Why AI Prompting Matters

Prompt engineering or being able to write great AI prompts has rapidly become one of the most in demand skills in the workforce. As Generative AI tools for creating written content or images start to take centre stage, a need for a new skill set is emerging around crafting great prompts to get the best results.

The AI prompt is what you input into an AI model to request your results. It can be a statement, a question or even just conversational. Large Language Models (LLMs) are getting very smart these days, but they still need a starting point and as with all technology over the years the results will vary depending on the quality of the input.

Being good at writing AI prompts can help you bridge that results gap, and we have seven useful tips that you can apply to your prompts to help you get better results from your queries.

In this guide, we share seven key strategies to optimise your AI prompts, helping you generate high-quality responses every time.

7 useful tips for crafting the best AI prompts

1: Be specific in your requests 

AI models respond best to clear, detailed instructions. Instead of simply saying “Write a blog post,” be precise: “Write a 500-word blog post about the top 5 SEO strategies for small businesses in 2024, including keywords, backlinking, and local search optimisation.” Fine-tune your prompts as you go to get even better results. 

2: Use clear and concise language 

The clearer your prompt, the better the AI will understand it. Instead of asking for “info on that thing where you make websites show up more on Google,” specify: “Provide an overview of basic SEO techniques for improving Google search rankings.” 

3: Provide context when necessary 

Additional details help AI models narrow down results. If you encounter a technical issue, mention the environment, e.g., “I’m working with Python 3.8 and getting a ‘ModuleNotFoundError’ when importing Pandas.” Context leads to faster, more accurate answers. 

4: Utilise follow-up questions for clarity 

Think of prompting as a conversation. If the first answer isn’t exactly what you need, build on it with open questions, such as: “Can you explain qubits in simpler terms?” 

5: Prime the AI persona 

Define the AI’s role before giving commands. For example, say: “Acting as an expert content creator, write an engaging blog about cars.” This primes the model to align better with your goals. 

6: Leverage keywords and commands 

Use strong action verbs like "Explain," "Summarise," "List," or "Compare and contrast" in your prompts. These command words direct the AI clearly and improve the quality of the output. 

7: Set the tone or style 

Tell the AI the tone you want — professional, persuasive, casual, technical — and specify language variants if needed, such as British English or American English. This helps ensure the content matches your brand voice. 

Take your AI prompting skills to the next level

Getting good at writing AI prompts takes a little practice, but by being specific, clear, and structured, you'll soon see major improvements. If you get stuck, remember you can always ask the AI itself forguidance on optimising your prompts.LanguageWire helps businesses create smarter multilingual contentwith bespoke AI solutions that blend human expertise with AI-driven efficiency.

Get in touch to learn how we can help you streamline content creation, translation, and global delivery — or explore our insights into Large Language Modelsand the future of AI.