manufacturing firms. The post should highlight how ERP software improves financial reporting and cash flow management. Use a professional yet conversational tone.”
Step 2: Clearly State the Task
AI can’t read your mind. You have to tell it exactly what you need, in as much detail as possible.
Bad Prompt: “Write a product description.”
Better Prompt: “Write a 300-word product description for a cloud-based accounting software designed for small business owners. Highlight ease of use, automated reporting, and integration with existing tools like QuickBooks and Xero.”
Step 3: Give Examples
AI learns by example — so show it what good looks like. Provide links, paste sample content, or reference a specific writing style.
Bad Prompt: “Write a LinkedIn post about AI in marketing.”
Better Prompt: “Write a LinkedIn post about AI in marketing. Here’s an example of our style: [Insert link]. Keep it engaging, with a strong hook, a 3-point breakdown, and a CTA at the end.”
Step 4: Set Expectations
What does a good output look like? AI won’t know unless you tell it.
Bad Prompt: “Write an email campaign.”
Better Prompt: “Write a 5-email nurture sequence for B2B SaaS buyers. The first email introduces the product, the second tackles common objections, the third offers a customer case study, the fourth highlights pricing, and the fifth has a final call-to-action to book a demo.”
Step 5: Give Clear Steps to Follow
Break down complex requests into numbered steps to guide AI through the process.
Bad Prompt: “Write a whitepaper.”
Better Prompt:
- Open with a compelling introduction explaining why [topic] matters to [target audience].
- Provide data-driven insights and trends (cite sources where possible).
- Include a case study or success story.
- Offer practical, actionable takeaways.
- End with a strong call-to-action to download our full guide.
The Backbone of Any Good Content Strategy
Buyer Personas: Who Are You Actually Talking To?
Your content is only as good as the audience it speaks to. Buyer personas help you craft messaging that resonates with the right people. Too many businesses assume they know their buyers without ever documenting the insights that truly drive their decision-making process.
A well-defined buyer persona isn’t just a job title or industry segment—it’s an understanding of their problems, their success factors, their perceived barriers, and their buying journey. If your content isn’t addressing what motivates your audience to search for a solution, you’re shouting into the void.
Consider this: 97% of B2B buyers start their journey online, spending time researching, reading case studies, and evaluating alternatives before ever speaking to a salesperson. If your content doesn’t reflect their concerns and decision-making criteria, you’ll lose them before they even consider your solution.
How to Incorporate Buyer Personas into Your Content:
- Map content topics to your persona’s pain points.
- Use their language and industry jargon.
- Address their objections and provide answers before they ask.
- Align your messaging with where they are in the buyer’s journey.
Tip: Download our Buyer Persona Guide to help you get started!
Value Propositions: The Why Behind Your Business
Your value proposition is the most important statement in your entire marketing strategy. It answers, in the clearest possible terms, “Why should someone buy from you?” If you can’t articulate this in a single, compelling sentence, your content won’t convert.
A strong value proposition:
- Is specific (no vague claims like “we offer the best service”)
- Is relevant to your target buyer’s biggest challenge
- Differentiates you from competitors
- Is backed by proof (testimonials, case studies, data)
Your AI-generated content should always circle back to this core message. If it doesn’t reinforce what makes your offering unique and essential, it’s just noise.
Tip: Download our Value Proposition Guide to help you get started!
Demand Generation: The Strategy That Fuels Your Content
Great content doesn’t live in a vacuum. It’s part of a broader demand generation strategy designed to move buyers from awareness to decision.
Without a demand gen plan, your blog posts, emails, and social content are just scattered efforts with no real direction. To be effective, your content should:
- Drive Traffic to Measurable Touchpoints – Every content piece should funnel leads toward something actionable: a gated guide, a webinar, a consultation.
- Nurture Leads at Every Stage – Buyers aren’t always ready to purchase, so your content should offer value at different touchpoints (educational content for awareness, comparison guides for consideration, case studies for conversion).
- Leverage Attribution and Data – Use analytics to track what’s working, what’s not, and refine your approach accordingly.
Great Prompts + Strong Strategy = Marketing Success
If you walk away with one key insight from this post, let it be this: Great prompts can make AI better, but only a great marketing strategy will make your content effective.
Before you start prompting, ask yourself:
- Do I know my buyer personas? (Who they are, how they buy, what keeps them up at night)
- Do I have a strong value proposition? (Why someone should choose us over competitors)
- Is my content connected to a larger demand generation plan? (Content should drive action, not just exist for the sake of it)
If you don’t have clear answers to these questions, AI won’t fix that for you.
Need help building a strategy that works? Download our Growth Formula Guide to start aligning your marketing tactics with revenue generation.
