The rise of generative AI is reshaping the way we think about which skills are necessary to succeed in the PR industry. One of these in-demand skills in PR will soon be proficiency in AI prompt writing.
As someone who uses generative AI to create PR content every day, I have found three tips for enabling PR pros to write the prompts that will get them the best results possible when using generative AI systems.
Know What You Want From the AI
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you are writing—be it a press release announcing a funding round or a simple social media post. Communicate it clearly, directly and in detail in your prompt. Beyond the format, you should also know what you want the content to say.
To get the best result, one strategy is to ask open-ended questions. By making the AI use critical thinking, I’ve been able to get results that are both fuller and more creative than if I wrote a straightforward prompt. And because I already have an idea of what I want from the AI, I can tell whether the prompt needs tweaking.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
AI will create content based on what you ask it, so the more detailed your prompt, the better your result will be. If you don’t initially succeed, determine exactly what it is you don’t like about the result and tell the AI.
Find what gets you closer to your ideal result, and iterate the prompt until you receive perfection. I do this by identifying patterns in the different results the AI gives me. For example, I might notice that certain types of prompts lead me closer to my desired outcome or that certain keywords make the algorithm write results that put me on a better path toward what I view to be perfection.
Provide Detail
I’ve found that prompting AI with storytelling elements enables it to understand both the tone and the structure of what I’m looking for. By telling the AI to pretend to be a character in my “story” (for instance, telling it to put itself in the shoes of a product user), I’ve found that I’m able to receive more well-rounded outputs.
The stories I write for the AI are also detailed enough to provide the algorithm with the context needed to give me an accurate result. I’ve found that the more detailed the background story I create for the AI, the better the pitch or press release it drafts. Therefore, don’t be generic in your prompts. Instead, incorporate context and details to ensure you get the kind of result you are looking for.
Prompt writing strategies are already an essential tool in the modern workforce. To be successful, it’s always important to keep in mind that great prompt writing requires a thorough understanding of what you want to get out of the prompt, constant iteration, and the ability to communicate effectively to the AI. The better your input is into the AI, the better the AI's output will be.
Eitan Goldstein is communications manager at Propel.