Unleashing the Power of AI: The Art and Importance of the Prompt

by Tom Snyder on Dec 11, 2024

There’s a lot of buzz—and fear—about AI.

Will it eliminate our jobs? The truth is, AI will eliminate jobs... the jobs of people who refuse to learn how to use it. On the flip side, those who figure out how to make AI work for them are the ones companies will be fighting to hire.

And at the center of this AI revolution is one deceptively simple skill: the prompt. A well-crafted prompt is what turns AI into the most powerful tool you’ve ever had. A bad one? It’ll make you wonder why you bothered with AI in the first place.

I had a conversation with my son last week about this. He told me about a programmer friend of his, who’s afraid AI will make his job obsolete since it can write code. I told him that while AI can generate code, like all the other things AI does, it still can’t do it effectively without someone who understands how to direct it. The programmers who master prompting AI to write and refine code will be more in demand, not less.

The key will be becoming a master of prompt engineering. Almost like becoming an "AI Whisperer."

So, let’s talk about what makes a good prompt, why it’s so important, and how this skill can set you—and your business—apart.

What Makes a Good Prompt?

A good prompt boils down to a few critical elements. Miss any of these, and you’re asking for frustration:

Clarity: Say exactly what you mean.
Context: Tell the AI the "why" behind your ask.
Purpose: What’s the end goal? AI needs to know.
Scope: Be clear about what to include—and what not to.
Structure: Specify the format—list, blog, chart, or code.
Tools and Sources: Point AI to the data or tools it needs (e.g., Google Analytics, SEMrush, CRM).
Audience: Who’s this for? Knowing that changes everything.
Tone and Style: Keep it on-brand or in the right voice.
Examples: Show what you like—or hate.
Iterative Feedback: Be ready to tweak it as you go.

Think of this as a checklist. Run through it as you craft the prompt you'll be feeding AI to produce something. Your prompt will be long and detailed. And in some cases may actually take almost as long to create as it would have to do the work yourself. But if the task will entail lots of repetitive action, or processing huge amounts of data, it will be worth the effort in the time it saves.

Now, to show how this works in practice, let’s take a look at a few real-world examples to demonstrate what happens with a vague, poorly written prompt versus a well-thought-out one.

1. Blog Writing

Bad Prompt:
“Write a blog about AI prompts.”

What Happens:
You’ll get vague, generic fluff that barely scratches the surface and produces no real value for your intended audience.

Good Prompt:
“Write a 900-word blog for business professionals and decision-makers about the importance of crafting effective AI prompts to maximize AI’s potential. Begin by addressing the common fear that AI will eliminate jobs, emphasizing instead how mastering prompt creation can enhance job security and demand. Provide a detailed explanation of how effective prompts unlock accurate, actionable, and optimized results. Include a comprehensive, bulleted list of 10 key elements that make a prompt effective, with practical business examples for each, such as writing blogs, analyzing customer data with tools like Google Analytics, coding (e.g., interactive designs), and creating images with detailed artistic specifications. For each example, compare vague, ineffective prompts to clear, actionable ones. Conclude with a persuasive call-to-action, encouraging businesses to work with expert agencies that understand AI and can deliver exceptional results using this approach. Maintain my writing style and tone throughout.”

Why It Works:
This isn’t just clear; it’s laser-focused. The prompt defines the topic, word count, structure, examples, and even the tone of the conclusion.

2. Analytics

Bad Prompt:
“Help me analyze customer data.”

What Happens:
You’ll get vague suggestions that don’t actually solve your problem.

Good Prompt:

“Create a detailed customer retention report for a subscription-based e-commerce business aimed at improving retention rates and maximizing revenue. Use data from Google Analytics (traffic and behavior patterns), CRM records (customer interactions and demographic details), and monthly revenue reports (subscription renewals and cancellations). Focus on key metrics: churn rate, lifetime customer value, and retention trends segmented by age group, region, and subscription tier. Include three actionable strategies to reduce churn, backed by data insights. Present the findings visually with a combination of line graphs (to show trends over time), pie charts (for demographic breakdowns), and heatmaps (to illustrate regional retention rates). Ensure the report is clear and concise, formatted for presentation to senior executives, and includes a one-page executive summary.

Prepare the final output as a PDF report for a professional leave-behind and a PowerPoint presentation deck using our template for executive meetings, ensuring that the visuals and insights are optimized for both formats. Maintain a professional tone with a focus on actionable insights.

Why It Works:
This nails the specifics: data sources, metrics to track, deliverables, and even the type of visuals needed to make it actionable.

3. Image Creation

Bad Prompt:
“Make an image of a tree.”

What Happens:
You’ll get a generic tree—boring, uninspired, and completely useless.

Good Prompt:

“Create a digital painting of an ancient oak tree on a windswept hill under a twilight sky, using a low-angle perspective from the base, looking up into its branches. This artwork will be used as the centerpiece for a fantasy novel cover titled The Whispering Grove. The scene should feature a color palette of deep purples, golds, and muted greens to evoke a magical, mysterious mood, with glowing fireflies around the branches adding whimsy. Use Impressionist-inspired brushstrokes for a soft, dreamlike quality.

The final image should be rendered in 4K resolution for high-quality display and printing, with a subtle vignette effect to draw focus to the center. Deliver the artwork as a PNG with transparency, along with a Photoshop or Procreate file containing editable layers for future modifications.

Why It Works:
It’s detailed enough to rival what a professional artist would sketch before starting. Subject, mood, style, and perspective are all there, so the output is exactly what you envision.

Why Training Your AI Matters

Now, here’s the kicker. Even the best prompts will only get you so far if you’re working with a blank-slate AI. The real power comes when you use a tool you can train—like GPT, Claude, or Gemini.

At Trivera, we’ve done this with Webster, our AI assistant. Webster isn’t just spitting out generic answers—he knows our voice, our clients, and the way we do business. That’s because we’ve spent time teaching him, so it’s not just “an AI”—it’s our AI.

Without that kind of customization, you’ll spend more time fixing AI’s mistakes than benefiting from it.

Why This Matters for You

If you want to stay relevant in today’s job market—or keep your business competitive—learning how to craft effective prompts isn’t optional. It’s the new baseline skill.

And if you’re working with an agency, you better make sure they get it too. At Trivera, we don’t just use AI—we’re mastering it. Whether it’s writing blogs, analyzing data, coding, creating stunning visuals, producing podcasts, we know how to make AI work for you.

Let us help you unlock AI’s potential and turn it into your most powerful tool for success—one expertly crafted prompt at a time.

About Tom Snyder

Tom Snyder - Trivera Tom Snyder, founder, president and CEO of Trivera, a 28-year-old strategic digital marketing firm based in suburban Milwaukee. Tom has been blogging since 1998, sharing the insight gained from helping businesses and organizations reinforce their brands by taking full advantage of digital and web technology as powerful tactics.