AI Prompts

Great AI outputs start with great prompts. This category gives you templates, frameworks, and examples you can use immediately.

Stop guessing what to type — start with proven prompts that work.

What You'll Find in AI Prompts

Our prompt articles provide ready-to-use templates organized by business function, plus the thinking behind why they work.

Prompt Categories:

• Email and communication prompts for every situation
• Content creation prompts for blogs, social, and marketing
• Customer service response templates
• Business analysis and decision-making prompts
• Creative brainstorming and ideation frameworks

The Anatomy of a Good Prompt

A good prompt isn't magic — it's structure. We break down the components that make prompts effective: context, constraints, format specifications, and examples. Once you understand the pattern, you can create your own prompts for any situation.

Every prompt article includes variations for different scenarios and tips for customizing templates to match your brand voice.

The Art and Science of AI Prompts

Prompts are the interface between your business needs and AI capabilities. Learning to write effective prompts is arguably the most important AI skill for business owners.

Anatomy of an Effective Prompt

Context Tell the AI who you are, what your business does, and why you need this output. Context shapes every aspect of the response.

Task Clearly state what you want the AI to do. Be specific about the action: write, analyze, summarize, compare, brainstorm, or format.

Format Specify how you want the output structured: bullet points, paragraphs, table, numbered list. Format requirements prevent wasted revisions.

Constraints Define boundaries: word count, tone, audience level, topics to include or avoid. Constraints focus the AI and prevent irrelevant content.

Examples When possible, provide examples of good outputs. Examples communicate standards more effectively than abstract descriptions.

Prompt Templates for Common Business Tasks

Building a library of proven prompts saves time and ensures consistent quality. Our articles include ready-to-use templates for:

• Customer email responses
• Social media post creation
• Blog post outlines and drafts
• Meeting summaries and action items
• Product descriptions
• Business proposals and pitches

From Template to Custom Prompt

Templates are starting points, not final answers. Customize prompts for your specific business, industry, and brand voice. Test variations and keep notes on what works. Over time, you build a personalized prompt library that becomes a genuine business asset.

Common Prompt Mistakes to Avoid

Vague prompts produce generic outputs. Avoid phrases like "write something good" or "help me with marketing." Instead, specify exactly what you need, for whom, and how it should sound.

Complete Prompt Library for Small Business

These ready-to-use prompts cover the most common small business needs. Customize the bracketed sections for your specific situation.

Email Communication Prompts

Professional Response to Inquiry

"Write a professional email response to a [prospect/customer] who asked about [topic]. Include: acknowledgment of their question, key information about [product/service], next steps they should take, and a warm closing. Tone: [professional/friendly/enthusiastic]. Keep it under [X] words."

Follow-Up After Meeting

"Draft a follow-up email after a meeting with [person/company]. Summarize these key discussion points: [points]. Confirm these action items: [items]. Propose [next steps/timeline]. Tone: [professional/collaborative]."

Handling a Complaint

"Write a customer service response to someone who complained about [issue]. Acknowledge their frustration, take responsibility without being defensive, explain what we will do to resolve it: [resolution], and offer [compensation/gesture] if appropriate. Keep the tone empathetic and solution-focused."

Content Creation Prompts

Blog Post Outline

"Create a detailed outline for a blog post about [topic] targeting [audience]. The post should be approximately [X] words. Include: an engaging introduction that addresses [pain point], [number] main sections with subheadings, practical examples or actionable tips in each section, and a conclusion with a clear call to action for [desired action]."

Social Media Post Series

"Create [number] social media posts about [topic] for [platform]. Each post should be [length appropriate for platform]. Include: a hook that grabs attention, valuable content or insight, a call to action, and relevant hashtag suggestions. Tone: [brand voice]. Avoid: [things to avoid]."

Product Description

"Write a compelling product description for [product name]. Target audience: [who]. Key features to highlight: [features]. Benefits to emphasize: [benefits]. Include specifications: [specs]. Tone: [tone]. Length: [word count]. End with a call to action for [action]."

Business Analysis Prompts

Competitor Analysis

"Analyze this competitor based on the information provided: [competitor info]. Identify their apparent target market, unique value proposition, pricing strategy, strengths, and weaknesses. Then suggest ways our business ([our description]) could differentiate or compete more effectively."

Customer Persona Development

"Based on this information about our customers: [customer data/observations], create a detailed customer persona including: demographics, job role and responsibilities, goals and challenges, typical buying process, objections they might have, and messaging that would resonate with them."

SWOT Analysis

"Conduct a SWOT analysis for [business/project] based on this information: [context]. For each category (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), provide at least [number] points with brief explanations. Then suggest strategic priorities based on the analysis."

Meeting and Documentation Prompts

Meeting Notes to Action Items

"Transform these meeting notes into a clear summary document: [paste notes]. Include: meeting date and participants, key decisions made, action items with owners and deadlines, open questions to resolve, and next meeting date/agenda items if mentioned."

Process Documentation

"Create a step-by-step process document for [process name]. Context: [who does this, when, why]. Include: process overview, required tools or access, numbered steps with enough detail for someone unfamiliar to follow, common mistakes to avoid, and troubleshooting tips."

Sales and Marketing Prompts

Sales Email Sequence

"Create a [number]-email sales sequence for [product/service] targeting [audience]. Email 1 should introduce [value proposition]. Email 2 should address [pain point/objection]. Email 3 should [provide proof/case study]. Final email should [create urgency/make offer]. Each email should be [length] with a clear call to action."

Proposal Executive Summary

"Write an executive summary for a proposal to [client type] for [project/service]. Include: understanding of their challenge ([challenge]), our proposed solution approach, expected outcomes and timeline, investment overview, and why our team is the right choice. Keep it to [word count]."

Prompt Engineering Best Practices

Be Specific About Format

Tell AI exactly how you want the output structured:

• "Use bullet points for the main recommendations"
• "Format as a numbered list"
• "Present in a table with columns for X, Y, and Z"
• "Write in short paragraphs of 2-3 sentences each"

Include Constraints

Constraints improve output quality:

• Word or character limits
• Things to include or exclude
• Tone and style requirements
• Audience considerations

Provide Context

More context leads to better results:

• Your industry and business type
• The specific situation or use case
• Who will read or receive the output
• What you have tried before

Iterate and Refine

First outputs rarely perfect:

• Ask for revisions: "Make it more concise"
• Request alternatives: "Give me three other options"
• Add missing elements: "Add a section about pricing"
• Adjust tone: "Make this sound less formal"