Advanced AI Prompt Engineering Techniques for Marketing & Business

In the rapidly evolving world of Generative AI, prompt engineering has become a critical skill for businesses seeking to maximise the potential of large language models, and their generative AI interfaces, such as ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic), Perplexity and even the up-and-coming DeepSeek.

This guide explores advanced prompting techniques that can transform how organisations leverage AI for content creation, strategic planning, and problem-solving. These techniques are essential for creating tools like CustomGPT’s, and their equivalents in each model Gems (Gemini), Projects (Claude) and Spaces (Perplexity).

We will also need advanced promoting techniques to help us build AI Agents, the next revolution in AI.

In this blog, I cover the following prompt engineering techniques:

Getting started
- Zero-Shot Prompting
- Few-Shot Prompting
- Chain-of-Thought Prompting
- Role-Based Prompting
- Markdown Prompting
- Emotional & Style Prompting
- Rephrase and Respond Prompting
- Least-to-Most Prompting
- System 2 Attention
- Generated Knowledge Prompting
- Simulated Dialogue Prompting (Sim Tom)

Advanced and combination techniques
- Tabular Chain-of-Thought Prompting
- Skeleton of Thought
- Self-Generated In-Context Learning
- Diverse Verifier (DiVeRSe)
- CO-STAR Framework

Refinement techniques
- Self-Refinement
- Self-Verification
- Verification and Scoring
- Chain of Verification (COVE)
- Prompt Workflows

Understanding Prompt Engineering Techniques

Zero-Shot Prompting

Zero-shot prompting allows you to complete tasks without prior examples. It’s ideal for:

Quick idea generation
Initial content summaries
Broad exploratory tasks, such as text reformatting

Characteristics:

Straightforward approach
Requires precise, clear input
Works best with well-defined tasks

Example: “Summarise the key trends in digital marketing for 2024, highlighting emerging technologies and consumer behaviors.”

Few-Shot Prompting

By providing a small number of examples, you guide the AI to produce more precise outputs. Perfect for:

Creating consistent content
Developing specific writing styles
Generating structured responses

Key Benefits:

Provides context and tone guidance
Helps AI understand nuanced requirements
Improves output accuracy and consistency

Example: “I have provided below two product descriptions, with specific formatting and emotional tone. Using these as your guide, please recreate the third product summary to match those characteristics exactly as the first two examples”.

Chain-of-Thought Prompting

Break down complex problems into logical, step-by-step reasoning. This technique excels in:

Strategic planning
Solving multi-layered challenges
Developing comprehensive workflows

Approach:
Deconstruct complex tasks into manageable steps
Guide AI through logical progression
Ensure comprehensive problem-solving

Example: “Outline a five-step process to improve customer retention in an e-commerce business:
Analyse current retention metrics
Identify primary customer churn points
Develop targeted intervention strategies
Implement personalisation techniques
Create a continuous feedback loop”

Role-Based Prompting

Assign a specific persona to the AI to generate tailored, context-specific outputs. Use cases include:

Simulating executive decision-making
Creating persona-driven content
Developing targeted communication strategies

Implementation:

Specify a precise professional role
Provide context-specific background
Request output aligned with that persona’s perspective

Example: “As a Chief Marketing Officer with 15 years of experience in tech industries, draft a strategic plan for launching a new AI-powered marketing tool”

Markdown Prompting

Organise responses into structured, readable formats using markdown syntax. Beneficial for:

Creating clear, hierarchical documents
Improving response readability
Generating structured reports and workflows

Techniques:

Use headers to create clear sections (markdown uses hashtags, in a similar way that we use H1 or H2 headings in HTML)
Implement bullet points for key information
Create nested lists for complex ideas

Example:

“# Q2 Marketing Strategy

## Objectives

– Increase brand awareness

– Improve customer engagement

## Tactics

– Launch social media campaign

– Develop targeted email marketing series”

Emotional & Style Prompting

Direct the AI to adopt specific tones or emotional perspectives. Powerful for:

Crafting persuasive copy
Creating empathetic communications
Developing brand-specific messaging

Approach:

Specify the exact emotional tone
Provide context for the desired communication style
Give examples of preferred language

Example: “Write an inspiring and motivational email encouraging employees to embrace innovation and sustainability practices, using a blend of compassionate and forward-thinking language”

Rephrase and Respond Prompting

Refines input by rephrasing for improved clarity and understanding. Ideal for:

Clarifying ambiguous or complex queries
Improving communication precision
Ensuring accurate interpretation of intent

Techniques:

Break down complex questions
Reframe initial prompt for greater specificity
Verify understanding before generating response

Example: “Rephrase this marketing brief to highlight the most critical objectives and remove any ambiguous language. Ensure the rephrased version is crystal clear and actionable.”

