Writing That Sticks: AI Prompts

This in-depth guide turns valuable insights into actionable prompts for use with AI assistants.

Introduction

Whether you're working on business content, personal essays, or marketing materials, these prompts are crafted to help you produce engaging, memorable writing that resonates with your audience.

The prompts are organized into five essential categories:

➔   Defining Purpose & Planning

➔   Techniques for Capturing Attention

➔   Enhancing Flow & Style

➔   Building Psychological Connection

➔   Refining & Polishing Content

How to Use This Guide

➔   Before using any prompt, take a moment to gather relevant context about your writing project

➔   Customize the prompts by replacing bracketed text with your specific information

➔   Use the provided implementation strategies to maximize the effectiveness of AI assistance

➔   Track your progress and iterate based on the results

Purpose Definition & Planning Prompts

Prompt 1.1: Purpose Statement Development

I need help creating a clear purpose statement for my writing project. Here are the details:

Topic: [Your topic]

Target Audience: [Describe your ideal readers]

Desired Outcome: [What you want readers to do/think/feel]

Content Type: [Blog post/email/social media/etc.]

Please help me craft a focused purpose statement that includes:

1. The core message
2. The target audience description
3. The desired emotional response
4. The specific call-to-action
5. Success metrics

Additionally, suggest 3 ways to maintain alignment with this purpose throughout the writing process.

Prompt 1.2: Audience Analysis Framework

Help me develop a detailed audience persona for my writing project:

Industry/Field: [Your industry]

Content Topic: [Your topic]

General Demographics: [Age range, profession, etc.]

Please create:

1. A detailed reader persona including goals, challenges, and aspirations
2. Key pain points this audience faces
3. Their current knowledge level about the topic
4. Their potential objections or concerns
5. Language preferences and communication style
6. Recommended content format and tone

Prompt 1.3: Content Strategy Development

I need to develop a content strategy that aligns with my writing goals:

Project Type: [Your content type]

Main Objective: [Your primary goal]

Available Resources: [Time, tools, etc.]

Please help me create:

1. A content outline with key points and sub-points
2. Suggested research sources and references
3. Timeline for content creation and revision
4. Distribution channels and promotion strategy
5. Success metrics and measurement methods

Attention-Grabbing Techniques

Prompt 2.1: Headline Generation

Help me create compelling headlines for my content:

Topic: [Your topic]

Target Audience: [Your audience]

Content Type: [Blog post/article/email/etc.]

Key Benefit: [Main value proposition]

Please generate:

1. 5 “How-to” headlines
2. 5 List-based headlines
3. 5 Question-based headlines
4. 5 Problem-solution headlines
5. Analysis of why each type would work for my audience

Prompt 2.2: Hook Development

Help me craft an engaging opening hook for my content:

Topic: [Your topic]

Target Emotion: [Desired emotional response]

Current Opening: [Your current first paragraph]

Please provide:

1. 3 story-based hooks
2. 3 question-based hooks
3. 3 statistic-based hooks
4. Analysis of each hook’s potential effectiveness
5. Suggestions for transitioning from the hook to main content

Prompt 2.3: Curiosity Gap Creation

Help me create effective curiosity gaps in my content:

Content Topic: [Your topic]

Current Draft: [Your content]

Key Insights: [Main points you want to reveal]

Please suggest:

1. Strategic places to insert curiosity gaps
2. Different techniques for creating anticipation
3. Transition phrases that maintain suspense
4. Methods to resolve curiosity gaps satisfyingly
5. Examples of effective curiosity gap implementation

Flow & Style Enhancement

Prompt 3.1: Sentence Structure Analysis

Analyze and improve the sentence structure in my writing:

Content: [Your text]

Desired Tone: [Conversational/Professional/etc.]

Please provide:

1. Analysis of current sentence length variety
2. Suggestions for improving rhythm and flow
3. Identification of awkward or unclear sentences
4. Recommendations for sentence restructuring
5. Examples of improved versions

Prompt 3.2: Transition Enhancement

Help me improve the transitions in my content:

Content: [Your text]

Content Type: [Article/email/etc.]

