Lesson 2Start here
Give AI useful context
The biggest difference between a bland AI answer and a useful one is context. AI knows nothing about your business, so without details it fills the gaps with averages. Tell it what a new member of staff would need to know on their first day.
Lesson 2Read
Why vague prompts give vague answers
Ask "write a social post for my business" and the AI has to guess who you are, who you serve and what you want. You'll get something that could be about anyone. Add a few real details and it can write something only you could post.
Lesson 2Read
The six things worth telling it
What you do and your main offer. Who your customers are. Where you work. What makes you different, in plain words. And what you want people to do next, like call, book or visit. That's it. You don't need an essay.
Lesson 2Read
Only real, approved details
Only include things that are true and that you're happy to say in public. If you haven't got reviews yet, don't let AI imply you have. If you're not the cheapest, don't say you are. "Unknown" is a perfectly good answer: AI will work with it.
Lesson 2Compare
Vague vs specific
Vague
Write a social media post for my plumbing business.
Specific
I run Riverside Plumbing, a two-person plumbing and heating business in Taunton. Most of our customers are homeowners with older houses who want a tidy, reliable job and a clear price upfront. We're Gas Safe registered and we always send a photo of the finished work. Write a short Facebook post reminding people to book a boiler service before winter, and ask them to call us.
The second prompt gives the AI a business, a place, real customers, a difference and a clear next step. The answer can be specific because the question is. (Riverside Plumbing is made up for this example.)
Lesson 2Your turn
Write your business introduction
Answer in a few words each. Only include things that are true and that you're happy to say in public. Not sure? Write "unknown".
Copy this prompt into your AI tool. It asks you questions one at a time, pins down vague answers and gives you a summary to paste into the boxes below. Answer honestly, and it's fine to say "don't know".
Context: I run a small business and I want to describe it clearly, so I can get better help from AI with my marketing. I'm not sure how to put some of it into words. Action: Interview me about my business. Ask me one question at a time, starting with what we do and who our customers are. If an answer is vague, ask one follow-up to pin it down. Ask no more than 12 questions in total. Warnings: Don't guess or fill gaps with made-up details. If I don't know something, write "unknown" and move on. Don't ask for customer names, contact details or anything private. Use UK spelling. Result: When we're done, give me a short summary under these six headings, one or two lines each: Business name, What we do and our main offer, Our customers, Where we work, What makes us different, What we'd like people to do.
Your business introduction
Fill in the boxes above and your introduction appears here.
Paste this at the start of any AI chat, or save it in your tool's custom instructions or project settings if it has them.
Lesson 2Quick check
Quick check
One quick question
No scores and no penalties. Pick an answer to see why it's right or not, and change it as often as you like.
Lesson 2Wrap up
Lesson 2 takeaway
Takeaway
Context is what turns a generic answer into your answer. Save your introduction and reuse it.
Want it all on paper? Download the course workbook (PDF, 678 KB)