How to Get the Most from ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini & Other AI Tools: Mastering the Art of Prompt Generation

If you’ve been following my journey here on Anxious African Mom, you know that I live at the intersection of tech, creativity, and mom life. By day, I’m an AI and Automation Product Manager—aka I spend my work hours evangelizing AI as the tool to propel us forward. And by night (or let’s be real, in the small in-between moments), I’m using those same tools to keep my blog thriving and my ideas organized.

The truth? The best way I get people excited about AI is by keeping them impressed with my outputs. And nine times out of ten, that comes down to one thing: the art of prompt generation.

Let me tell you—my prompt for generating Copilot meeting notes? Top tier.
My prompt for generating blog content? Unmatched.
And today, I’m pulling back the curtain to share my keys to success so you can get the most out of AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude—whichever you’re using.

Why Prompts Matter More Than You Think

When it comes to working with AI, your prompt is everything. Think of it like cooking: you can’t expect a Michelin-star meal if you only hand over a potato and some salt. AI needs ingredients, context, and direction to create something impressive.

Here’s the golden rule: be specific. Whether you’re asking AI to generate written content, images, or even help you reframe your LinkedIn profile, the more details you give, the better the output.

Don’t let the size of your prompt scare you. The longer, the better—because it gives the model more context to work with.

Keys to My Prompt Success

1) Be Detailed & Specific

Instead of typing:

“Write me a blog about parenting.”

Try this instead:

“Write me a blog post in a conversational, relatable tone from the perspective of a millennial first-generation mom juggling three kids and a career. Make it SEO-optimized for the keyword ‘gentle parenting tips,’ include three subheadings, and close with a call to action for readers to share their own parenting hacks.”

See the difference? One gives you a generic draft. The other gives you something you can actually hit publish on.

2) Provide Context & Purpose

If you want AI to edit or optimize content for a specific platform, tell it exactly what you’re aiming for.

Example (LinkedIn):

“Review and fix the following LinkedIn description. Optimize it for SEO so I appear in recruiter searches for AI product manager roles, and keep the tone professional but approachable.”

Boom—you’ve not only given AI the content but also the why and how. That’s where the magic happens.

3) Don’t Be Afraid of Long Prompts

Think of your prompt as the blueprint—it can’t build the house without the full plan.

So next time you’re hesitating, remember:

Your words are the secret sauce. The more detail you give, the better the output.

4) Use Iteration Instead of Expecting Perfection

AI’s first draft is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you refine through follow-ups.

Try these follow-up prompts:

“Shorten this section.”

“Make this sound more playful.”

“Turn this into bullet points for LinkedIn.”

The more you shape the response, the closer it gets to your vision.

5) Ask AI to Role-Play or Take on a Persona

This one’s a game-changer. If you want sharper outputs, tell AI who to pretend to be.

“Act like a senior recruiter reviewing LinkedIn profiles—optimize this summary so it stands out.”

“Pretend you’re a design blogger explaining color drenching to beginners.”

When AI has a persona, it shapes the answer for the exact audience you care about.

6) Set Formatting Expectations Upfront

Save yourself editing time later by telling AI how you want the output delivered.

“Write this blog post in WordPress-ready format with H2 headers and a meta description under 160 characters.”

You can also specify if you need something as bullet points, a table, or a script. AI loves clear instructions, and your workflow will move a whole lot faster.

Spark Smarts: Why Vague Prompts Lead to the Same Answers

The gist: Large Language Models predict the next token (piece of a word) based on probability. They generate output one token at a time, choosing what’s most likely to come next given your input and their training. That’s why clear, detailed instructions can dramatically steer results.

Sampling & “randomness”: Most chat models use sampling parameters like temperature and top-p to control how adventurous vs. conservative the next token choice is. Lower temperature ≈ more deterministic, higher ≈ more diverse. Defaults usually lean conservative—especially for safety and consistency.

Alignment makes models behave similarly: Beyond pre-training, models are “shaped” with techniques like RLHF (Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback) and Constitutional AI so they follow helpful, safe norms. Because many providers use related alignment methods, models tend to share similar default styles and guardrails—another reason generic prompts can yield similar answers across tools.

Demo it yourself: Ask ChatGPT to “guess a number between 1 and 1,000.” Then do the same in Claude. You’ll often get the same handful of “favorite” numbers (like 27, 37, or 42). Why? Because vague prompts lead to high-probability defaults that multiple AIs converge on.

Bottom line: If your prompt is broad, models will converge. If your prompt is specific, they’ll diverge—and that’s where the magic happens.

A Gentle Reminder: Keep Your Creativity at the Center

Here’s the thing: AI is powerful, but your creativity is irreplaceable. If you’re writing, don’t just hand AI a blank page—feed it your real thoughts, opinions, and experiences.

The best outputs come when AI has something authentic to work with. Think of it as polishing your diamond, not digging for one. You provide the raw brilliance—your story, your perspective, your creativity—and AI helps shape it into something shinier and more refined.

So whether you’re drafting a blog post, crafting social content, or even prepping a LinkedIn bio: always start with you. AI is the amplifier, not the author of your voice.

Final Thoughts

AI is only as powerful as the prompts you give it. Once you master that, you’ll stop seeing it as a “replacement” and start seeing it for what it really is—a partner that supercharges your creativity and productivity.

And trust me, as someone who’s using it daily at work and here on this blog, the difference between average outputs and jaw-dropping ones comes down to how you prompt.

So whether you’re updating your LinkedIn, writing a blog, or generating images for your brand—say it all, give the details, iterate, stay creative, and let AI do its best work.

Mastering Prompts: Get the Most from ChatGPT & AI Tools

How to Get the Most from ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini & Other AI Tools: Mastering the Art of Prompt Generation

Why Prompts Matter More Than You Think