MAKE Issues: 8 Ways to Ask Good Questions with AI Prompts
Generative AI is rapidly changing the way we work. It's no longer just following commands — it's evolving into an "intelligent agent" that understands intent and performs tasks flexibly.
That's why it's become increasingly important to express what you want AI to do more precisely and effectively.
When you write good prompts, the results are noticeably better.
This applies across various fields including text generation, data analysis, and automation using tools like Make.
Through this guide, you can learn prompt writing techniques that work well on any AI platform.
What Is an AI Prompt?
Simply put, it's a question or command you give to AI.
Think about giving directions to a friend. The more specific your explanation, the easier it is for your friend to reach the destination, right?
AI is exactly the same. Clear and specific prompts produce the results you want, while vague prompts only return mediocre answers.
So the key is to clearly communicate what you want!
8 Ways to Ask Good Questions with AI Prompts
No matter which AI you use, here are tips that help produce good results. They're especially useful for AI used in automation like Make!
• Be Specific and Include Context
Instead of just saying "write me an email,"
tell it who it's for, what the content should be, and how long it should be.
"Write a 100-word customer notification email explaining the change in refund policy."
• Assign a Role to the AI
It also works well to set AI as a specific profession.
"You are a social media manager. Write a tweet announcing a new product launch."
• Specify the Output Format
If you want a list, paragraph, poem, table, or other format, tell it in advance.
• Keep Refining Your Prompts
You might not get what you want on the first try. When that happens, make the prompt more specific or add more context and try again.
"Write me a cookie recipe" -> You might just get a plain sugar cookie.
"Give me a chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. The dough should be cold-fermented, using brown butter for extra flavor. Include measurements in grams, with baking times for both a regular oven and a convection oven."
• Show Examples
If you have a specific style or format in mind, showing a sample alongside your request works great.
• Break Complex Tasks into Steps
Rather than trying to get everything done at once, giving instructions in sequential steps produces more accurate results.
• The More You Practice, the Better You Get!
The more you practice, the better your instincts become, and you'll get the results you want faster.
• Try the CLEAR Framework Too
It's a helpful structure for prompt writing:
Context: Provide sufficient background information — target audience, product, purpose, etc.
Length: Be specific about the output length too
Explicitness: Be clear instead of ambiguous
Audience: Tell it who the reader is so the tone matches
Refinement: If the result isn't great, keep refining!
AI Prompt Example Collection
Marketing
• Basic: "Write a slogan for a new coffee brand."
• Intermediate: "Create a slogan for an organic fair-trade coffee brand. Emphasize freshness and ethical consumption."
• Advanced:
"Create 3 slogans for an organic fair-trade coffee lineup.
Target audience: Eco-conscious Gen Z and Millennials
Tone: Sophisticated yet friendly
Each slogan should focus on: freshness / ethical values / a combination of both."
Customer Support
• Basic: "Write a customer email about a shipping delay."
• Intermediate: "A customer has complained about a shipping delay. Include an empathetic apology message and a 10% discount code for their next purchase."
• Advanced:
"The customer's name is Alex, order number #12345. They've complained because the shipping was delayed by 2 weeks.
Include an explanation for the delay + a heartfelt apology + a 15% discount code + estimated delivery schedule + 24-hour customer service number."
Sales
• Basic: "Write a sales email subject line."
• Intermediate: "Write a cold email subject line targeting marketing managers in the tech industry. It should be personalized and attention-grabbing."
• Advanced:
"Write 3 cold email subject lines for marketing managers in the tech industry.
Each should emphasize: time savings / cost reduction / efficiency improvement."
Content Creation
• Basic: "Write a blog post about Make."
• Intermediate: "Write about 300 words on the key benefits of how Make can streamline workflows for small businesses. Make sure to include 3 specific advantages."
• Advanced:
"Create a blog post outline on the benefits of marketing workflow automation using Make.
Structure: title, introduction, 3 body sections, conclusion.
Include 2-3 specific examples in each section. Target audience: marketing professionals with some automation experience."
How to Ask Good Questions with AI Prompts: Image Generation
AI can generate not only text but also images.
In this case, more specific, description-focused prompts are needed.
For example, instead of "cat,"
"A hand-drawn illustration of three cats: a chubby cat, a slim black cat, and a majestic Maine Coon with gray and white fur wearing a silk top hat"
Describing it this way helps AI create much more impressive images.
Actual image generated from prompt input, used from firefly
Exploring Various AI Platforms
The fundamental principles of prompt writing work everywhere, but each platform has slightly different characteristics.
For example, it's a good idea to compare various tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek AI to find which one works best for you.
Some platforms also let you adjust settings like "temperature (creativity level)."
• Higher temperature = more unpredictable, creative results
• Lower temperature = more stable, accurate results
You can adjust it like this.
Know These Advanced Prompt Techniques Too
Once you're comfortable with basic prompt writing, it's time to level up!
Knowing these techniques will let you leverage AI much more powerfully:
• Chain-of-thought prompting
A technique that guides AI to follow a train of thought step by step to solve problems.
• Few-shot prompting
A method where you show a few examples of the desired output first, then guide the AI to follow that pattern.
• Prompt chaining
A technique that connects multiple prompts sequentially to produce more complex and sophisticated results.
The ability to write good prompts is becoming increasingly important.
Just mastering the tips introduced here will be a huge help in getting the results you want.
IMPAKERS Blog | Another MAKE issue article right here! Check it out
Source: MAKE, "AI prompting: a comprehensive guide to writing effective prompts", https://www.make.com/en/blog/ai-prompts, (2025.04.11)