AI is everywhere right now. And while it's not replacing creators anytime soon, it can definitely make our lives easier.

The trick? Knowing how to talk to it.

Most of us type vague requests and get vague results. But with the right prompts, we can get AI to do exactly what we need. Here are five tips that actually work, plus a bonus at the end.

1. Be Clear and Specific

Vague prompts get vague answers. Instead of "write me a caption," try "write a casual Instagram caption for a behind-the-scenes photo of me editing a video. Keep it under 150 characters."

The more specific we are, the less back-and-forth we need.

2. Give It a Persona

Want a different tone? Tell the AI who to be.

"Write this like you're a laid-back travel vlogger" hits different than "write this like a corporate marketing team." The persona shapes everything from word choice to energy. Play with it.

3. Show Examples of What You Want

If you have a format in mind, show it. Paste in a tweet you love and say "write something in this style." Or describe the structure: "Start with a hook, then three bullet points, then a call to action."

AI learns fast when we give it something to work from.

4. Tell It to Think It Through

This sounds weird, but it works. Adding "think step by step" or "walk through your reasoning" actually improves the output. Studies have shown this makes AI perform better on complex tasks.

Try it on anything that needs logic or structure.

5. Give Enough Context

AI doesn't know our audience, our brand, or our goals unless we tell it. Before asking for content, share who it's for, what platform it's going on, and what we're trying to achieve.

More context = better results. Every time.

What a Good Prompt Looks Like

Here's an example putting it all together:

"You're a casual YouTube creator who makes videos about productivity. Write a Twitter thread (5 tweets) about morning routines that help you stay focused. Keep it conversational, not preachy. End with a question to boost engagement."

See the difference? Clear, specific, with persona and context baked in.

Bonus: Save Your Best Prompts

Once we find prompts that work, keep them somewhere. A notes app, a doc, wherever. We can also save prompts we see from other creators online.

Build a library. Reuse what works. Tweak as needed.

That's the cheat code.