Increase your creativity with ChatGPT prompts: how to use AI to optimise your content creation

We have all come across the word “prompts” in connection with AI, especially ChatGPT. We know that prompts are important, as AI interprets them as an invitation to respond.

If you search for “how to use prompts correctly”, you often come across general advice like: clear and precise language is crucial, while long sentences with many details – despite providing maximum context – should be avoided. That sounds contradictory at first. It’s time to take a closer look and find the fine line between simplicity and detail that helps you make the most of AI. We want to help you optimise your creativity by using ChatGPT prompts.

ChatGPT: the basics of prompts

ChatGPT is a language model based on an AI. The chatbot is able to replicate human language and thus have conversations with people. The tool can adapt to context and learn to respond to specific messages. It improves with every use meaning that ChatGPT gets more accurate with each of your prompts.

Prompts not only need to be precise, they also need to be formulated properly. Short, easy-to-understand sentences are perfect – you can have as many of these as you want. In addition, you should be careful to use appropriate keywords. The more closely these are related to the task, the better the answers  generated by ChatGPT will be.

The keywords will help ChatGPT interpret your question. You can always ask a question after an answer, for example to go into more detail. Try to comprehend the answer so you can adjust your prompt and try again. This is the only way to make the AI better and easier for you to use. By the way: AI is understanding slang and jargon better and better.

ChatGPT: sample prompts

Here are a few sample prompts for you – a source of prompt inspiration:

1. Help me to write some lyrics. The theme is [theme], the genre is [genre], and I want the mood to be [emotion]. Here is what I have so far: [lyrics].
2. Give me 5 creative song titles that fit the theme [theme] and are appropriate for the genre [genre].
3. I want a song arrangement for [genre]. The song has the following structure: [e.g. intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro]. What instruments and sounds could I use to boost the mood?
4. I’m having trouble mastering my songs. Can you give me a step-by-step guide to creating a DIY master that sounds good on streaming platforms?

Again, more specifically: we asked ChatGPT, ‘what kinds of prompts would I need to use to create new lyrics?’

This question aims to set the direction and define different facets such as style, theme and perspective. First, the bot wanted me to set the mood and theme.

1. Theme and mood. Prompt: “Write lyrics about [theme, e.g. ‘summer nights on the beach’], with a [mood, e.g. ‘nostalgic and happy’] atmosphere”.
2. Then you need to specify a genre. Prompt: “Create [genre, e.g. ‘pop’] lyrics about [theme, e.g. ‘love and freedom’] with a catchy chorus”.
3. A detailed description of the storyline. Prompt: “Write a song that describes the story of [short story description, e.g. ‘two people who meet in a foreign city and spend the evening together’]”.
4. Style/perspective. AI is still learning, so we need to give it a specific style or example to use. Prompt: “Create lyrics in the style of [artist/genre, e.g. ‘Ed Sheeran or folk’], which are about [theme, e.g. ‘starting new adventures’]”. From what perspective and in what narrative style should the story be told? Prompt: “Write lyrics from the perspective of a person who [e.g., ‘is leaving their past behind and starting anew’].”

What many don’t appreciate is that ChatGPT can also help with promotion. Here are some examples of a successful prompt.

1. What social media strategies can I use as a DIY musician to effectively promote my new song when I have only a small budget?
2. Give me 5 original ideas for TikTok or Instagram Reels that I can use to promote my song [song title].
3. Write a template for a newsletter to let my fans know about a new release. Emphasise personal connection and exclusive content.

Again, more specifically: What social media strategies can I use as a DIY musician to effectively promote my new song when I have only a small budget?

Here is an excerpt of the answers to a question to ChatGPT to help you as a DIY musician better understand what your media strategies might be on a small budget.

1. Active use of social media: platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok are essential for presenting your music to a wide audience. Share regular updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and interact with your followers to build a dedicated community.
2. Creating short videos: take advantage of the popularity of short videos on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels. Produce creative clips that introduce your song to attract the attention of potential fans.
3. Collaboration with influencers: even on a small budget, you can target micro-influencers who are willing to share your music. This can significantly increase the range of your song.
4. Live streams and virtual performances: use live streaming features on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook to give live performances, interact with your audience and present your new song.
5. Use of music platforms: make sure your music is available on platforms like Bandcamp to promote sales and benefit from special promotions like Bandcamp Fridays.

How do I formulate a good ChatGPT prompt?

We now know that clear and precise language is crucial. The difficulty lies rather in actually writing this way. Expressing oneself clearly and precisely is a skill of its own, which must be mastered first.

• Keep it short. Use individual sentences and avoid complicated clauses.
• Avoid filler words and phrases. Give clear instructions instead of beginning your prompt with “Could you…”. A simple “Please” is enough.
• Detailed instructions for writing longer texts. When it comes to writing long-form content, go into detail and structure your prompt with bullet points and clear headings. This helps ChatGPT to cover all the important content.

Formulation and requirements of the length of the text

Now the time has come to give your instructions in structured bullet points and main sentences. Especially when generating long-form content, you should go into detail and provide context. If someone told you “Write me an article about AI in marketing”, this would not be enough info. This would be rather non-specific, and you wouldn’t know while writing if you really covered all the things the person wanted.

Take the same approach when you prompt an AI – your prompt should essentially be a summary. If you don’t have any ideas about what your text should include and you want to save on research, you can first ask ChatGPT to provide you with ideas or create an outline. You can then build on that. This brings us on to the next tip.

If you are compiling an outline with all the important points in advance, make sure that ChatGPT covers everything you would like to mention in your article. This way you will not need to ask the AI to add more sections afterwards. It is best to think about rough headings and a few key points about what should be covered under the respective heading.

Avoid slang and jargon

If you want to use slang, there are two things you need to consider:

1. ChatGPT’s data base may not include newer slang expressions. They will not be understood by the chatbot and you will need to explain them.
2. Very regional expressions may also be unknown. Some phrases are very regional and therefore may not be understood by ChatGPT. The same applies to dialect.

In the case of jargon, it is important to limit the number of technical terms or to provide definitions where appropriate.

In summary

Hopefully we were able to shed a little light on the perhaps still-dark ChatGPT universe. Our advice to you is have a go: test different prompts, keep trying and improve as you go!