Least-to-Most Prompting

Systematically builds complexity by starting with simple tasks and progressively advancing. Beneficial for:

Incremental problem-solving
Structured learning approaches
Complex workflow development

Approach:

Begin with foundational elements
Gradually increase task complexity
Build understanding through progressive steps

Example:

“Using the attached campaign description:

Identify core marketing campaign objectives
Develop initial targeting strategy
Create detailed channel-specific tactics
Design comprehensive implementation plan
Build adaptive measurement and optimisation framework”

System 2 Attention

Focuses on deliberate, objective reasoning by separating facts from subjective inputs. Powerful for:

Unbiased analysis
Critical thinking
Eliminating emotional or intuitive bias

Key Characteristics:

Emphasises logical, systematic approach
Encourages deliberate information processing
Minimises impulsive or emotional decision-making

Example: “Conduct an objective analysis of our marketing performance, focusing solely on quantifiable metrics and removing any subjective interpretations.”

Generated Knowledge Prompting

Combines existing information to create novel insights and actionable strategies. Useful for:

Innovation generation
Strategic opportunity identification
Knowledge synthesis

Methodology:

Aggregate existing data points
Identify potential connections
Generate unique perspectives and recommendations

Example: “Analyse our current sales data, market trends, and customer feedback to suggest three innovative product development opportunities.”

Simulated Dialogue Prompting (SimTom)

The name Sim Tom is derived from “Simulation Theory of Mind”.

It is used to create multi-step, realistic conversational scenarios for training and strategic planning. Applications include:

Sales training
Client interaction simulations
Conflict resolution strategies

Implementation:

Define clear participant roles
Establish specific conversation objectives
Create realistic interaction scenarios

Example: “Simulate a negotiation between a sales representative and a potential enterprise client, focusing on overcoming pricing objections and demonstrating value.”

Tabular Chain-of-Thought Prompting

Structures complex reasoning and processes in a clear, organised table format. Beneficial for:

Project planning
Strategic analysis
Workflow documentation

Approach:

Break down processes into discrete steps
Use columns to represent different analysis dimensions
Provide clear, structured reasoning progression

Example: “Create a marketing calendar for our new pet food launch, with weeks in the columns, and each channel and content idea in the rows”

Skeleton of Thought

Develops a high-level framework that can be systematically expanded into comprehensive content. Useful for:

Content creation
Strategic planning
Structured ideation

Techniques:

Start with core conceptual outline
Progressively add depth and detail
Maintain logical flow and coherence

Example: “Draft a preliminary outline for a comprehensive report on AI’s impact on marketing strategies, focusing on key structural elements.”

Self-Generated In-Context Learning

Enables AI to create its own examples and refine understanding autonomously. Valuable for:

Persona development
Audience segmentation
Adaptive learning approaches

Methodology:

Generate initial baseline examples
Iteratively refine and improve
Create nuanced, context-specific insights

Example: “Develop multiple audience personas for a luxury homewear brand, demonstrating deep understanding of potential customer motivations and behaviors.”

Diverse Verifier (DiVeRSe)

Explores multiple solution paths and rigorously evaluates their potential effectiveness. Critical for:

Strategic decision-making
Campaign strategy development
Risk mitigation

Approach:

Generate multiple solution alternatives (ideation)
Apply systematic evaluation criteria (scoring)
Select optimal strategy based on comprehensive analysis (application)

Example: “Propose three distinct marketing campaign strategies for a new product launch, comprehensively evaluating each approach’s potential success.”

CO-STAR Framework

Structures prompts using Context, Objective, Style, Tone, Audience, and Response format. Ideal for:

Creating comprehensive briefs
Ensuring strategic alignment
Developing targeted communications

Components:

Clearly define contextual background
Specify precise objectives
Establish desired communication style
Target specific audience segments

Example: “Develop a social media campaign brief for a sustainable fashion brand, targeting environmentally conscious millennials with an inspirational and authentic tone.”

Iteratively improve outputs by:

Identifying content gaps
Addressing potential weaknesses
Adding depth to initial responses

Approach: Request the AI to review and improve its initial output, focusing on specific areas of enhancement.

Verification Frameworks

Evaluate AI-generated content using:

Market validation criteria
Feasibility assessments
Risk analysis
Potential impact scoring

Approach: Systematically score and verify outputs across multiple strategic dimensions.

Verification and Scoring Framework

Breaks evaluation into structured components to assess AI-generated content systematically:

Market validation criteria
Feasibility assessment
Risk analysis
Potential impact scoring

Key Benefits:

Provides quantitative assessment of strategies
Enables objective comparison of different approaches
Helps prioritise initiatives based on multiple dimensions

Example: “Score these campaign ideas across market potential, implementation complexity, and expected ROI using a 1-10 scale.”

