The FIXIT Method: Writing Better AI Prompts for Marketing Professionals
In the rapidly evolving landscape of digital marketing, leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT can provide a significant edge. However, the effectiveness of these tools hinges on how well you communicate your needs to them. Jeremy Utley’s FIXIT method offers a structured approach to writing better AI prompts, ensuring you get the most out of your AI interactions. Let’s delve into each aspect of the FIXIT method to understand how it can transform your digital marketing efforts today.
F – Focused Problem Statement
A focused problem statement is the cornerstone of effective AI prompting. General problems yield generic solutions, which are often too broad to be actionable. By defining what you’re trying to solve with precision, you guide the AI to generate more relevant and useful responses.
A Bad Problem Statement:
“Hey ChatGPT, give me some new ad ideas for an electronics brand.”
This request is too vague. It doesn’t provide enough context for the AI to generate specific, targeted ideas.
A Good Problem Statement:
“We sell a niche earphone product that has noise-cancelling features. The problem is, people often think this is a product for listening to music, and we struggle to communicate the true use cases which are improving sleep quality, helping people with noise sensitivity, and reducing anxiety while travelling.
We’ve tried to communicate these benefits but it is hard to communicate them quickly in an ad and people are still often confused. Or the ads become too boring and filled with features, making people ignore them.
We need to figure out how to both communicate the unique use cases of our product while also getting attention on social feeds. How can we show people these are not music-based earphones while also hooking attention and keeping things emotional?”
This detailed problem statement provides clear information on the product, its unique selling points, the communication challenges and the specific objectives for the ad campaign. This level of detail helps the AI generate more focused and effective ideas.
I – Ideate Individually First
Before turning to AI or your team, spend some time brainstorming on your own. This helps you understand the problem deeply and avoid premature cognitive closure—settling for the first satisfactory idea that comes along.
By ideating individually, you can explore various angles and perspectives, identifying potential pitfalls and opportunities. This preparatory step ensures that when you do engage with AI, you’re better equipped to evaluate its suggestions critically.
For instance, if you’re working on an ad campaign for a new product, take some time to sketch out a few ideas. Consider the emotions you want to evoke, the key messages you want to communicate and the formats (e.g. informative, humorous, conversational, etc.) that might work best. This personal brainstorming session will enrich your interaction with AI leading to more refined and innovative outputs.
X – Provide Sufficient Context or Background Information
The quality of AI output is directly proportional to the quality of input it receives. Jeremy Utley emphasises the need for at least 400 characters of background information to ensure the AI has enough context to work effectively.
When crafting your prompt, include details about your brand, target audience, previous campaigns and specific challenges you’re facing. This depth of information allows the AI to generate ideas that are tailored to your unique situation.
Example:
“We are a startup specialising in eco-friendly home cleaning products. Our target audience consists of environmentally conscious millennials who are active on social media. Our previous campaigns have focused on the environmental benefits of our products, but we’ve struggled to differentiate ourselves from competitors who make similar claims. We need fresh, creative ad ideas that highlight the unique benefits of our products, such as their natural ingredients and superior cleaning power, whilst also engaging our audience emotionally and encouraging social media sharing.”
This comprehensive background sets the stage for the AI to provide more nuanced and actionable suggestions.
I – Interact Iteratively with the AI
Think of your interaction with AI as a conversation rather than a one-off query. Start by asking ChatGPT for its input, then refine and iterate based on its responses.
Encourage the AI to ask you questions to gather more information. This back-and-forth process helps clarify your needs and ensures the AI’s outputs are closely aligned with your goals.
Example Interaction:
- You: “We need creative ad ideas for our eco-friendly cleaning products that emphasise their natural ingredients and superior cleaning power. Any suggestions?”
- AI: “Sure! Can you tell me more about your target audience and any specific platforms you’re focusing on for this campaign?”
- You: “Our target audience is environmentally conscious millennials, and we’re primarily focusing on Instagram and TikTok.”
- AI: “Great! Here are a few ideas tailored for Instagram and TikTok…”
By engaging in this iterative dialogue, you refine the AI’s understanding and get closer to the ideas you need.
T – Take It Back to Your Team
The ideas generated by AI are just a starting point. It’s crucial to bring these ideas back to your team for further refinement. Collaborative critique and discussion will help you polish the AI’s suggestions and ensure they align with your brand’s voice and objectives.
Review the AI-generated ideas with your team, considering aspects like feasibility, creativity, and potential impact. Encourage open feedback and build on the AI’s input to create well-rounded, effective campaigns.
Example:
If the AI suggests a series of Instagram Reels showcasing your eco-friendly cleaning products in action, brainstorm with your team on the specifics. How can you make these Reels visually appealing? What influencers or user-generated content can you leverage? How can you incorporate your brand’s unique personality into the content?
Conclusion
The FIXIT method by Jeremy Utley provides a structured approach to writing better AI prompts, ensuring that you harness the full potential of tools like ChatGPT. By focusing on a clear problem statement, ideating individually, providing sufficient context, interacting iteratively and collaborating with your team, you can generate more relevant, creative, and impactful marketing ideas.
Incorporate the FIXIT method into your workflow and watch as your AI interactions become more productive and your marketing campaigns more innovative and effective.