13 AI Prompts for Brands and Businesses

No matter what you do, you’ve likely heard about artificial intelligence (AI) and how useful it is for businesses. AI has a broad application in creative industries, manufacturing, marketing, and customer service, to name a few, and especially in the small business world. Still, how useful it is remains in the hands of the people using the technology. 

For small business owners thinking of wading into the AI world for the first time, one way to effectively and efficiently use the tool is through prompts. Think of AI prompting as a brainstorming session. By feeding the tool a specific set of instructions, such as questions or suggestions, it can generate distinct results for you. 

Ahead, we’ve got you covered on how generative AI works, some tips and best practices for AI newbies, and 13 effective AI prompts for your business to try. 

How generative AI works

In brief, generative AI is the name given to the machine learning technologies that form the basis of AI capabilities, such as creating content like text or illustrations for websites. These technologies are called large language models. One of the most popular generative AI tools is ChatGPT, a chatbot which, through natural language prompts, provides users with whatever it is they’re looking for. This tool has often been used to generate copy users can edit as their own or use for brainstorming. 

A core aspect of generative AI is that it’s fed hundreds of thousands (and nearly infinite-seeming) data sources from across the digital world to provide users with the answers they desire. Generative AI, then, is only as useful as the knowledge and data it contains. The more information it has access to in order to process a response, the better. 

A good rule of thumb when working with any generated AI response is that it’s worth double-checking for any biases or inaccuracies, even when brainstorming. If a prompt doesn’t exactly provide what you’re looking for, consider tailoring the prompt, or use it as a jumping off point to get to your desired next step.

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AI best practices and tips for brands and businesses

Because AI is still a fairly new tool, and the technology is constantly and consistently evolving, some tips may be more relevant at a certain time than others.

In general, there are a handful of best practices that have longevity, especially for small businesses owners using AI for the first time to help launch or simplify their business operations. 

Consider the following when using AI prompts: 

• Have a strategy. Using AI without a strategy isn’t going to be very useful. A strategy can be as loose as using it to brainstorm or as defined as needing text to help boost conversions through email marketing. Always approach the tool with a strategy to get the most out of it.

• Be specific. Remember that the tool only works as well as the person using it. If your prompts are generic, you’ll likely get generic answers. If you want specific advice on how to run an email marketing campaign, make sure to state that, with other qualifiers, to get the best results.

• Keep it confidential. While being specific is crucial for AI to generate anything useful, it’s highly discouraged to feed it any legal, financial, or critical business information. Likewise, don’t rely on AI for legal or financial advice.

• Double check everything. AI won’t always give you the correct information, just the information you ask for, and there’s a difference. Double check for accuracy and fact-check any chance you get.

• Give it your own twist. AI-generated content will always have a generic touch to it, which is kind of the point. It’s like clay that needs to be wedged and formed into something of its own. Personalize and edit any content that gets generated, especially if you plan to share it publicly.

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13 AI prompts for brands and businesses 

Prompts can be difficult to formulate if you’ve never really engaged with the tool and aren’t sure what to ask. Here are 13 prompts for brands or businesses—ranging from questions about content to product to marketing—to give your own spin and try out. 

Remember to treat any results as a starting point. What ultimately makes a business or brand stand out is the personality and vision behind it. AI can’t replicate the human experience and references you bring to the table.

1. “Write an 800 word blog post about the benefits of [X product] for [X industry].” 

Tip: Try adding relevant keywords you want to target for organic search in the prompt.

2. “Craft a welcome email to new sign-ups for the business, [BUSINESS NAME], my [INDUSTRY TYPE] store, and include a 15% off coupon.”

Tip: Add in information for a subject line, preheader, and body copy to break-up the sections.

3. “Take these customer reviews and analyze them for any trends or customer sentiment.”

Tip: Consider asking reviews to be summarized from best to worst to better categorize topics.

4. “Take [INSERT PRODUCT COPY] and provide 5 Instagram captions.”

Tip: Consider adding specific product features to highlight in the prompt to add to the Instagram captions.

5. “Provide 5 high-volume keyword clusters for [TOPIC/INDUSTRY] to optimize search engine rankings for my business’s website.”

Tip: If you’re in need of blog posts to go along with these clusters, add a request for blog post outlines or topic suggestions.

6. “Provide information on how often users buy [TOPIC/PRODUCT] from websites versus social media platforms.”

Tip: If you’re looking for a specific platform(s), consider naming each platform or channel to see what data populates. 

7. “Provide an effective about me summary for a [INSERT TYPE] business's website.”

Tip: Ask the AI in the prompt to write in a specific tone or voice, to better match your tone. 

8. “What are the best practices to consider when launching an email marketing campaign?”

Tip: Consider adding extra text for strategies around what type of launch (e.g. nurture campaign, post-onboarding, etc.) to get more specific ideas. 

9. “Generate a content marketing plan, including social media post suggestions, with specific steps and dates to support a new product launch.”

Tip: If you need some SEO support in the content marketing plan, consider asking for targeted keywords to incorporate into the strategy.

10. “Generate a social media strategy to launch a new ecommerce [INDUSTRY/BUSINESS NAME] business.”

Tip: For a more specific strategy to work from, try adding specific social platforms you’re trying to optimize your content for to the prompt. 

11. “What are the most relevant questions when searching for [KEYWORD]?”

Tip: Consider following up by asking what information is missing from existing content for the keyword. . 

12. “Which of the following 3 ad copy examples is most likely to convert my audience into buyers.”

Tip: For more specificity, add the business industry or audience details  

13. “Generate a market analysis for next year’s business plan, informed by [INDUSTRY] and [PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES], while covering areas for growth and customers to target.” 

Tip: For more specificity, consider adding certain demographics of your customer bases, or the customers you wish to reach.

No matter how AI evolves, or where it takes us in the future, this technology is fast becoming an important part of many business operations today. Even as a brainstorming tool, AI is an effective partner because it provides useful information to consider from proven strategies that have worked before. 

At Squarespace, the goal is to incorporate AI in ways that genuinely improves your work and supports what makes you unique. Whether that’s by helping you get a website launched faster or break through your writer’s block, the goal is to help you build something that matches your vision.