You're Prompting ChatGPT Wrong

How to Perfect the ChatGPT Prompt from the President of OpenAI.

You’re probably already nailing the first step of a great ChatGPt prompt. When you ask ChatGPT for help, you usually start with what you want. Maybe it’s:

“Develop a three-month content calendar for a lifestyle influencer wanting to grow on TikTok.”
“Write a social media caption for my latest post.”
“Help me brainstorm marketing strategies for my business.”

That’s your Goal. You’re defining what you want, and that’s a great start.

But here’s the problem: most people stop there.

Why Your AI Responses Fall Flat

Have you ever gotten a response from AI that felt too generic, missed key details or wasn’t formatted the way you needed? That’s because the Goal is only one part of an effective prompt.

OpenAI President Greg Brockman recently shared the BEST way to structure prompts. This framework helps you refine your requests to get responses that are actually useful.

Here’s how it works, using an example:

✅ 1. Goal: Define What You Want

This is the part you’re probably already doing:

"Develop a three-month content calendar for a lifestyle influencer wanting to grow on TikTok."

It's a good start, but on its own, this leaves too much open to interpretation.

✅ 2. Return Format: Specify the Output

AI can give answers in any format, from lists, paragraphs and tables to scripts. If you don’t specify, you’ll get whatever it assumes you want, and you know what they say about assuming. So, instead of just asking for a content calendar, clarify:

"Provide the answer in a calendar format, including the type of post, keywords for SEO in the caption, and a hook idea for each post."

Now, instead of a vague outline, you'll get a structured response you can actually use.

✅ 3. Warnings: Set Guardrails, Your "Do-Nots"

Not everything AI generates is useful for you. If you want to avoid Oxford commas, specific words or sources, say so.

"Make sure the recommended content ideas are related to my niche. Avoid spam and clickbait. Keep the post frequency realistic."

This keeps AI from suggesting daily posts when I only upload 2-3 times a week or pushing trends that don’t fit my brand.

✅ 4. Context Dump: Provide Background Info

Most people miss this. The more context you provide, the more tailored the response. AI isn’t actually smart—it just works with what you give it.

So, instead of a generic request, it might sound like this:

"I have 20K followers in the lifestyle, beauty, travel, and wellness niche. My core values are mental health and self-care. I was a late-diagnosed neurodivergent, which guided my content. My audience is 81% female, 34-44. I love hacks that make life easier or memes so we can laugh about it."

Now, AI knows who I am, who I am talking to, and what kind of content resonates. It won’t suggest Gen Z TikTok dances for an audience of 30-something working moms.

The Takeaway

If your AI responses feel off, the problem probably isn’t the AI; it’s the prompt.

By adding Return Format, Warnings and Context to your Goal, you take control of the output.

Try this framework next time you use AI, and let me know if it improves your results.