How to Write Grade-A Prompts That Actually Get You Great AI Content

Most people blame AI when their results are generic or robotic. But here’s the truth: AI isn’t the problem—lazy prompting is. If you’re asking vague questions and getting shallow answers, it’s because your prompt is doing 10% of the job and expecting AI to do 100%.

Prompting isn’t magic. It’s a skill. A framework. A system.

This guide walks you through how to build grade-A prompts that give you clear, strategic, high-conversion content—without endless rewrites. Based on Yik Chan’s 8-part breakdown, here’s how to stop getting “meh” drafts and start getting near-publishable copy in minutes.

Part 1: Assign the Role (Set the Intelligence Level)

Don’t just ask AI to “do something.” Tell it who it’s supposed to become.

Bad Prompt:

“Write an email about my product.”

Why it fails:

You’re making AI guess who it is, what its tone should be, and what experience level to write from. That leads to generic, lifeless output.

Good Prompt:

“You’re a direct response copywriter who’s written for 8-figure launches. You specialize in personal-feeling emails that don’t sound like ads.”

Why it works:

It activates the right internal logic and tone. It makes the AI “think” like the expert you need. This small tweak alone makes AI sound more strategic, more human, and far less robotic.

Part 2: Dump the Full Context (Eliminate the Guessing Game)

Context is not optional—it’s the backbone of a good prompt.

Bad Prompt:

“Write about productivity apps.”

Good Prompt:

“My audience is burned out freelancers, aged 28-45, drowning in client work. They’ve tried 12 different apps and nothing sticks. They’re skeptical but desperate for something that actually works without a learning curve.”

Why this matters:

If you don’t give context, AI will pull from vague internet knowledge. You’ll get surface-level filler. But if you include your audience’s fears, objections, and lived experience, you get content that actually connects.

Rule:

The more details you provide about your audience, product, and positioning, the better the result. The context you give = the quality you get back.

Part 3: Define a Specific Task (No Room for Interpretation)

AI can’t read your mind. If you’re vague, you’ll end up rewriting everything from scratch.

Bad Prompt:

“Make it persuasive.”

Good Prompt:

“Write a 250-word LinkedIn post. Start with a pattern-interrupt question. Include 3 numbered tactics. End with a polarizing opinion that sparks comments. Target CTR: getting people to save and share.”

Why this works:

You’re giving a precise blueprint. Instead of reworking a generic post for 45 minutes, you’re publishing something usable in 5 minutes.

Key takeaway:

Specific tasks = fast results. Vague tasks = slow, painful rewrites.

Part 4: Set the Format + Style (Kill the Robot Voice)

This is where most AI content falls apart. Even good prompts can sound stiff if you don’t tell AI how to sound.

Add formatting rules like:

• “Write like you’re explaining to a smart friend at a coffee shop.”
• “Use 1–2 sentence paragraphs. No corporate speak.”
• “Sound experienced but not preachy.”
• “Ban these words: utilize, leverage, dive into, unlock, game-changer, transform.”

Why it matters:

This one step removes 95% of the “AI tone” instantly. Your prompt stops producing robotic walls of text and starts sounding like something you’d actually say.

Part 5: Add Constraints + Examples (Set Clear Boundaries)

If you want clear, tight, usable content, set limits.

Use constraints like:

• “Max 200 words, minimum 150.”
• “Hook must be under 12 words.”
• “No metaphors about journeys or unlocking potential.”

Add examples like:

• “Here’s a post that crushed it: [paste link]. Match that energy but give me a different angle.”

Why this works:

Constraints force focus. Examples guide tone and structure. Together, they give AI a target instead of making it shoot in the dark.

Part 6: Combine It All (Real Prompt in Action)

Here’s how it looks when you pull all the pieces together.

💬 “You’re a conversion-focused social media strategist who’s grown 6 accounts past 100K. I’m selling a project management tool for solopreneurs who hate complicated software. They’re 30–50, running 1–3 projects at once, drowning in tabs and tools.

Write an Instagram caption that hooks them with a relatable pain point in 10 words or less, gives them 1 powerful mindset shift, and ends with a soft CTA to try it free for 14 days.

Write conversationally like you’re DMing a friend. Stay under 180 words. Avoid words like ‘revolutionize’ or ‘seamless.’”

This prompt delivers 85–90% finished content. Not scraps. Not rough drafts. Just minor tweaks needed.

Part 7: Use Iteration Instead of Restarting

Don’t wipe the slate clean if the first draft isn’t perfect. Refine it.

Say things like:

• “Make the hook more controversial.”
• “Cut 30 words without losing impact.”
• “Rewrite paragraph 3 with more urgency.”

Why this is crucial:

AI remembers your conversation. You can push it through multiple rounds, just like a junior writer. With 7–8 rounds of feedback, you often end up with content stronger than you could write cold.

Part 8: Why Most People Fail

They skip 3 or 4 steps. Then they blame the AI.

Here’s the full checklist again:

✨ Role = Makes it think like an expert

✨ Context = Stops generic responses

✨ Task = Focuses the output

✨ Style = Removes robotic language

✨ Constraints = Keeps it tight and usable

✨ Examples = Shows the exact vibe

Miss even two of these, and your draft suffers. Nail all six, and you get publish-ready content in minutes.

Final Thoughts: The Real Problem Isn’t AI—It’s Lazy Prompts

The difference between grade-A output and junk isn’t the model. It’s the input.

If you’re still getting fluff, filler, or corporate-sounding nonsense, go back and check:

• Did you assign a role?
• Did you provide real context?
• Did you give a specific task?
• Did you guide the tone and style?
• Did you set boundaries and give examples?
• Did you refine instead of restart?

Mastering these steps means you can use AI to produce conversion copy, email sequences, social posts, and thought leadership with speed and quality that rivals a skilled team.

The skill isn’t in writing faster.

It’s in prompting smarter.