Chain of Verification (COVE)

An iterative approach to refining and validating AI-generated responses:

Generate initial baseline content
Pose critical verification questions
Systematically refine answers
Validate underlying assumptions

Methodology:

Challenge initial outputs
Seek evidence-based improvements
Ensure comprehensive and reliable results

Example: “Evaluate this business strategy proposal by questioning each assumption, identifying potential risks, and suggesting refinements.”

Prompt Workflows

Utilise structured markdown or formatted prompts to organise and execute complex outputs:

Create hierarchical document structures
Define clear objectives and steps
Maintain systematic approach to complex tasks

Implementation Techniques:

Use markdown headers
Create nested lists
Define clear progression of ideas

Example:

# Annual Marketing Strategy

## Objectives

– Increase market share

– Improve customer engagement

## Tactical Steps

Conduct market research
Develop targeted campaigns
Implement measurement framework

Table summarising these prompting techniques

Technique	Primary Use	Key Characteristics	Example Scenario
Zero-Shot Prompting	Quick idea generation, broad summaries	No prior examples, requires precise input	Summarising market trends without specific guidance
Few-Shot Prompting	Creating consistent content, specific styles	Provides small number of examples for context	Writing product descriptions matching a specific tone
Chain-of-Thought Prompting	Complex problem-solving, strategic planning	Breaks tasks into logical step-by-step process	Developing a comprehensive customer retention strategy
Role-Based Prompting	Persona-driven content, specialised perspectives	Assigns specific professional role or persona	Drafting a marketing plan from a CMO’s viewpoint
Markdown Prompting	Structured document creation	Organises responses using markdown syntax	Creating hierarchical marketing strategy documents
Emotional & Style Prompting	Crafting persuasive, targeted communications	Specifies specific tone and emotional approach	Writing motivational internal communications
Rephrase and Respond Prompting	Clarifying complex queries	Refines and rephrases input for clarity	Improving ambiguous marketing briefs
Least-to-Most Prompting	Incremental problem-solving	Builds complexity progressively	Developing a marketing campaign from basic to advanced stages
System 2 Attention	Objective analysis, critical reasoning	Separates facts from subjective inputs	Conducting unbiased performance evaluations
Generated Knowledge Prompting	Innovation, strategic insights	Combines existing information creatively	Identifying new product opportunities from sales data
Simulated Dialogue Prompting	Training, scenario planning	Creates multi-step conversational scenarios	Conducting mock sales negotiations
Tabular Chain-of-Thought Prompting	Structured analysis, workflow documentation	Organises reasoning in table format	Analysing marketing campaign performance
Skeleton of Thought	Content framework development	Creates high-level outline for expansion	Drafting initial report structures
Self-Generated In-Context Learning	Persona development, adaptive learning	AI generates and refines its own examples	Creating detailed audience personas
Diverse Verifier (DiVeRSe)	Strategic decision-making	Explores multiple solution paths	Evaluating multiple campaign strategies
CO-STAR Framework	Comprehensive brief creation	Structures prompts with context, objectives, style	Developing targeted social media campaign briefs

Technique	Primary Purpose	Key Method	Application
Self-Refinement	Improving initial outputs	Iterative gap identification	Enhancing marketing strategies
Self-Verification	Validating response accuracy	Evidence-based metrics review	Verifying strategic proposals
Verification and Scoring	Systematic output evaluation	Scoring across multiple dimensions	Prioritising marketing initiatives
Chain of Verification (COVE)	Comprehensive response refinement	Iterative questioning and improvement	Validating strategic assumptions
Prompt Workflows	Complex output organisation	Structured prompt formatting	Creating detailed operational plans

Key Takeaways

Prompt engineering is a skill that requires practice and experimentation
No single technique works perfectly for every scenario
Combine multiple approaches for optimal results
Continuously refine and adapt your prompting strategy

By mastering these advanced prompt engineering techniques, businesses can unlock unprecedented levels of AI-assisted creativity, strategic insight, and operational efficiency.

More resources

Watch some of these techniques in action – links to webinars
If you would like to see how I have used some of the simpler prompting techniques – then check out these webinars:

How to use ChatGPT in your marketing job and tips on practical prompting https://anicca.co.uk/resources-webinars/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-marketing-job-and-tips-on-practical-prompting/
AI on Steroids-Designing Your First Custom GPT for Advanced Performance
https://anicca.co.uk/resources-webinars/ai-on-steroids-designing-your-first-custom-gpt-for-advanced-performance/

If you are interested in practical training or consultancy on how you can utilise ChatGPT or other Generative AI strategies in your marketing and business, then email Ann Stanley at [email protected]

Advanced AI Prompt Engineering Techniques for Marketing & Business