Google's Guide to Prompting
(It's pretty good)
Whether you're new to generative AI prompting or an old pro (if there is such a thing), it might be worthwhile to check out Google's Prompting guide 101: A quick-start handbook for effective prompts (https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/gemini-for-google-workspace-prompting-guide-101.pdf).
It's supposedly tailored to using Gemini (Google's AI chatbot) within Google Workspace, but the advice in the handbook should apply to other AI chatbots.
The guide is quite good. In fact, if all you do is read the first page, you'll probably start writing more effective prompts. Google recommends considering four areas when writing a prompt: persona, task, context, and format. This isn't new advice, in fact, it overlaps with what I recommend in my publication, Getting Started with Generative AI: A Guide for Higher Education Professionals (which is available for free to AI Goes to College subscribers).
Persona is the role you want AI to take during the chat session. (Google seems to use persona in several ways, which I'll discuss in later.)
Task is just what it says; what do you want AI to do or create.
Context provides additional information that might be relevant to the task.
Format describes how you want the output formatted (bullet points, short or long text, an outline, etc.).
If you include these four elements in your prompts, you'll be more efficient and effective in your use of generative AI.
Google's guide also offers the following solid advice. (I liked the way the way this was written in the guide, so this is a verbatim copy.)
Here are quick tips to get you started with Gemini for Workspace:
Use natural language. Write as if you’re speaking to another person. Express complete thoughts in full sentences.
Be specific and iterate. Tell Gemini for Workspace what you need it to do (summarize, write, change the tone, create). Provide as much context as possible.
Be concise and avoid complexity. State your request in brief — but specific — language. Avoid jargon.
Make it a conversation. Fine-tune your prompts if the results don’t meet your expectations or if you believe there’s room for improvement. Use follow-up prompts and an iterative process of review and refinement to yield better results.
This also tracks well with the advice I give in my Getting Started guide. Most of the rest of the guide covers a bunch of examples of uses in areas such as customer service, human resources, marketing and sales. The handbook concludes with a section called, "Leveling up your prompt writing" that offers some good advice on improving your prompt writing. (I'll let you check that out for yourself.)
My only criticism of the handbook is that it's a bit unclear on the idea of personas (which it sometimes calls roles). It suggests three different uses of personas, what role you want AI to take during the chat session (e.g. act as a marketing expert), what role you serve (e.g. I'm an admissions director), and the persona of the target of AI's output (e.g. write a letter to a prospective student). All of these are good uses of the idea of a persona or role, but the handbook makes things a little confusing. This is a minor quibble, however. Overall, I think the guide is a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to learn generative AI or improve their prompting skills.