The Power of the Prompt
In today’s digital world, small businesses and nonprofits must be more creative than ever to get consumers’ attention. As someone with years of nonprofit experience and as the owner of Nimble Pixel Studio, I know firsthand the feeling of being stretched too thin, wearing multiple hats outside of my title, and juggling countless tasks and doing so with limited resources. That’s where tools like Chat GPT can be a game-changer - if used wisely. But as always, there’s a catch: the magic lies in more than just copying and pasting everything that comes out of Chat GPT. The real power lies in the prompt!
Why Prompts Matter
I always like to think of Chat GPT as my thought partner, a brilliant collaborator, always ready to help me with outlines and ideas, and as a jumpstart if I’m hitting a wall with my content creation. But, like any collaboration, the results from Chat GPT depend on how well you communicate your needs. Always remember - a generic prompt will give you a generic response. However, a well-crafted, specific prompt can yield impressive results and content that is relevant and aligned with your brand’s voice and mission.
Crafting Effective Prompts
How do you create a powerful prompt? Here are a few tips:
Be Super Specific: The more details you provide, the more tailored the response. Let’s say you’re looking for a social media post. Instead of writing “draft me six social media posts,” which will only return a ton of emojis and random topics, drill down to what you really need. If I were asking Chat GPT for some social post ideas, this is the prompt I would use: “Pretend you’re a social media marketing expert. Can you draft three posts with mix-and-match information so I can create my own post? I want to post on LinkedIn to promote my upcoming fundraiser and highlight our work's impact on the local community. My target audience is c-suite executives with families. Ask me additional questions for clarification.”
Context is Key: The prompt above leads us to my next tip - add in all the context you have available. This will help Chat GPT generate more relevant responses closer to end-result content. For example, if you're writing a blog post about a new initiative, mention the initiative's goals, target audience, and any challenges or key messages you'll want to add. The more detailed information you put in, the better the results will be!
Experiment and Iterate: Feel free to refine your prompts! Sometimes, the first response won't always hit the bullseye, but with a few tweaks to your prompt, you can guide Chat GPT towards the content you need. Remember, the most current results will disappear if you edit a previous prompt.
Tone and Style: One of my favorite things about starting a new chat is writing prompts to set the tone, voice, and personality I need for that specific chat. Whether conversational and humble or professional and formal, make sure Chat GPT understands the voice you’re trying to maintain for your brand.
Tell Chat GPT to Ask You Questions: Many of my chats start with a prompt explaining what I need and then saying, "You don't need to do anything right now. Please ask me questions so you fully understand my request." If you need help with what you want, ask Chat GPT for a few different takes on the same prompt. This allows you to mix and match ideas or choose the best one.
Leveraging Chat GPT Without Losing Your Voice
I’m the first to admit that it’s so easy to get caught up in the convenience of AI-generated content but remember - your brand’s voice is unique. Instead of copying/pasting directly from Chat GPT, use its output as a foundation and build upon it with your own ideas. Edit and refine the content to ensure it aligns with your mission and speaks to your audiences in a way that feels authentically you.