Current Transitions: [List current transition phrases]

Please provide:

1. Analysis of current transition effectiveness
2. Suggestions for stronger transitions
3. Alternative transition phrases
4. Methods to connect ideas more smoothly
5. Examples of improved paragraph connections

Prompt 3.3: Voice and Tone Alignment

Help me ensure consistent voice and tone throughout my content:

Content: [Your text]

Desired Voice: [Describe desired voice]

Brand Guidelines: [Any specific requirements]

Please analyze:

1. Current voice consistency
2. Areas where tone shifts inappropriately
3. Suggestions for maintaining consistent voice
4. Examples of effective voice usage
5. Recommendations for improvement

Psychological Connection

Prompt 4.1: Emotional Appeal Enhancement

Help me strengthen the emotional appeal in my content:

Content: [Your text]

Desired Emotions: [List target emotions]

Target Audience: [Your audience]

Please provide:

1. Analysis of current emotional elements
2. Suggestions for stronger emotional appeals
3. Power words that evoke desired emotions
4. Storytelling opportunities
5. Examples of emotional connection points

Prompt 4.2: Persuasion Principle Implementation

Help me incorporate persuasion principles into my content:

Content: [Your text]

Goal: [Desired action]

Current Persuasive Elements: [List current techniques]

Please suggest:

1. Ways to incorporate social proof
2. Methods to build authority
3. Scarcity/urgency elements
4. Reciprocity opportunities
5. Consistency/commitment triggers

Prompt 4.3: Trust-Building Element Integration

Help me add trust-building elements to my content:

Content: [Your text]

Industry: [Your field]

Current Credibility Markers: [List current elements]

Please provide:

1. Suggestions for incorporating testimonials
2. Ways to demonstrate expertise
3. Methods to address common objections
4. Trust-building language examples
5. Credibility-enhancing elements

Content Refinement & Polish

Prompt 5.1: Clarity Enhancement

Help me improve the clarity of my content:

Content: [Your text]

Target Reading Level: [Desired complexity]

Current Issues: [Known clarity problems]

Please provide:

1. Analysis of current readability
2. Identification of complex/unclear sections
3. Suggestions for simplification
4. Alternative phrasing options
5. Examples of improved clarity

Prompt 5.2: Jargon and Fluff Elimination

Help me eliminate unnecessary jargon and fluff from my content:

Content: [Your text]

Industry: [Your field]

Target Audience Knowledge Level: [Basic/Intermediate/Advanced]

Please identify:

1. Industry jargon that needs explanation
2. Unnecessary words and phrases
3. Redundant expressions
4. Overly complex terminology
5. Suggested replacements for each issue

Prompt 5.3: Call-to-Action Optimization

Help me optimize the calls-to-action in my content:

Content: [Your text]

Desired Action: [What you want readers to do]

Current CTAs: [List current calls-to-action]

Please provide:

1. Analysis of current CTA effectiveness
2. Suggestions for stronger CTAs
3. Placement recommendations
4. Alternative CTA phrasings
5. Examples of effective implementation

Implementation Strategy

Daily Writing Routine

1. Start each writing session by using the Purpose Definition prompts
2. Use the Hook Development prompts during your first draft
3. Apply Flow & Style prompts during revision
4. Implement Psychological Connection prompts to deepen impact
5. Finish with Content Refinement prompts for final polish

Progress Tracking

➔   Keep a log of which prompts you use and their effectiveness

➔   Document successful phrases and approaches in a swipe file

➔   Review and adjust your implementation strategy monthly

➔   Collect feedback from readers to measure impact

➔   Track key metrics related to your writing goals

Best Practices

1. Always provide clear context when using prompts
2. Use multiple prompts for each piece of content
3. Iterate based on results and feedback
4. Save successful outputs for future reference
5. Regularly review and update your approach

Remember, these prompts are tools to enhance your natural writing abilities, not replace them. Use them thoughtfully and adapt them to your specific needs and style.

Do you wanna know more? Join our Discord and ask for free access to our AI YouTube Masterclass, or join Wallafan to access the entire Writing That Sticks course from your dashboard.

***

About the Author

Fabio Salvadori is the founder of Wallafan, a SaaS platform that empowers content creators with full control over their earnings, data, and branding. With over 12 years of experience as a talent scout for Virgin Music and more than 20 years in the tech industry, Fabio has a keen eye for identifying and nurturing creative talent. Leveraging his extensive experience in digital media, he has been at the forefront of advocating for more equitable and sustainable monetization models.