During her recent member exclusive webinar, Kerry Harrison highlighted the importance of creating detailed, specific prompts to get high-quality responses from AI tools. She introduced her AI sandwich methodology and stressed the significance of human involvement in the content creation process as well as the consequences of using AI.

Kerry Harrison, an experienced AI trainer and copywriter, explained her role in educating businesses on AI’s potential and emphasised the rapid evolution of AI in the past six years since her involvement in the industry.

AI has boomed in popularity since ChatGPT was introduced in 2022 and is now fast becoming ubiquitous, being used for everything from data analysis to delivering customer experiences. The webinar began with a poll where we saw a diverse range of responses from the attendees on their current use of AI, from regular users to those just occasionally exploring the tools.

There is a wide range of easily accessible AI tools available now, each with their own unique features and applications. Large language models (LLMs), like Gemini and Claude, are trained on vast amounts of data and work by making predictions based on patterns in data. These models can save copywriters’ time, effort and help us to think more creatively, but the value of the results are a direct reflection of the prompts you provide.

How to create great prompts

Harrison’s advice is to focus on mastering a few key tools rather than trying every tool that emerges, because they evolve so quickly that it makes it difficult to keep up.

She emphasised the importance of creating effective prompts to get high-quality output from AI tools. Providing detailed and descriptive prompts can be easily achieved using Microsoft’s GCSE prompting method that Harrison showcased during the webinar.

• Goal: defining the task and what you would like the AI to create.
• Context: providing extra background information.
• Source: providing examples and material for the AI to use as a guide.
• Expectations: setting your expectations, including format and language requirements or any other specific requests you have.

If your prompts include each of these elements, you’ll get better results the first time around.

Using AI for research

AI functions great as an assistant, it can summarise long-form content, reducing time spent reading articles and papers that do not add any value to your research. However, fact checking AI’s response is essential because the systems can generate incorrect or misleading information based on flawed data, known as an AI hallucination. This is one of the key downfalls of large language models.

Brainstorming and editing with AI

AI tools can assist with a variety of steps in the content creation process, from generating ideas to suggesting improvements on your final drafts. Using AI as a brainstorming partner can eliminate the fear of a blank page, helping to overcome writer’s block and take your thinking in a new direction.

You can also use AI to review and enhance your final work. For example, the tools can help you identify areas of improvement and suggest ways to increase clarity, fluency and readability. Implementing AI recommended amendments could help optimise the content and reduce time spent editing and refining. 

AI Sandwich

Harrison’s AI Sandwich methodology applies human intelligence at either end of using AI tools.

Before using AI tools, Harrison suggests starting with an objective and applying detailed information into your prompts. This might include strategy, research and your own creative ideas.
Although writing a detailed prompt takes some time and thought, the results you get will be worth the effort.

Once AI has generated a response, the AI Sandwich suggests applying human intelligence again. This is the time to fact check and sense check your outputs to avoid publishing incorrect information.
Harrison also stresses the importance of the human craft. It’s not advisable to copy and paste writing directly from the models, especially if you want your writing to stand out. To ensure your content resonates with your audience, add unique touches to your copy to provide a human element and stay true to your brand’s tone of voice.

Using this sandwich method generates superior, customised content from a minimal number of prompts and your human involvement ensures the content is accurate and applicable to your brand.

Considerations when using AI

While AI can seem like a magical tool that can save time and effort, it is important to be transparent about your use of AI and acknowledge the ethical issues that come with using the tools.

Marketing professionals should be aware of the principles of using AI including topics such as best practice, upcoming legislation and privacy concerns. 

Being truthful and open about your use of AI is imperative, to maintain trust. It’s vital to have conversations with clients to ensure they are comfortable with AI usage; this is particularly important when considering the level of data security and privacy you need when choosing your tool. It is essential to check you’re happy with the terms of use and privacy policy before using AI tools.

Additionally, environmental concerns are something to consider when using AI as powering the models requires significant amounts of energy and water. Taking the time to craft fewer, high-quality prompts as opposed to lots of generic ones is a more sustainable way to interact with AI models. Harrison also highlighted the importance of knowing when, and when not to use AI, as well as picking the right tool for your needs.

AI is a sidekick not a substitute

AI’s popularity has soared in recent years, and many marketers may feel left out of the trend if they are not using AI, but the truth is that it is not always necessary.

AI tools can support copywriters in many ways, from saving time on research, to sparking ideas and generating structures. When used well, AI makes a perfect sidekick, freeing up your time for more strategic and creative thinking. However, it’s also important to think about the considerations, to maintain transparency and to avoid over reliance.
As Harrison stated: AI tools are here to stay – the key to success is knowing how to use them wisely and well. 

To deepen your AI knowledge further and learn more on advanced prompting techniques and responsible AI usage, sign up to CIM’s AI Copywriting Masterclass. The advanced course will equip you with the skills to successfully customise and train your own generative AI models to benefit and optimise your content.

Make your content stand out with the AI Copywriting Masterclass